The sun., 1908-08-16
AT THE
~ TAWDREY. HOUSE
"a The Surprise Party.

1t was inevitable. perhaps, that the Taw-
drey House. with its hundreds Of rooms,
many of them remote and isolated. ahould
be o refuge for the queer and resort for the
gay to aa extent little realized by the normal
good folks who made UP the bulk OF its
guests. As Billikins the clerk put It in his
caustie way, the Tawdrey House entertained
oil shorts and perditions Of men, meaning.
take it, the lacking and the lost.
The particular occasion Of this remark
was the somewhat erTatio and spasmodio
passage through the Office Of old Mrs.
Nevius. who was AFFLICTED with sort Of
Sc. Vitus dance 90 distressing to involuntary
spectators that her relations had oheerfully
combined In paying her board for life at our
estimable hotel.
But there were others even more erratic
and spasmodio Of motion or notion
Enos Cravell. q grinning and toothless
innocent, who babbled about the weather
t;and beset the unNary to jot down for
him the changes Of the wind; Gen.
Truckson, q stone deaf 4nonomaniao on
tho subject Of his own acute hearing; the
Rev. Mr. Merry. who thought he was still
bengaged in converting the Zuius. In which
IAxduous task his mind had become impaired;
Judge Dlnkin, who had lost his palate
and kept making frantic efforts to regainit.
! and the Sharpless sisters. ordinarily the
gentlest Of spinsters az their nurses had
often assured me. yet liable. II by any
chance the right or wrong chord Of disorder
was vibrated. to break out into violent hys-
ferios. There were, too. several specimens
Of the milder forms Of palsy. paralysis and
flooomotor ataxia. calculated, II ever COM
bined, TO cause the most unthinling to re-
fheot on his latter end,
But such a contingency was unlikely.
EThese afflicted people for the most part kept
!,by themselves in comfortable quarters and
under competent oare. It was onlythrough
tEhe association Of ideas as stimulated by
ln6ts. Nevius's unexpected appearance that
n was able to pass them in mental review.
Il grant you the shorts. Hllikins.' I
Yreplied. shut the perditions now-I hope
they are not 80 many or 50 ohronic.'
He heeded not ny words. His back was
ra aS sdsasH aH & sss'E S. %h oossys asy
sstartingly waxen against his stubby black
who had saunteled In.
Bilhkins had two ways with him--the one
insolent. the other obsequious. It all de-
benw Eosd hs Un OF
awhy, hello Ferd Angelll' he now cried
effusivefy. slow are things comings'
Il am more interested In how things are
going. retorted Angel with cold glance
Whereat Billikins sniclxered and shrugged
his shoulders like .huokster apologizing
for damaged goods, while / stalked dig
nifedly TO a chair on the other side to envy
the respect no longer accorded to years.
Not th2t there ras any mall malice S, about
with whom he foregstherod as q lion may
with o jaclel, and was In his way. Prob
ably II had half his wealth / would be far
more aggressive and far less anable than
bs,;ns be- else yhas would o' the distinction Of
Indeed Angel was popular at the Tawd-
rey House, where he was known as O retired
broker who had made his pile and the
prince Of good fellowB. He had a large
suite of rooms IN the scantily occupied
manner of living by his fellow guests. who
either didn't know or wouldn't tell
Young Gustavus Aurum, who presently
Joined me. evidently did not belong to
THAT fellow over there should be sent up
as common gambleri' he exclaimed.
Gustavus generally answered 70 the less
'ceremonious nickname OF Monkey for
which his appearance gave at least show
OF reason. In his restless black eyes az
nv btOA0 tucIo bpdI IAi0u III lutcub6 UltVSF-
you don't mean Angel. -aussie.
do your asked.
Il mean no one else.' he insisted. sYou
surely are not soft enough, Mr.. Sniifen,
scooped the marketP The only money he
has is what he makes by dealing the papes
In fierce game every night up in his rooms.
He's got a brace wheel on the side too,
as know. to the cost Of e couple Of cen-
shook his head and gritted his sharp teeth
Il have seen him paying attention to
Evelina LeClerc.' remarked with inten-
dol;
wait and see what Il
He stopped short, with mouth azape,
as old Mrs. Nevius again crossed the Office
jertingfy. In his face saw the dawn OF
II.
'Ybu3gtme know. Gussie. when, you are
going to do It, won't your asked, moved
by mndh curiosity in general and some
litt1s resentment toward Angel.
E IN b only the faintest, wfldestsl<ind Of
q. nD1on.' he replied doubtfully.
SNot n I promise to help you with Eve,
-inaf' urged.
sHy Juve,' Gussie blurted, -aDoid chap
Aks you could fetch her UP <here Just in
tlnnA TN let you in. sure. Mr.. Sninen.
~ 10 goes. There. can't you see for your
ssif that I've been telling you straight
That's what they have been waiting for.
BIlHkins IL Just capper for him.
loolnsd over to the desk. Billlldns was
presenting Angel withmnch circumstance
toa jsundiced gentleman In foreign dress.
Tho Emir Of Berrarabia." explained
Gussie.
And then reoolleoted that tho papers
had lately had much to say about this
young Eastern potentate who was making
a tour OF the States in translucent incog
He was highly intelligent; he was trained