Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1908-12-03
The Downfall Of the
ROxmOre Club
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Binks came down to breakfast rath-
er late. There was no good reason
why he shouldn't: for all Binks had to
do was to put in his time from break
fast until dinner. yawning. lounging
and smoking.
He glanced over his mail. His eye
was attracted by a dainty note in a
feminine hand.
who the deuce" he pondered, as
he selected the letter.
Curiously opening the envelope he
glanced at the heading. blush flushed
over his face. then. quickly, he look
ed at the ending. the blush deepened,
Binks became noticeably nervous.
AS he carefully read the letter he
looked around the room to assure him
self no one was watching him. Binks
was a most bashful young bachelor.
He acted as though it were his first
real love letter; his consciousness,
his bushes. all pointed one way.
Conklin. who was also lounging In
the breakfast room at the club. watch
ed Binks with a peculiar interest.
There was a rivalry between the two
men, founded on a certain tie In golf,
which caused them to take a sneering
interest in one another.
"A love letter, Ell" unused Conklln
to himself. as he watched the light
ming fiushes on Binks' face. Wonder
who the devil would love man like
that, some nurse-maid or clerk, IN
wager. He's in love. though, from the
looks of things; wonder who it can
be?"
Just then Binks looked quickly up
nom his letter and caught Conklin's
eyes riveted on him. Conklin shifted
his gaze, Binks thrust the letter in
his breast pocket and made a trivial
remark about the weather.
After breakfast, the two played bill
lizards for an hour. Binks was excited,
Conklin was curious, but he derived
no information. Several times he
limited at love and each time Binks
flushed.
That afternoon Conklin received an
unexpected note in feminine hand
writing. He read it eagerly, blushing
as deeply as his fellow clubman had
that morning. But Binks was not
there to see him and he was glad Of
it. However, there we're two or three
other fellows in the room and they
watched Conklin's behavior with inter
est
1t seemed that suddenly the whole
tenor Of the Roxmore club had chang
ed. They were all bachelors and most
of them young; usually they gathered
together of an evening and drank and
played cards. But the evening after
Binks received his letter. there were
but four or i've .'old-stagers" ON hand
for their game.
The younger fellows had all gone
out, or locked themselves in their
rooms. Surely, something was the
matter, but no one could explain II,
nobody even tried. they we're all pre-
occupied and seemed to have some
thing weighing on their minds.
Young Spears acted as foolish and
bashful as a girl Of is; he hardly ate
at all, and had the club been in its
usual state, everybody would have no
ticed his extraordinary behavior and
tormented him by asking fool ques-
tons. But nobody seemed to notice
anything. except a few OF the "old-
stagers" and even they lapsed into alb.
sent-mindedness. at times.
There was something the matter
with the whole Roxmore club. but each
man was too absorbed in affairs of his
own to notice It.
The mail was eagerly watched BIZ
them all and invariably each mar
searched out quiet corner in which
i! to read HIS letters. and then sat alone
= and unused for an hour or so.
Old Oliphant, who was the oldesi
bachelor in the club, was the onl,
man who noticed the strange behavi
our of all the younger fellows. oil
plant had been voted in but a month
ago; he was a "man-about-town," ;
clever old fellow. as gossipy and gar
rulous as any of the younger fellow
could desire. He was VIGOROUSLY
"good-fellow; It was his chief aim ii
life. and he distinguished himself Ii
his pursuit. Nobody knew where h
got his money. but he never SCENE,
to lack it. He had little ONCE in tn
city and spent four hours day there
Nobody knew what he did. but an,
time the fellows dropped in on him a
work they were always greeted wit
cigars and bottles and never stoppe
to think what he did in that once.
Old Oliphant was the only man VIII
noticed the sad state Of affairs at tn
Roxmore club. and even he did nc
comment upon them; but, occasiona
ly. when quite alone. he would brea
out into startling fit Of laughter. an
then resume his usual, calm demeano
He served in the guise OF confdei
tial friend to all the younger mel
and that was how it happened ths
about week after this sudden chane
at Roxmore three Of the fellows too
: him aside at different times and pra
ed his advice on subjects close to the