The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-02-09
By
LOUIS WEADCOCK

side-step this lecture thing?"
Mr.. Hopkins threw back his head and laughed.
~" he asked, Il try a dodge like that? Not I.
Am of these fellows that is tied
hardware business that he doesn't BalEac from
Hall Caine' Am slave to my business? No,
read. l study. improve my mind I'm going to
deliver a lecture that's corker Been working At II
than week. Been neelecting my business
in fact. Here's looking you"
"Psbury looked at Haines and Hanes looked at
Pillsbury for some time before they drank Then
they sighed.
Its going o be worse than a bull night" said
Pillsbury genially.
4 hope the police don't interfere" said Ha,nes
A ten,round bout between Hopkins and Balzac Why.
Hop can't pronounce that name the same way
three times in succession"
The two big front rooms filled. The women
outnumbered the Yet none of the men seemed
to regret that he there. Hopkins did not lecture
Balzac every evening
The president of the club. a large lady with eye
glasses and an English accent, opened the meeting
Mr.. Hopkins. freshly shaver and slightly flushed
sat at her side, From the other side of the room
Mrs. Hopkins beamed upon him.
He winked at her. Then he remembered that he
had any other lecturer wink at his wife
or anybodys else wife in public So he blushed a
little more.
He ss that every eye In the room was fixed upon
him and he began to wonder II his coat was not get
ting too tight the shoulders
He noticed. too that electric lights shous
more brightly than the others He wondered why.
He compared that electric light with those in the
store. He remembered that somebody had said that
all 16candle-power lights ara not of the same
strength. and as his mind went wandering down q
vista illuminated sorts OF lights he rot
cold all face began to feel as II It were
made Of wood. The president had called his name
and made a brief speech Of Introduction.
He stood up and bowed stimy. PiIlsbury and
Haines were looking at him with compassion written
all over their fat faces Mr. Hopkins giared back
them
who will now address upon The In
fuence OF Bazac upon the Latter-day French Novel
lists" pounded into his ears, and he grabbed the
reading-table with hand and cleared his throat
Ladies and gentlemen" he said. I've written out
what I'm going to say. It isn't very long and
hope you'll enjoy hearing It well as I did writing
It"
And then he read them Mikes copy of tn. intro
duction to Balzac
Even Pisbury and Haines got interested In Il -
Mr.. Hopkins went along.
As for the real members they fairly drank In every
word.
Mr.. Hopkins. warming to his work regretted that
there were only three pages instead Of thirty
He liked the sensation Of being the Of all the
attention He even ventured to introduce a pathetic
tone In his voice once or twice
Once he stamped his foot and then elevated his
hand above his head He to keep it there a little
longer than he had intended but did not bring it
down until he could find appropriate sentiment
with which to accompany its descent and produc. an
effect
He read slowly, that every word might sink
And striking the last page and happening no
tice that both Pillsbury Haines we're looking at
him in enmouthed admiration he slackened his
pace and became even more impressive
And" he read, "Bazac represented in his variot.
works both poles of narrative writing He was at
once a romanticst and rea1ist steel engrav-
ing of Balzac will be found upon page FIVE hundred
and twenty-six."
Mr.. Hopkins the in which he had hanged
himself as quickly anybody else But quicker
Plsbury and Haines broke into unhaIlowed gie.
Pisbury dared to ask in a high tone:
VIII the gentleman please repeat his last oizerva
ton? Those in the back the did not it
in the hall Mike who had crept IN on tip