The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1908-11-26
THE SAVING
BLOSSOP
By CHARLES CARVE

By CHARLES CARVE

| asked Bunter.
Blossop had just gone out OF the
reading-room, slamming the door be-
hind him. There had been an argu-
ment between Bunter and him, one of
| those arguments which begin mildly
and casually enough but not seldom
| proceed by quick stages to something
| like a heated alteration. On this oc-
| casion Blossop had been quite violent
and had put his side of the case with
| a display of temper which was I'M
! usual until quite recently; for though
| Blossop, by dint of his vast bulk and
| stren-th and his admirable lung pow
| err, had, from. the day that the club
| was started, been in the habit of talk
| ing most of us down, mis- H'lllying, to
| Sse the word in an inoffenslve sense,
| had not only met with our federation,
| but secretly amused us. We all liked
| Blossop, liked him for his honesty,
| his generosity, his literary achieve
| ments, his sterling worth.
II don't know what's come to him, "
proceeded Bunter in an aggrieved
tone. Did you fellows hear how he
| jumped on me? Almost-almost spite
fully, Fancy Blossop spiteful!'
"Blossop seems to have been off
color for the last week or So said
Gorham Seems to have lost his APP.
petite; and he doesn't talk so much,
and that's a bad sign with Blossop.'
And when he does talk, he's in
clined to be spiteful, as Bunter says,
| remarked MILAN. And have any of
you noticed how he peers at things
Yesterday, when he was reading that
article. Is Fiction Blessing?' he
held the paper close up to his nose,
and then carried 1.-THE paper, not
| his nose, | mean--to the window,
though the light was good enough
writers headache" suggested some
one.
Nonsense" said MILAN. "Blossop
with a headache! He doesn't know
what it means. He's upset about
something
OF course, we humored him and
were careful to avoid contradicting
him, even when he expressed the
most outrageous opinions.
Presently he was absent from the
club for a week or ten days We
missed him very much. Gorham at
tempted to take his place on the
hearth rug and tried to bully us, but
the attempt was futile and the imita-
ton so ridiculously feeble that we
~ ,,,;tl Il
tumely; and We were all heartily glad
when Blossop returned but We were
secretly distressed TO observe that he
looked worse than when he had left
us He was pale and had grown thinner
and there was an anxious, harassed
| look about his face which caused us a
| vague anxiety. He seemed tired and
| listless. and once or twice he fell
asleep in the chair beside the fire
| When he did so we talked in whispers
| and were careful not to awake him.
One night, when he had been asleep
for nearly an hour, he woke suddenly
felt for the newspaper, which had
dropped from his hand and raised it to
his eyes; then he said:
DO you mind ringing the bell, Rob
inson, and asking the waiter to turn
on the lights"
We looked at each other aghast
The lights had been on for some time
There was a silence, a terrible silence;
but it was broken by new member
who had joined us during Blossop s
absence.
The lights. have been up for the
last hour" he said.
Blossop turned his face in the di
rection of the speaker, sat perfectly
still for a moment then rose and
| leaning against the mantel-shelf, flung
his hands before hts eyes.
My God, boys" he cried, in voice
which rang in our ears for days after
ward. LIN blind,'
Littleford, his oldest friend, rose
and went to him and caught his arm.
Hold on, Blossop," he said, trying
| to laugh, but with shake of his voice
Don't be an idiot Pull yourself to.
gether, You blind What rot!
You're bilious-that COMPOUNDED liver
of yours-or you're got neuralgia of
the optic nerve. Know ever SO many
cases. Had it myself; haven't you
boys? For heavens sake, don't look
like that. man, Here have some
brandy"
The poor fellow stood with bent
head his lips moving, the tears run.
ming down his cheeks until with a
movement of shame, he struck them
away with the back of his hand He
could not speak.
Littleford led him away, and we
who were left sat and looked at each
other and gaZed at the hearth rug
which was sacred to him in heart
rending silence. We waited until Lit.
tleford returned. He came in very
quietly and sank down in Bossops
chair, but got up and took another
one, and it was some minutes before
he replied to our mute questioning.
Il took him home" he said, huskily
His wife was terribly cut up; but
but | think she expected it, She didn't
| cry: but her face | was almost glad
that Blossop couldn't see 1t. She be
| haved like-like a woman; and the
worst of em will beat the bravest
man hollow. | sat with them for some
| time. but | saw that she wanted &c
| have him TO herself, so came away
| | am going to Critchett with him to-
morrow morning; but I'm afraid
| there's unrN lille hone I've EnnWn