West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-09-24
t-o1&sNHJl
|DRICKDUST row
BY o. HENRY.

wealth would have sworn hut
biinker always remembered
tnat he was gentleman. n thing that
no gentleman should do. So he merely
looked bored and sardonlc while he
roue In hanson 10 the center OF dis
turoance. which was the Broadway
once or Lawyer oldport. who was
agent Tor the Blinker estate.
don't see." said Blinker. "why I
should be always signing confounded
pers. l am packed and was 10 have
ieft for the North woods this morning
Now i must walt until tomorrow morn.
Tug. l hate night trains. MY best ra-
zors are OF course at the bottom OF
some unidentifable trunk IL is n Mot to
urive me to buy rum and monologu-
ing. thumb handed barber Give me
pen that doesn't scratch. hate pens
that scratch"
Sit down." said double chinneyf
gray Lawyer Oldport. "The worst has
not been told you. oh. the hardshlps
or the rich! The papers are not vet
ready TO sign. They will be laid before
you tomorrow at II. You will miss
another day. Twice shall the barber
tweak the helpless nose OF BlInker.
he thankful that your sorrows do not
embrace hair cut"
III. said Blinker. rising "the act did
NOT involve more signing Of papers I
would take my business out OF your
hands at once. Give me cigar please" ="
IT." said Lawyer Oldport, 81 had
cared to see an old friends son gulped
down at one mouthful by sharks I
would have ordered you 10 take II
away hong ago. Now let's quit fooling
Alexander. Besides the grinding task
or signing your name some thirty times
tomorrow. 1 must Impose upon you the
consideration OF matter OF business
or business and l may say humanity
or right. ! spoke to you about this five
years ago. but you would lot listen.
fou were In hurry for coaching
trip. think. The subject has come up
again. The property
"Oh. propertyw interrupted Bllnker.
"Dear Mr.. Oldport, think you men.
toned tomorrow. Let's have IL all nt
one dose tomorrow-signatures and
property and snapp. rubber bands and
that smelly sealing wax and all Have
luncheon with me2 Well, I'll try to
remember to drop In at IL tomorrow.
Morning"
The Blinker wealth was I'm lands
tenements and heredltaments. as the
legal phrase goes. Lawyer oldport had
once taken Alexander I'm his little pull
monary gasoline runabout to see the
many buildings and rows OF buildings
that he owned In the city, for Alexan-
der was sole heir. They had amused
Biinker very much The houses look
ed SO incapable OF producing the big
sums OF money that Lawyer Oldport
kept piling up In banks for him TO
spend
In the evening Bllnker went to one
or his clubs. intending to dine. No
body was there except some old fogies
playing whist who spoke to him with
grave politeness and glared at him
with savage contempt. Everybody was
out OF town. But here he was kept
In like a schoolboy TO write his name
over and over on pieces OF paper. His
wounds were deep.
Blinker turned his back on the fogies
and said TO the club steward who had
come forward with some nonsense
about cold fresh salmon roe:
"Symons. I'm going to Coney Is
land" He said II as one might say:
"Alls or. I'm going TO jump into the
river"
The joke pleased Symons. lie laugh
ed within a sixteenth OF n note of the
audibility permitted by the laws gov.
erning employees.
Certainly, sir" he Uttered "Of
course, sir. / think can see you nj
Coney, Mr. Blinker"
Blinker got n paper and looked up
the movements OF Sunday steamboats,.
Then he found cab at the first corner
and drove TO a North river pier He
stood In line, as democratic as you or
L, ana bought ticket and was tram.
pied upon and showed forward until nj
last he found himself on the upper
deck OF the boat staring brazenly M
girl who sat alone upon n camp stool
. but Blinker did not intend TO be bra
zen. The girl was so wonderfully good
looking that he forgot for one minute
that he was the prince incog. and be-
haved just as he did in society
She was looking at him. too and not
severely. A pun OF wind threatened
Blinker's straw hat He caught Il
warily and settled II again. The
movement gave the effect Of n bow.
The girl nodded and smiled, and In an.
other instant he was seated at her
side She was dressed all I'm white
She was paler than Bllnker ina gined
milkmaids and girls OF humble sta
lions to be, but she was as tldy. as
cherry blossom, and her steady. su.
premely frank gray eyes looked out
from the intrepid depths OF an un.
. sbadowed and untroubled soul.
How dare you raise your hat to
mer she asked, with n smile.redeem.
ed severity.
Il didn't" Blinker said. But ne
quickly covered the mistake by ex.
tending IL to 81 didn't know how to
Keep from II after saw you"
Il do not allow gentlemen TO sit by
me to whom have not been. intro.
duced," she said, with a sudden haugh.
uness that deceived him. He rose re.
luctontly, but her clear, teasing laugh
brought him down 10 bis chair again.
II guess you weren't going far" she
declared, with beauty's magnificent
self confidence.
Are you going to Coney Islandf"
asked BilHker
"MeF She turned upon him. wide
open eyes full Of banterlng surprise.
Why, what a question: Can't you
see that I'm riding a bicycle IN the
parkr Her drollery took tho form Of
impertlnence.
And am laying brick on a tall
factory chimney" said Bllnker. MAY
not We see Conoy together? I'm all
alone, and I've never been there be-
fore"