The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1908-11-19
THE SAVING OF BLOSSOP
BY CHARLES CARVE
(copyrlght. by Bobbs-Merrill Coz
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 heated alteration On this oc.
casion Blossop had been quite violent
and had put his side of the case with
display of temper which was un-
usual until quite recently; for though
Blossop. by dint Of his vast bulk and
strength and his admirable lung pow.
er, had, from the day that the club
twas started, been in the habit of talk.
ing most of us down. his bullying. to
use the word in an inoffensive 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.
y 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 bad sign with Blossop."
And when he does talk, he's in
cined 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
lhUSI 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
secuted Gorham with scorn and con-
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
lstless, 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 lishts?"
We looked at each other aghast.
The lights had been on for some time.
There was silence, a terrible silence;
but it was broken by a 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 d-
rection of the speaker, sat perfectly
still for a moment then rose and,
leaning against the mantel-shelf, flung
his hands before his eyes.
MY God, boys" he cried, in voice
which rang in our ears for days after
ward, I'm bIind!"
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 Blossop's
chair, but got up and took another
one, and II was some minutes before
he replied to our mute questioning.
Il took him home" he said, huskiiy
His wife was terribly cut up; but
hut | think she expected It, She didn'tt
cry; but her face | was almost glad