Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1909-09-17

BUTTON NEGOTIABLE.
to know why then, they were not made
in two equal pieces. Whereupon was
stunned
The third draft that / craved from
the fount of knowledge was enlighten-
ment concerning the character known
as "a man about town" He was more
vague in my mind than type should
be. We must have concrete idea OF
ANYTHING, even if it be an imaginary
idea, before we can comprehend 1t.
Now, | have mental picture OF
John Doe that is as clear as steel
engraving. His eyes are weak blue,
he wears a brown vest and shiny
black serge coat, he stands always
in the sunshine chewing something,
and he keeps half shutting his pocket
knife and opening it again with bis
thumb And, if the man higher up is
ever found, take my assurance Tor 1t
he will be large, pale man with blue
wristlets showing under his cuffs, and
he will be sitting to have his shoes
polished within sound Of a bowling
alley, and there will be somewhere
about him turquoises.
But the canvas Of my imagination,
when it came to Inning the man
about town, was blank. fancied that
he had a detachable sheer dixie the
smile of the Cheshire cat and at
tached cuffs, and that was all, where
upon | asked a newspaper reporter
about him.
why" said he, "a man about town
is something between a rounder and q
clubman. He isn't exactly-well, he
fits in between Mrs. Fish's receptions
and private boxing bouts. He doesn't
well, he doesn't belong to the Lotos
club or to the Jerry McGeogheghan
Galvanized Iron Workers Apprentices
Left Hook Chowder association.
don't exactly know how to describe
him to you. You'll see him every
where there's anything doing Yes,
] suppose he's type, Dress clothes
every evening, knows the ropes, calls
every policeman and waiter in town
by their first names No, he never
travels with the hydrogen derivatives
You generally see him alone or with
another man"
My friend the reporter left me, and
l wandereIfarther afield. By this time
the 1926 electric lights on the Rialto
We're alight. People passed, but they
held me not Paphian eyes rayed upon
me and left me unscathed. Diners,
heimgangers, shopgirls, confidence men,
panhandlers, actors, highwaymen, mil
lionaires and outlanders hurried, skip
ped. stroled, sneaked, staggered and
scurried by me, but took no note Of
them. l knew them all l had read
their hearts; they had served. l want
ed my man about town. He was a
type, and to drop him would be an
error-a typograph. But, no, let u
continue.
Let us continue with q moral di.
gression. To see family reading the
Sunday paper gratifies. The sections
have been separated. Papa is earnest
~ scanning the page that pictures the
young lady exercising before an open
window and bending-but there, there
Mamma is interested In trying to guess
the missing letters In the word Nv
Yo-k. The oldest girls are eagerly
perusing the financial reports. for g
certain young man remarked last Sun
day night that he had taken a flier II
O., X. and z. Willie, the eighteen-year
old son, who attends a New Yort
public school, is absorbed in the week
ly article describing how to make ovel
an old skirt. for he hopes to take 8
prize in sewing on graduation day.
Grandma is holding to the comic
supplement with two hours grip
and little Tottie, the baby. is rocking
along the best she can with the rea
estate transfers. This view is in
tended to be reassuring, for 1t is de
sirable that few lines Of this stor,
be skipped, for it introduces stroni
drink.
| went into a cafe to-and while
was being mixed l asked the mai
who grabs up your hot Scotch spool
as soon as you lay it down what h
understood by the term, epithet, de
scription, designation, characterization
Or appellation-viz, man abou
town"
Why" said he carefully, ut mean
fly guy that's wise to the all nigh
push-see? It's hot sport that 70,
can't bump to the rail anywhere be
tween the Railroads.&c.? l CUES
that's about what it means"
| thanked him and departed.
On the sidewalk a Salvation lassI,