Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1909-01-08
In THE
MOHAWK CLUB
BY THEODORE ROBERTS
Copyright. by shortstory Pub. c

town. The town is know in Other
lands as A place OF dlture AMI
literary prestige, but he Onlool-
err, that mortal who ems to do
nothing but brood over the worll
with smiling mouth ard dreamy
eyes, says that for its own par
1t appreciates the maker 4 a horse
shoe more than the maker & a ballad
Why this is he doesn't attemnt IN cav
But to return to the club hdlse.
Most Of the interior is tahn I'm h.
one large room with a good floor.
/ fireplace, and billiard table Their,
are many easy-chairs, also, aud car,
tables in convenient places.
When the winds churn the rive,
into white caps and rain pehs tn.
roof The Onlooker finds strange fas
clnation in sitting by the fire and
studying the men around him. But he
does 1t with a careless air, as IL sit.
ting out in the rain would amuse him
fully as much, and the men, who are
all his friends, sometimes forget that
he is there.
4 month ago The Onlooker's atten.
ton was drawn from the general
crowd who played cribbage, clicked
the ivory balls, and told stories to
the most active members of the clpb
Bertram Smith and Dick Nevers At
first, like a philosopher, he accounted
for the slight change in their manners
by the choice of Nevers as master of
ceremonies for Ladies night. but the
rumor that both were in love with the
same girl caused him to think 1t over.
He watched them closely when they
met, making note of the faint fusa
on Nevers cheek, and the sullen light
in Smiths black eyes. Sometimes
their greeting was too warn for his
taste-at other times they failed to
see each other.
Il wish they would dght it out like
men" he said to the andirons; but he
took that back, for Nevers was big
enough to eat his rival without incon.
yenience.
Smith, who was the son of a wealthy
was in fair way Of running
a large medical practice before many
years. Dick Nevers, the cadet of a
broken family once renowned for its
horses ard style in entertaining, was
a write of poems and stories. some
times even condescending to newspa-
per work, at three cents a line. The
On.ooker thought from the first that
Movers had the Fates against him.
AS they all revolved in the same So
cial circle, The Onlooker' made 1t
his duty to follow their little romance
beyond the fireside of the Mohawk
club So, after a weeks considera-
ton as to whether or not 1t were worth
while, he obtained an introduction to
the lady of their hearts desire We
will call her Miss Marjorie, which
may or may not be her name. From
the corner to which he had fed after
the introduction he looked at her care
fully, as she was the chief character
in the little story he was following.
Her eyes were the first thing he no.
ticed; then her mouth, which was
large, but fatally attractive; then her
hair, He did not altogether blame his
friends, but it puzzled him to think
that Nevers, wrapped up In his books
and dreams, should allow a pair of
eyes and moderately charming smile
to spoil his pace.
The Onlooker flatters himself with
the belief that he has a keen insight
oLa M
on the strength of this he was not
long in deciding that Miss Marjorie
was q fiirt. He enjoyed flirts to q
certain extent (no one would think
soJ, therefore this discovery did not
lower her far in his philosophical eyes.
He further noticed that when her eyes
were gray, Smith was in favor, but
when they softened to wonderful
blue, Dick Nevers, with his maiden
rhymes, had the inside track. They
both came in for rebuffs and hours of
at the lady's hands.
Nevers swallowed these repulses and
tried to look delighted, while Smith
scowled.
For awhile The Onlooker seemed to
find developments slow, for he kept
away from his usual seat by the fire,
and people wondered what he was do
ing. If it had been Nevers who lay
low they would have said, He is writ
ing poetry"
About this time Smith and Nevers
began to criticise one another's breed
ing and attire, and Smith developed
a perpetual sheer.
One morning The Onlooker entered
the club with his old-time stride and
found six fellows standing around the
billiard table. The rivals were hav-
ing game Smith was paying spot
ball. Nevers chalked his cue hurriedly
and glanced at the balls His was
close against the cushion and called
for a strong draw. His face was flushed
when he shot. and his eyes expressed
more Joy than one would have thought
the occasion demanded when he
scored. His next three were easy ones.
then his cue scratched and twisted and
the ball rolled harmlessly a few inches.
He marked up his four and then
watched with a wan smile while Smith