The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-04-10
(Continued.)
His dress, however, brought back

HIS 0resS, however, Drought back
the impression Of abnormal eccent-
richly. He had on a colored shirt,
and from his high collar streamed
a huge red silk cravat, united, and
spreading over his breast like the
baf7ers of the social revolution,
nd greatly overdue. The white
evening waistcoat was too low for
the shirt, revealing secrets of con-
struction never meant for the scrut-
my of any stranger except the
laundress. His coat was a long
black frock, the skirts Of which,
gathered about his legs, fell wide,
discovering inexpressibles of Scotch
plaid, much turned up, and evening
shoes, the shine of which was OBJ
scured by successive accretions of
dried mud. So much was revealed
by the series of matches which
he lighted, sitting bumped up in
an evident attempt to keep the
lig1 hidden in the spread of his
coaM, ICarson's head swan in the
growing conviction that he had
reached condition in which it
was impossible to distinguish be-
tween dream and reality, and that
this was some disordered night
mare. ...
81 hope you don't smoke" said
the vision, "for two reasons. First
ly, when we light match we run
the risk of detection, and of con-
sequences, at the contemplation of
which my purely hypothetical mind
constructive reels. Secondly, l
find myself wearing for my own use
and behoof in my own proper coun-
tenance, my last cigar"
Carson protested that he did not
care to smoke, and they sat on in
unexpected quiet, the cigar glowing
and waning like a far off revolv-
ing light.
81 suppose I might explain, sir"
So began Theodore; but the 9TH
er's hand waved in dim protest
across the sky, checkered by the
sash of the roof, and his voice in
terrupted him.
Explain" said he. May,
nay! Leave explanations for the
Grass followers of ebriety. Already
l begin clairvoyantly to see the
depths of your being. know
from the 18th century quirk to
the 'ou', the sighted vanish of
the long Il, the cermonious address
derived from the racial practice
of private war, that you are a gen.
tleman, sub, from the south, by
CAD. And your obliviousness of
your arrival here furnishes proof,
prima facia, but not conclusive, that
you are that most difficult cases
for Doctor Witherspoon, period
ical. Rousing from what your at
tendant took for slumber. yearning
for liberty, you came into the gar
den, Maud, leaving your jag boss,
If any, snoring like mine, who
fills himself with the east wind, or,
to coin a phrase, any old wind, and
holds his breath until you feel the
fond hope that he is dead, and then
let's it burst from his lips in one
grand 'sploof' that moves the drap-
cries like the breath of a gale, and
drives the wakeful listener mad
mad. say! And he, the said
listener, flies. rules or no rules,
as I have done!"
"My name Is Carson" said Theo-
dore, and l am from the south,
from Alabama. /"
"Craighead is mine." rejoined the
other. Il am from here and else
where. There are 20 places where
| might vote were there any ques-
ton under the sun worth voting
upon, and so places where my
residence would be vehemently dis
claimed by the authorities. think
l may venture to give you, sir, as
my permanent residence-until
further notice-only-the Rat Mort,
Paris; got that DOWN."
q" began Carson.
1.-THE Rat Mort" interposed
Craighead. zone deep midnight in
the dear. dread past beyond recall.
l was elected from the Rat Mort
because my conduct was not up to
the heretofore undisclosed stand