Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-17
ON A DESSERT ISLAND



w Arabic from the bully tour of Europe had
last fall the stateroom of Thaddeus Skewton
Sidmore was right next to mine On the passenger list
he simply I. S. Skidmore; but Thaddeus Skewton
Skidmore the in full on the engraved card he
rendered to sat the sunny side of the main
deck, for were steamer chair neghbors too
He not the most popular on the ship by far.
He was the storm center of many fierce IN the
smoking and in any general discussion on ship
board he always most vocferous minority leader:
Were the subject Does two and two make four, and
all usual extemporaneous discussions in mixed assem-
bes are generally such dead levels of the Obvious
Thaddeus Skewton Skidmore would take and hold,
with all the honors of the eager and angry negative
So, wit 4 forty-eght hours out from Queenstown,
the dull ts of the great deep-the old ladies of both
who play whist in way to make the angels weep
the buyers coming back who get up the deadly deck
games and the people who tell you they take the slow
ships because they cheaper but because they
more comfortable all left Thaddeus Skewton Skidmore
severely alone.
But liked him because he different. He looked
different In the first place he had face colored
like meerschaum and possibly with the same sub
stance, nicotine for he smoked necessarily.
He was bald of head and barreled of body, and he
had long straight nose, also highly colored, projecting
from the exact center OF fat smooth shaven tace He
attopped round felt hat of pearl colored felt,
such glded youths SPAIN and he clothed his
outer self in short heavy pea Jacket of wooy blue and
check trousers of black and white. Around haring
stand up collar such the late Mr. Gladstone affected,
he bright green poplin cravat, in which shone
beautiful star sapphire set IN gold When exercising
round the deck Thaddeus Skewton Skidmore thrust
tween the crook of both elbows and his back and,
stif1y erect trotted about with such fierce, militant
that if OF the other promenaderS had been dis
posed to laugh at the queer figure he made they
and all felt it the better part of valor to restrain them
selves.
Not that Thaddeus Skewton Skdmore hadn't a
of hu1nor. In fact, he gave two reasons to
suspect he had The first in allusion to his green
necktie beneath his ncarnadne jowls and his still more
crimson
"By George, Sir" he said "ths cravat embroiled
greatly in Ireland Sir 1t got me in great deal of
acrimonious discussion, Sir They did not like to see
the Red above the Green"
Another reason that made suspect he had keen
sense of the ridiculous when preached vari
Gus occupations life deck acquaintance invariably
do, and he said to me, well, Sir, we're well met! I'm
newspaper man tOo but saved my money and have
retired on it."
But what really brought close together and what
inspired Thaddeus Skewton Skdmore to tell me the
Of lis peculiarties and his life and the great aven
Of the Dessert Island, prefaced by apology
he mate for the almost daily he had with his
steward.
From what could hear and could hear it almost
every word, IhaddeuS SkeWtOn SldnOre had the
for luncheon and dinner brought his aforetme
and it the occasional presence absence of
Wand the bill of fare that melted him to ebulltions
OF rage storms at to speak, which high above
the kick Of the screw, the rattle of the ash hoiss the
of skylarking children the decks, and the
slapping Of the waves against the hull.
What this thing in particular that upset
him never mentioned; but found out For, after
a particularly violent ouburst over the dinner card
brought to him early afternoon by the steward
he Joined me deck, after | had up from meal
at which he had not been present. He still red and
heated with his passing rage and, as he pumped down
ms steamer chair beside he looked at cuTlouSly