The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-03-07
THE WRONG COAT:
By HAROLD MacGRATH -.
Aahsar 'The Man the Box THE Goose GIRL - Etc
Copyright, bY the Bobbs- Merrill Company
BY HAROLD MacGRATH

CACy "OuAu AdAA W Ill., IL SOuuuSO
like play at the Fourteenth Street
theater; but, in real life, the melo.
drama is closest to our everyday at.
fairs.
I at once determined not to notify
the police; they would only bungle
the matter with the red tape OF delay.
I could call them In when the work
was over.
And to think that this rufian's taste
| in overcoats was one and Identical
with mine! had half notion to tear
of the coat, only it would have at
tracted attention-and, besides, 1t was
cold.
Some men would have shrugged
their shoulders and permitted the
thing to 60 on. In a great city the
good Samaritan is usually looked upon
as meddler; and, besides, every one
has trouble enough OF his own. The
girl was nothing to me; even her
name was unknown. l hoped, how
ever, that she was beautiful and
young. My duty lay clear enough. 1t
"e~o pOooAOAO " save q Auludu OC1u6,
and that was all there was to the mat
ter. Any right-minded man would
nave done exactly as did, though
, hardly with the same result (Th1s is
not to say that I'm not r1ght-minded,
however!) If I should save the girl
from her prosecutor, I should always
have something to fall back on ii by
any chance I myself left the straight
and narrow way. To save a life is to
DO penance for many sins.
Putting aside all tlippant moralizing,
1t was an adventure such as invaria-
bly, appeals to me, and it is a habit
| OF mine to pursue things to the end.
1t is a fine and noble pursuit, that OF
research. But sometimes, as in cases
like this adventure of mine, persons
lacking my sense OF the romantic, are
! called busybodies.
l do not recOllect what street it
was in the eighties that the guard
baWled out, but it was near enough
for my purpose. l hurried out OF the
car and down the steps OF the ele-
waited. Everybody gets in the way OF
a man in hurry; so, for block or
more, the time was spent in making
apologies to gruff-tempered persons.
They would get in my way, and they
would demand what | meant by not
looking where l was going. Finally l
succeeded in Kidding myself OF the
!, crowds, and turned into a quiet and
sober street. The sign on the lamp
post told me that l had arrived on
the scene. 1t was twenty minutes past
eleven. Two things were possible:
either the girl had been killed the
night before or l had half an hour or
so in which to render her the great
est possible service.
The house proved to be a fine struc-
ture, one of those few dwellings In
the metropolis that boasts of anything
like court or yard. This yard was
at the right OF the building, and was
more roadway to the stables in the
rear than anything else. Still, may
stretch it point and call it a yard
l cast hasty glance about. Not g
soul was In sight. I tried one of the
! gates. 1t was Unmatched! This Ger
tainly must be the night. l stole uI
| the roadway cautiously. The fact
that l left some fine tracks in the
| snow did not disturb me. Twas not
| guilty Of anything wrong Yes. there
was the bow-window through which
the rascal was to enter: There would
be surprise in store for him. A sub
dued light shone through the half
closed blinds. Some one was awake;
! doubtless the girl herself, reading.
Everything was working out nicely
| l would even save her any real annoy
! ance.
l tiptoed back to the gate, and was
about to make my exit, when paused
| Mortified, my heart In my mouth
Coming airily along the walk was a
| policeman. He was whistling popular
| Irish melodies and swinging his night
stick. The deuce! Suppose he took it
| into his head to examine the gate! I
hid behind the great stone gate-post,
breathing with difficulty. II there was
| anything In the world l did not want
to happen, 1t was to be arrested in
this other fellows coat! Besides the
policeman wouldn't believe a word /
said. He would hale me to the near.
est police station, and all my efforts
to save the girl would come to moth.
ing
The. policeman did start for the
gate, but cat fight across the street
distracted him and he crossed over to
break up the conflict. l was saved
After a reasonable length Of time, ]
stole forth. 1t was close shave.
I dare say that l have omitted the
fact that I am young, still under thirty,
and am a struggling dramatist, after
having been struggling poet, into
which craft had drifted after having
been struggling humorist. The main
fault OF my want Of success l lay to
the fact that do not look the various
parts. AS dramat1st, l lack the
requisite 1rritability of temper; as a
poet, I have not that distinct disre.
gard for personal appearance usually
considered characteristic; as a humor.
list, I am totally deficient OF the long
cadaverous and dyspeptic countenance
and lusterless eye OF the typical
writer of funny fancies. When nv
uncle died and left me a comfortable
income, Art received a staggering
blow, from which it Is doubtful she
will ever recover. A sp1nster aunt In
sists that I am more than ordinarily
agreeable to the eye: but, OF course