Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-08-25
THE EVENING STORY.
Bet and Betterment.

to journalists waiting for the fate of
specials and ''pars' left in the aft
ernoon with some daily in hope Of
acceptance before morn, and equally
convenient for finding chum who
would stand drink when rejection left
the pocket light and the heart heavy.
Gathered together there tonight were
dozen of twenty shabby, down-at-heel
men. as they had gathered night after
night, during several years, deeming
themselves lucky If five shillines repre-
scented their days work. fortunate If it
reached two shillings, and not unfor-
tunate If it reached one
Sometimes. but these were rare events
happy idea brought in even as much
as guinea, but the majority were salts
ned II they gained enough for a drink
ana the money that would buy a nights
lodging at Rowton House.
Ihey were a happy-go-lucky set,
s y 1859. Oh siate.club in which there was
lending to the have nots, and it was a
poor Kind of day in which, by some kind
OF success: they did not manage among
them drink and lodging for all
OCCASIONALLY passerby, on the regular
stan of some paper. caught a glimpse
OF the group in the bar through the
swinging doors and dashed by quickly,
muttering Poor beggars!' and all the
more quickly lest one of them should
cash out rapidly and request a loan.
TOT this confraternity were past mas
ters IN the art of borrowing; sometimes
oy use of tale of woe, sometimes on
the strength OF CHEEKY mention of 1.-The
almost certain prospect of success.'
foor Desgars' they may have been,
nut tonight they were laughing in care
nf th4ir
retailing the way in which he had that
day had the new editor of a popular
weekly.
Used to write for your paper. SIR"
SAID put. well. you know, there arose
another editor who knew not Joseph.
And it's been the same all round. Fleet
street isn't what it used to be" He told
me ne couldn't give me any work then.
but he politely added If I'd send any
thing he'd see So I told him 1 couldn't
Just now, but if he'd let me have
little toward getting 'em I'd write him a
column and he could take it out of the
money. / said / was sure that l knew
just what he wanted. And he took the
hint and lent me 5 shillings."
A roar of laughter followed, and some
of the shillings went in drinks, and
while emptying their glasses an innocent,
smooth-faced. blue-eyed. boyish-llooking
fellow formerly well paid on a monthly
JouIAdl I'LL one udy uTlIk maze MIN
give an exhibition of pugilistic skill at
the expense of his editors eyes and feel
ings) exclaimed:
II wish I'd some of your cheek. Tre-
hearne! 1 don't believe there's a man in
Fleet street or out of 1t you couldn't in
terview and borrow money from. You're
a marvel!'
II don't believe there is!' said Ire
hearne, smilingly. There must be
something very pathetic about me. or
else it's little way I have"
Trehearne couldn't tap" interposed Jen-
kins. a man who for shabbiness was the
show-piece even of that threadbare
group.
who is he, them challenged Ire
hearne. "Trot out his name! I'm willing
to bet on it that whoever he Is I'll get
him to lend me something
"Doner' said Jenkins. How much?"
Five bob to drink! Now what's his
name?"
Hes a man just come up from the
Midlands to Wrexton's, the big. publish
ing firm. as their literary adviser, and
when knew Of his appointment 1 wait
ed about to get a word with him. But
as soon as I began to speak he looked
at me with cool stare and cut me
short with, What do you want me to
in want. and he simply stared me up
and down. and said. All. You look as If
you ought to be used to it by now. Good
morning."
There was no laugh now This was in
teresting. 1t might have been one of
themselves.
"Brute!" said Trehearne. What's his
name?"
"Pinster." answered Jenkins. Comes
from Sheffield. And l bet you"
But he broke off suddenly. fol. Ire
hearne's face had suddenly flushed, and
then zone aShen Rrav
'Pinster." he muttered. "And-and
from Sheffield, did you say?'
YES" said Jenkins. Want to cry off
now? Hes" turning to the rest
mo, not me!' said Trehearne, de-
liberauely '1'lEnot-want-to-c
do know something about the chap. but
that doesn't matter. I'll tackle him-at
least I'll see. How long will you give
me?"
"A week." said Jenkins
Right. five bob to a drink! Jenkins.
I'm afraid you'll have to stand that
drink
And he swung himself through the door
and departed i.
Five days later. J
Seen anything of Trehearne?' said
Jenkins to the rest that evening m
getting anxious about my bet It's funny
he's never been in once since last
Friday"
Cant bring it off, perhaps. and don't
like to own up" sneered another. Its
Just like Trehearne. He's always too
cocksure.'
And the night waned and still IRE
hearne didn't come.
The fact was Trehearne hadn't tried:
He had done many a thing that had
pared down the finger nails OF his manE-
ness and self-respect but this was going
to cut into the quick itself. over ana
over again he had jauntily sauhtereo
I'm the street in which the well known
nrenn;ses NJ Wrextons were situated, but
81 the door his heart failed him and he
once he had even gone within, but
at the last moment. In ehoked voice
he had asked for gentleman ~nom
he knew to be out, having just seem
IT., IN Fleet street, and then turned
b { Observation-Disclosures uea
ct shail have to lose the bet" he
muttered this morning. was d ~.
to undertake it. II Ia oni y, o IS" soDei
Rnt he was drawing near the great
a,uapne as he said 1t, and suddenly.
like a boy who has been hesitatlhe Dy
the side OF a bath. he plunged IN ooldiy
and, asking for Mr.. Plnster. Sent up ms
hearne was not the only man in the
h,,ildine in a state of agitation:
M Pinster looked at the piece OF
,,anar on which the name was written,
and started as If he were stung.
Lack Trehearne! he muttered, in
a;snant,v "How dare he? And after
ali these years"
will YOU see him, sir? said the boy:
Tell him I'll see him hanged first
exclaimed Mr.. Pinster. with his fair
face flushed with wrath. And away
the boy leaped to the lift.
put N another moment curiosity was