The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-05-01

MONTAGUE GLASS;
Prophet. curse me the blabbing lip
And curse me the British vermin, the rat
Let us regard the word British" as
interchangeable ad lib. A rat is rat
This man was hunting about the
hotel lobby like starved dog that haC
forgotten where he had buried q bone
He had face Of great acreage, red,
pulpy and with kind Of sleepy mas
siveness like that of Buddha. He pos
sessed one single virtue-he was very
smoothly shaver. The mark of the
beast is not indelible upon a man until
he goes about with stubble. l think
that If he had not used his razor that
day I would have repulsed his ad-
vances, and the criminal calendar of
the world would have been spared the
addition Of one murder.
happened to be standing within FIVE
feet Of a cuspidor when Major Caswell
opened fire upon it. l had been observ-
ant enough to perceive that the attack
ing force was using Cuttings instead Of
squirrel rifles, so sidestepped so
promptly that the major seized the op-
portunity to apologize to a noncom-
blatant. He had the blabbing lip. In
four minutes he had become my friend
and had dragged me to the bar.
I desire to fnterpolate here that am
southerner. But l am not one by pro-
fession or trade. I eschew the string
tie, the SLOUGH hat, the Prince Albert,
the number Of bales of cotton destroy
ed by Sherman and plug chewing
When the orchestra plays Dixie" I do
not cheer.
Major Caswell banged the bar with
his fist and the first gun at Fort Sum-
ter re-echoed. When he fred the last
one at Appomattox began to hope.
But then he began on family trees and
demonstrated that Adam was only a
third cousin of collateral branch Of
the Caswell family. Genealogy dis
posed Of he took up to my distaste his
private family matters. He spoke of
his wife, traced her descent back to
Eve and profanely denied any possible
rumor that she may have had relations
in the land Of Nod.
By this time began to suspect that
he was trying to obscure by noise the
fact that he had ordered the drinks on
the chance that would be bewildered
into paying for them. But when they
were down he crashed silver dollar
upon the bar. Then, of course, an
other serving was obligatory. And
when had paid for that I took leave
Of him brusquely, for wanted no
more of him. But before had OBJ
tanned my release he had prated loud
~ of an income that his wife received
and showed handful of silver money.
When I got my key at the desk the
clerk said to me courteously: "If that
man Caswell has annoyed you and If
you would like to make a complaint we
will have him elected. He is q NUS
ance, loafer and without any known
means of support, although he seems
to have money most of the time. But
we don't seem to be able to hit upon
any means Of throwing him out legal
ly."
"Why, no." said l. after some reflec-
ton. II don't see my way clear to
making complaint. But l would like
to place myself on record as asserting
that l do not care for his company.
Your town." continued. seems to be
quiet one. What manner Of enter
tainment, adventure, or excitement
have you to offer to the stranger with
in your gates?"
"Well. SIR" said the clerk. there
will be show here next Thursday.
It is-I'll look it up and have the an
nouncement sent up to your room with
the ice water. Good night"
After went up to my room looked
out of the window. 1t was only about
10 o'clock, but looked upon a silent
town. The drizzle continued. spangled
with dim lights. as far apart as cur,
rants in a cake sold at the Ladies' ex-
change.
Nashville occupies a foremost place
among the manufacturing centers of the
country. 1t is the fifth boot and shoe
| market in the United States. the largest
candy and cracker manufacturing city in
the south and does an enormous whole
sale dry goods. grocery and drug business.
must tell you how came to be in
Nashville, ana assure you the digres-
sion brings as much tedium to me as 1t
does to you. l was travelling else
where on my own business. but l had
a commission from a northern literary
magazine to stop over there and estab.
lish personal connection between the
publication and one of its contributors,
Azalea Adair.
Adair there was no clew to the per-
sonality except the handwriting had
sent in some essays Oost artD and
poems that had made the editors swear
approvingly over their l o'clock lunch
con. So they had commissioned me to
round up said Adair and corner by
contract his or her output at 2 cents a
word before some other publisher Of
Tered her 10 or 20.
At 8 O'Clock the next morning. after
my chicken livers en- brochette TRY
them II You can find that hotelD, l
sFayed out into the drizzle. which was
still on for an unlimited rim A. rho