VICTIM OF HIS CLOTHES

Cromwell Argus, Volume XXXV, Issue 1929, 20 March 1905, Page 6

VICTIM OF HIS CLOTHES

away, and gave hor no chance to reply. Lawrence, half crazed at being thus invirrupted, was following them when a b,. ; ..aa l?. ; d upon hi» shoulder; and, *'.'< turned about, the policeman who h"' i;;cctod him to Murray street stood bffw'i Mm. •f.cok here, young feller," said he, '•1 ---vv 3o young woman givo you sometlv"_".•>.".' that's enough for you, see? 1> • i ■ yoa follow her no more." •'•raits couldn't abide the Idea of an-otV.-e i a"■-'• ration, and ho obeyed the TwliccM.au'a instructions, with wrath in his soul. And yet, when he cooled &.yv~\ « idt, ho perceived that his conditio" bad boon ameliorated to the extent of '.'iic silver dollar, a consideration.by no •ueans to bo orerlooked. He had «!■•/♦»? till that moment realized the •vpli'o ■■{ money. In the blessed thought that ho could at last buy something like

a gfiuai'G meal ho forgot even the means by which the money bad been obtained. Food was bis one great need. He looked about, him for a restaurant. There vas none in sight. Away to the left was the elevated railroad. Ho knew that it would t;tke him down town whero eating bousf - would be plenty, and he hurried to a station. An 1.-train at ten miles an hour is not rapid transit to a •• ; n who has not dined for two days. Before he reached the City Hall station Drane fully realized how badly New York needed another and a o,nicker system. Electricity in a moimr.t of excitement would have been the proper thing to keep pace with his impatience. However, the journey ended b-jforo the tissues of his body had wlu'lly wasted away; and two minutes IaUT be was seated at a restaurant table zm\ hnd ordered just seventy cents' worth of food. Nothing, from fish-balls to terrapin, bad ever tasted so good to hbn a- tint soup. "It I ever meet a hungry beggar again,' thought he, when the' food had begun re take effect, "I'll treat him to a ten-courso dinner."

The world took on a different aspect iiy he ato. H»> felt sure that every tiling would wmo out right. Ilia acquaintance at Murray street, would gladly help him out of his predicament, and ho could laugh at his strange experience. V'i'ii :j tight waist band and ninety-five cents in hia pocket, he was a rich man tgain :** lie strolled up to the desk to pay his check. Just there temptation se-i-.eu upon him. He wanted to smoko. It seemed as if his longing for food had been feeble to hia present craving for just one fragrant whiff of tobacco.

••How much are those cigars?" he asked, indicating some which the man aij the desk had just spread before a customer.

•Fifteen cents —two for a quarter, 1 ' was the reply. Drane reflected that a man so poor as he waa could not afford to pay fifteen cents for a cigar when ho could get it for twelve and a half by simply purchasing two. Overcome by thisjunassailable arithmetic, he laid down bin last quarter, and in another moment he was enjoying one of the weeds for which New York is justly infamous to such a degree as ho had never enjoyed a good one in his life. Hut he was penniless again. He crossed City Hall Park with a firm step, and his head in the air. His woes were floating away in smoke; hia hopes were high. He walked down Murray street and quickly found tho number ho sought. Tho name Richard H. Billings, in white letters on a window of the lower story, set all doubts at rest; and, .indeed, tho man himself sat at a desk in plain view from the sidewalk. Lawrence identified him at, once from description, and ho felt that ho was saved.

Mr. Hillings, however, was engaged in pai'iic-it conversation, and Lawrence, aficr staring at him a minute through

tiv '% indow. decided to walk around the I.ht', and give him a chance to finish l.:.»• I) tineas. Whon he had completed the circuit Mr. Billings was no longer in sight. The rolling top of the desk was closed, and when Drano noted that fact his heart stood Still. Ho hurried into the office.

"Mr. Billings has just left for the Orand Central depot," said an office boy. '•He is going on to Boston to-night. If you hv.rry up there you can catch him. Have you got a message for him?" "No; I wiHh to see him personally." '■( Jo on," said the boy, "you want to strike him for the price of a beer." Drane could not wait to reprove the youth for his impudence. He was in too much of a hurry to get to the depot. Jlo learned that the train which Mr. Billing* was to take left at six o'clock. It was then half-past five. When be had reached the street he re-fV'-tf'd that It would be necessary to knoss - where the Urand Central depot wa>- before tfoiiig there. He had supposed that if it was "central" it must l'l.- n».'nr a'.- i'und. and ho learned with horror that it was ?>mto than three miles «way. To reach it on foot in time was out of the question, and he had not a cent I

Mc cursed his folly in leaving Billings' dm" - ':'H;uarJcd, »nd waff inclined to be uifunued with Biilings for going to Boston. The world hud turned blue again, lie could see nothing ahead of him but another night in the stroet. For the next three hours he wandered about toe lower part of the town, and at sine o'clock ho found himself in front of the iVm- '.->' » railroad ferry-house at the foot of tortlandt street. Then tiio thought c»Mio over him like a flash;

"Thin road goes to Trenton. Bob Tyler —my old friend Bob—lives' .there, and he'll let me hare a thousand quicker than a wink if I can only reach him."

But how ;to do it? Supported by a good dinner ho would have started along tho ties cheerfu&y, but a ferry was a different matter. How ho regretted the extrarvagance that had left him penniless!

Across the street from the ferry was a little "high stoop" house used as an hotel. Lawrence had como to tho conclusion that ho must iook up some charitable institution and ask for a night's lodging, and with this purpose in mind he entered tho hotel office and asked to see the directory. Whilo he was consulting it a man with a concertina in his hand dropped into a chair near him. '"Hello, Billy," said tho clerk to the new arrival, "where'syourside.-partner?" "I donno," replied Billy. "Guess he's in the jug. -I haven't seen him since the three o'clock boat this morning." "Going to play a lone hand to-night?"

"Guess I'll have to. I can do the dancing all right, but 'I can't sing. You'd better come along, Jimmy, and try your little song on the public." Jimmy laughed, and it was evident that the offer was intended as a joke; but it set 'Lawrence thinking. The man with the concertina took a seat in a remote corner and appeared to be somewhat downcast. Lawrence approached him. "Did I understand you to say that you were going to give an entertainment somewhere and desired a singer?" he asked.

Billy looked up with an amused stare. "Can you sing?" -he inquired. "No foolin', now. I took a feller on his word some .years ago, and when he opened his mouth aboard tho ferry-boat the passengers came pretty near throwin' us both overboard."

"I didn't know that entertainments were allowed on tho ferry-boats," said Lawrence. "There was a sign prohibiting such things on the boat I came over in." "Don't worry about the sign," said Billy. "I stand in with -all tho night jrews. Now enn you sing, honest? What do you 4tnow? All tho old chestnuts, I suppose. Give us a sample. If .t's very bad I'll beg tho clerk's pardon, »nd you won't get shot."

Drane was amused. Ho mad a tenor voice of good power and compass, and excellently cultivated. He looked Billy squarely and sternly in tho eye for a oiomont, and then gave hira a short vocal exercise somewhat pyrotechnic in its character, and concluding with a smooth, mellow howl in tho neighborhood of high C. Billy and every body else in the place jumped to their feet, but they did not run away, as Drane had feared they might. ".Say," said Billy, slowly, putting his forefinger on the breast of Drane's coat, "that's great stuff. Just do that a couple, of times on board the boat while I knock out a little accompaniment on tho old concertina, aud we'll pick up big money."

Drane was elated. Here was his chanco to escape from all his difficulties. Ho wondered that ho had not thought earlier of using his voico to make his living. He had often been affected by just such entertainments as ho now proposed to tako part in, and ho had wondered what would bo tho success of a really competent performer. Ho had no end of faith in good music, and ho resolved to give the ferry-boat's passengers something worth hearing. Tho time dragged heavily till twelve o'clock, -when Billy said the curtain could rise. Billy was a queer specimen, and Drane would have felt very much ashamed of his society under ordinary circumstances, but now he only thanked his stars that the fellow was no -worse. He- was a great deal more ashamed of the concertina, and afraid of it, too. They left the hotel and boarded the cwelve-o'clock boat. Drane was nervous. He hadn't decided what to sing -and he feared the miscellaneous audience to the last degree. •. He had often sung in public, and occasionally in costumed light opera parts, but ho had never been so thoroughly and outrageously "made up" before. They took their positions in the welcome obscurity of the passage between tho forward and after cabins on the ladies' side.

"We'll have to wait till she starts," said Billy. "That's the -rule, and perhaps it's just as Well. None of 'em can escape after you begin to sing."

Drane shivered. "I'm a little nervous about these new songs," Billy acknowledged. "Do you think I'd better try to foller along or strike one chord all the time and take my chances?"

"Billy," replied Drane, pointing to the concertina while the -cold perspiration gathered on his brow, "if you let that thing break loose while I'm singing I'll throw you overboard." "Oh, I'lr handle her careful," said Billy. "Don't you worry about me. Go ahead now. She's started." *

Hilly pushed Drane out into the cabin and then extracted a few wails from the concertina by way of prelude. When ho had finished, Drane began the wellknown air, "Spirito -dentil," which is suited to a high tenor voice, but not to an audience of New Jersey people returning to their homes in the dead of night. After the first few melodious note* had agitated the air, an intoxicated citizen waked up with a start and shouted: "Say boss, quit that and sing something wo all know. Sing 'Annie Laurie.'" The inebriate started hia favorite song in a voice much the worse for liquor, and both ho and Drane were having a very bad time of it, when Billy, thinking it his duty to help his partner in distress, came to the rescue with a concertina accompaniment, fortissimo, which passed from one key to another liko a gentleman struggling with a series of epileptic fits, yoveral persons near tho door escaped, and others were on the point of following their example Drane kept his "tune and hia temper for about a minute; and then, turning suddenly, he lucked Billy's concertina clear to the roof of the cabin and fled in disgust before H iMjjj&ttdvwn.

H*i tta* Lane* First. An oldgenrtjeman wwrwallrinjr down one of the atreets in Manchester when he sew a boy crying out*ide a houee, and thinking he might comfort him, he aeked him what wa# the matter. "Father'* laying the c-carpet down." "Well, and " does tha* unpl«asant task make you cry?" ..v; n _ nu; "h-he h-hit his-thumb" "Oh! You are »orry for your father, I suppose?" "No-no, I Maugh*d/."—London Answers. -%o># . Fn*r "Wm-rnlmu. "Don't bother m<? for money go," Said Mr. Cake to Mr*. C. "Quit thlr.kir.g that this Cake'i all 'dough Or pretty yocn your cake will b«." —Philadelphia Pres?. / SUCH A FOOt, QCKSTIOIT.

“Ba.y, pa, hov do the astronomer#elmri know wh»n tie re is going to be an »clip*«?” "Why, you stupid! rVn’t jou imppom they read the paper*, the i*m» 04 anybody eld's?— Heitere Welt. f A FMKfr'j Swnpf. f To see my heppy rM'dren play i r Doth give my pout delight. HI, mother: hurry up, 1 say. And atop thi* awfui fight. —Judge a, niurabr'a W»r. "Bagaby telephoned me when that heavy shower came on last evening." "What did he want?” "He -wanted to borrow an umbrella.” "Why did he telephone?” "He wanted me to bring it over to hlo house.” —Cleveland Plain Dealer. Vsrtvoar n4 Ttiwt, "Gentlemen,” said the new senator from the oil country, "I have not prepared a speech. I do not consider it necessary. I have twenty million dollars.” After a long, long time the hearers assimilated the thought that money talks. —Judge. i a Self Kwiptrl. "And ao.” re narked Mr. Umitbere, “J. Mierpont Porgannever tips waiters or porter*." "Certainly not,” replied Smither*. "Millionaires respect each other®’fee-l-ings.”—Cincinnati Commercial Tribune. A Cr»dWsblt R«c»rA "You needn't raise your head bo high,” said the woodpecker to the oak tree. “It isn't so long age when yon were only an acorn.” "Indeed; but then remember that I never bored my neighbors.”— Brooklyn Life. . How WTint Did SSie M»(«t ‘They asked me to their reception," said the girl with the naturally curly hair; "but it wasn't because they like me. it was because I can sing.” "Oh, I'm sure you are mistaken," said the other girl, impulsively.—TitBit*. A Clue In Poinit. Ella—There’s nothing Hke falling in with the right people. Stella—l know it. I went rowing with a fellow the other night; we both fell into the water, and if ha hadn’t, known how to swim I should have been drowned.—Brook!yn Life. Hlb Finish. (a soy—Ek> Cassidy i« engaged to be. married. Oi alwaye thought he true a trifler. Farrell—Well, he thought so himself—till he trifled 1 wid » widow. — Puek. laAvrS Van Cam. Mrs. Benhnm—There’s no i»*in taking a newepeper; you can’t find out anything from one. Benham—Oh. yes. you can; you ean find out what the weather isn’t going to be.—Brooklyn Life. Cla«* of’o3. Mrs. Klondike Nuggets—Who &T« these people, anyhow? Mrs, Cornsqueeze —Made ihsir money in Texas oil. Mrs. Klondike Nuggets—Dear ms! How painfully recent!— Puck. Hot n IH«nnilst She—Marry you? Well, I should say not! Why, you hare no famih’ to speak of. He —Of course not, Otherwise I wouldn’t be in a position to marry you. —Chicago Doily News. LI (Dp Doing. ” Employer—l shall expect you to earn your salary. r t member! New Office Boy—Oh! If dat’a all you expect me to earn de job’ll be a cinch!— Puck. ImpoTilnnt rrellmlnary, "Tommy, did you run off and go fishing this morning?” "Paw, which wit! you whip ma hardest for—lyin’ nr tellin’ the truth?”—Chicago Tribune. ° •. J?BJ I>P »0, Alice—What a lovely disposition Prue has. Belle—Self-protecl ion, my dear. You know, site isn't a bit attractive otherwise.—Detroit Free Press.