5
BEING 3"nORTY Ms CASE'S
STOGY OF MIC FID.CT RIITI FD
HE RPUBLES
Qf
BY
oLWLLL FO&D. - AH ENGLIShMAN FROM CORSICA
THE SUNDAY OREGOXTAX, PORTLAND, DECEMBER 27, 1903.
IlDSON
SPEAKIN" about birtlcrs, you ought
to . TirTson. tlmt huttles for us.
Sure! Why not? Fay, you don't
think me xnd Sarti' livin' on the cheap,
tin you? Had an Idea T -was lettin' her
In for a four-room flat romance, eh?
Well, pponce it off. So long: as I was
travelin' sinirie. the bonrdln'-housa was
Kood enousrh for me; but when I romes
to pick cit a plare for Mrs. Shorty Me
Carve to now her trunks, the best is
none too srood. AVe had only one talk
about that.
"Well." says Sadie, as we was romin
bark from our yachtin' trip. "I sup
pose I oupht to buy a house some
where."
"For why " says I.
"For us to live In. stupid!" says she.
"Oh. no. Sadie." says I. "You don't
fcuy any house for me to live In not
yet. I don't care how else you blow In
your surplus, but when it i-omes to pro
vidin' the latch-keys, that's up to me.
nd I'm on the job."
Sadie, she just laughs, and reaches
out and well, there wa'nt .anyone
lookin'. and she's got the right. She
says If that's the way 1 feel. why. It
Koes. aad she wa nt stuck on havin" a
house.
"You could worry alone with a few
furnish'-d rooms for a while, could
you?' says I.
'T il po wherever you say. Shorty,"
says slit.
"Trainin" you is a cinch." says I. "I'll
look up the ads."
That's only a bluff, thougrh. I'd had
my eye on this new Hotel Perzazzer
ever sin-e they put on'the jrreen copper
roof, Ami when I hrars how the man
ner Is an oid rK'lar of mine. I don't
lose Rny thne after we've landed in
cailln' him up on the 'phone.
"Billy." says I. after he's through
jnllyin' me on the honeymoon business,
"how about ore of them two-ln-tiie-famllv-and-no-dog-
suites of you-s? Got
tl:e 'ed.tin fias up on any of 'em?"
"Why. certainly." says i:e. "I can
live you choice of half a dozen."
"That's nice." says I. "But do they
come so steep I'll Iiiivm to rob a bank
every time I pay the rent?"
Ftiliy says lhcy tion't. "Of routse." he
jroes on. "if you wish a Central Park
exposure "
"I don't." says I. "It might be ratcii
in". What looks Rood to me is that
southeast corner with the windows
loohin' down Kifih-ave. Xow give me
your bargain day figures for a bunch of
turre and bath."
And say. knowin' that Alfy t. and a
Jo: more of the same kind was re'Iar
lodirers there. I braced myself for a
Jolt. t that. too. the figure he names
takes more'n half the breath out of
me.
"Cee:- says I. "that'd buy a house and
lot on Staten Island. Maybe I can
stand it. thouch. We'll come up and
look you over."
And when I helps Sadie out of the cab
at the carriage entrance, and she finds
it's the I'erzazzer I've picked out. she's
tickled to death. Billy coms out of his
satin finished mahogany office and does
the B-uiue act for us himself. When
we re let out on the seventh floor he
l'-ads us to our corner and explains the
Rood points, like pointin' out that the
rooms is all done in Iooey Cans.
"I was just noticin' that." says I.
"And some of them nutchmen knew
what was what, didn't they? How does
It strike you. Sadie?"
"Oh. it s perfectly bully!" says she.
Well. say. it's all of that. Every chair
hack lias a hand-embroidered picture
on it. the ruics was handsome enough to
frame, and there was more knobs and
electric buttons and switches than you
ould learn how to use in a month.
Tiier wa'n't a fancy stunt, from straln
ln' tiie air to makin' your own iee. that
hadn't been worked in. But the little
private din i n'-tom. with the round
table and tii candles, (rets me. There's
no chasiu' out for your grub, if you
don't want to. All you have to do Is
write out your bill of fare, drop it In a
rut.e. and inside of half an hour it's
liiKsed In under the sliver covers by a
butler who la there to do the food
J.ijrirlln'.
"Home could never be like this.
Sadie." says I. "Let's go send up the
trunks."
I ll bet Pinckney couldn't have done
it quicker himself, for by dinner time
next day we're all seitled. even to my
knowin' which three hooks in the two
rlosets was mine, and just what corner
of the third bureau drawer I could keep
my la indry in. Then we starts gettiu'
acquainted with Tidson.
"ourse. I've seen plenty of butlers be
fore, havin' knocked around more or less
amonc folks that keeps 'em reg'lar, but
I never thought to have the bossin' of
one myself. So. when this chap in the
dinky black coat and red vest shows up
the first mornin' and begins bandin' out
the grape fru'.i and soft boiled eggs, I
get a bad case of stage fright.
Sadie catches me watchin" him with
niy mouth open and gives me a dig with
her slipper under the table.
"Hi?" says I. "Ain't I doing things
richtT"
"fon t look at him as though he was
a curiosity," she whispers.
"Hut he is. to me." says I.
"Then order him about a bit." savs
She.
"'p!" says I. "I ain't got the nerve
nd say. ttut vra. straight. Id as
fx'tl te'iik of givin orders to Marcon!
arwitt how to call up Poidhu through, the
air: for if any one ever knew his busi-
r.rsK from the ground up. it was this
party of the second part. He ain't one
of the stiff-necked. sour-face kind.
same's I've seen. He's limber all tTie
way from h s head to his hels. and
everv lime he puts down a plate he
bend in four places. Tiiat was some
i:rprin constderln' that he's getMn"
a'omr towards lh? where th hinges
usually rusts up. You could easily tell
be waft tryin' to keep with, in the age
Mmif. fer th hair is nicely slicked over
b;s bald spot and the ear tab whiskers
W a lo elv blue black, such as you get
bv usm' resiorer rg'la r.
But he ur has the butlin' game down
to an art. He moves around without
makn any more noie than a tralne-I
r-:rse. never seemin to bo in any rush,
but always on ' hed. He's got h:s mind
on thft work. too. Just as you're abou
to think you re-d the pepper, you look
up and find him bandin you the silver
shaker. A'ong wth it be has the mild
est voice and gentleM ways, and One of
the nice old Jo Jefferson faces.
I couldn't help get tin Interested in
Tidson richt away, and after I've got
nr bein' skittish I tries to work up a
1 HI friendly dialogue. Tie wa'n't mueb.
of a converser. Tidon wa'n't. Sadie
sys it's because he knows his place
too well.
"f expect I'll never get to know mine,"
says I; "for I'm goin to teach Tidson to
b sociable if I go hoarse tryin.
It s a week or ten days, though, be
fore I makes any headway. And then
ore night after dinner, just as I starts
to go into the next room, where Sadie
was chlnnin Mrs. Purdy Pell. I acci
dent llr brushes a fork off on the floor.
4 "ours. I don't know any better'n to
make a dive for it. Tidson dives too.
my shoulder takes him In tbe breast
bone, and then eomethin rattles out of
Ills pocket.
Miscdn" the fork. I picks up the other
thing. It's a curious kind of a trinket j
jl' . .
! h
... n- i I, i 'fii TT ' . . , : . :
HE CHUCKS THE RIB
for a butler to be carry in a round,
carved bone affair, about a foot Ion;,
like tbe handle to something. I was just
heflin' It. when my thumb hits some sort
of a button, and out conies a loner. .lini.
wicked lookin blade, a? sharp ami shiny
as u new razor.
"Hello!" a I. "What kind of a
patent can-opener is this, Tid'onT"
Pay. of all the sickly attempts at a
frrin. the one he tries was tne t orsi
failure I ever watched. He pets rea'
ashy arounw the gills, the ,liand he sticks
out trembles like lie was havin a chill
and them sharp little eye. of his was
luc1 to what I wa hnhlin' up.
"It s it's only a kepsake. sir says
be.
fifty I. "Strikes me it's one
of the kind that calls for explanations.
Now what are you walkin' around loaded
up this way for. eh?"
Tidson. he mumbles something" about
beln' porry.
"Now se hrre. TfdsonI" .pays I "I
ain't one to pry Into anybody's private
fadu; but so Ion as ou have the run of
these rooms I can't stand for any assas
Filiation hardware like this. Why. I'm
surprised you such a mild, tame, house.
broke Englishman, too!"
"Pardon." says he, "but I arn not
English."
"But you are an aitch dropper. says T.
Tidson's shoulders go up and his palms
go ont. "That I liave learn. says he.
"Oh"" says I. "Goes with the business,
does It? Well, I thought you was odd
colored for a Cockney. Just where do
yo.i hail from, then?"
" "orlca." says he.
"You don't say!" says T. "Well, that
explains the cutlery. But wh was it
yon was plannin to use this keepsake
on? Me?"
"Non. non. non !' savs lie. wavin' his
hands and shakin his head.
"Well, who then?" says I. "A knifo
lik that means business. Come, give
up!"
It was like pullin' a cork out with
Lincoln's
this love-making, and she refund Mi.
Lincoln's offer. She found him "defi
cient in those little links which make
up the chain of a woman's happiness.'
she said. The affair seems to have been
a rather vigorous flirtation on her part,
which had interested and perhaps flat
tered Mr. Lincoln. In the sincerity cf
his nature he feared he bad awakened a
genuine attachment, and ids notions of
honor compelled him to find out. When
finally refused, he wrote a description
of the afTair to a friend, in which he
ridiculed himself unmercifully.
"I was mortified, it seemed to me. hi
a hundred different ways. My vanity
was deeply wounded by the reflection
that I had so long been too stupid lo
discover her Intentions, and at the same
time never doubting that I understmd
them perfectly: and also that she. whom
I had taught myself to believe nobo ly
else would have, hail actually rejected
me with all my fancied great uess. A nd.
to coo the whole. I then for the first
time began to suspect that I was really
a little in love with her. Hut let it .ill
go! I'll try and outlive it. Others have
been made fools of by the girls, but this
can never with truth be said of me. I
most emphatically, in this Instance, ma le
a fool of myself. I have now come to
the conclusion never again to think of
marrying; and for this reason I can
never be satisfied with any one who
would be blockhead enough to have me.
Lincoln's Knpngemcnt to Miss Todd..
Busy as Lincoln was with law and
politics the first three years after he
reached Springfield, he had become en
gaged to one of the favorite younj
women of Springfield. Miss Mary Todd,
the sister-in-law of one of Irs political
friends, Xinian W. Kdward.
Miss Todd came from a well-known
family of lyxiivgton. Ky. She had come
to Springfield in lKif to live with her
sister, Mrs. Edwards. She was a brilliant.
witty, highly-educated girl, ambitious
and spirited, with a touch of audacity
which only made her more attractive, and
she at once took a leading position in
Springfield society. There were many
vounsr unmarried men In town, drawn
there by politics, and Mr. Kdward's hand
some home was opened to them in the
hospitable Southern way. She received
much attention from Douglas, Shields,
Lincoln, and several others.
It was soon apparent, however, that
Miss Todd prefered Lincoln. As the ln
timaev between them Increased. Mr. and
Mrs. Edward? protested. However honor
able and able a man Lincoln might be.
tie mas still a "plebeian. How cauld Mary
Todd, brought up in a cultured home, ac
commodate herself to so grave a nature.
TICKLER INTO THE COURT.
your lingers; but I backs him into a cor
m r, throws a scare into him about
rmpin' up the house detective. and
fin'IIy he unloosens. And say. it's al
niost as good as readin' it out in a ten
cent magazine.
The tale begins way back when Tid
son Jules something, he pays his real
name is was a Ray young Corsicite.
wcarin a red sash and herdln' goats, and
tend in out on all the chowder parties
from his ward. A Sso there's Felice.
She's the only daughter of a district
boss, or some big gun, but she's more
or less a mixer. Anyway. Jules gets to
know her real well, takin Iter to mati
nees and fo on; but all on the quiet,
for he wa'n't hardly In her class. Ac
cordin to his description, Felice was one
of the cherry ripe kind, all curves and
red tints, a reg'lar brunette Maizy May.
Jules must havo been a likely lookin
lad then himself, for Felice turns down
a lot of swell dressers, wears the brass
breastpin he gives her. and lets him hold
her hand while they're partln at the
gate.
It was all goin" lovely, when the old
folk pet wise, a-nd then there's ruc
tion?. Felice is &hnt up in the ba'k
chamber while the old gent gets out the
carvln knife and ca.ses the merry goat
herd Into the next county on the jump.
Takin' that as a hint. Julejs keeps right
on till he gets to Paris. Then, with
the old homestead crossed, off the map
and not h in com in In, he looks around
for some easy job with jcood pay.
By rights that was where he should
have found himself sore-eyed and sorry.
But before lie has time to starve he
get himself knocked down by a cab
horse on the Rue de Bom bom and the
gent that yanks him out from under
the wheels in time to save his ribs is
so worked uj with gratitude over the
chance that he sets up a pint of red
wine, listens to Jules'? hard luck story,
and ends by tellln him where to call
next mornin before the whistle blows.
The noble rescuer turns out to be Kmll
Three Love Affairs
Con i nucd Krom Page Two.
so dull an exterior? Miss Todd knew
her own mind, however, and seems to
have believed from the first in his future
Some time in 1S40 they became engaged.
But it was nor long -before there came
th.e clashing inevitable between two per
sons whose it asies and ambitions were
so different. Miss Todd was Jealous and
exacting. Lincoln frequently failed to
accompany her to the mcry-maklngs
which she wanted to attend. She re
sented this indifference, simply . a lack
of thought on his part, and some-times
she went with any escort who offered.
If the lovers made up, it was only to
fall out again. At last Lincoln became
convinced that they were incompatible,
and resolved that he must break the en
gagement. Hut 'the knowledge that the
girl "loved him took away his courage.
He felt that lie must not draw back.
and lie became profoundly miserable.
How could be make, this brilliant, pas
sionate creature to whom he was be
trothed happy?
A mortal dread of the result of the
marriage, a harrowing doubt of his own
feelings, possessed him. A reflective
nature founded in melancholy, like Lin
coln's rarely undertakes even the sim
pler affairs of life without misgivings.
When It came to forming the most deli
cate and intimate of all human relations,
he staggered under a storm of uncer
tainty and suffering, and finally broke
the engagement.
So horrible a breach of honor did this
seem to nim that be called the day when
it occurred the "fatal first of January,
1&41."
A False Story Corrected.
The breaking of the engagement be
tween Miss Todd and Mr. Lincoln was
naturally known at the time to all their
friends. Lincoln's melancholy was evi
dent to them all. nor did he. Indeed, at
tempt to disguise it. He wrote and spoke
freely 4o his intimates of the despair
which possessed him, and of his sense of
dishonor. The episode caused a great
amount of gossip, as was to be expected.
After Mr. Lincoln's assassination and
Mrs. Lincoln's sad death, various ac
counts of the courtship and marriage
were circulated. It remained, however,
for one of Lincoln's law partners. Mr. W.
If. Herndon. to develop and circulate the
most sensational of all the versions of
the rupture. According to Mr. Herndon,
the engagement' between the two wa.s
broken In the most violent and public
way possible by Mr. Lincoln's failing
to appear at the wedding.
Mr. Herndon does not pretend to found
his. story on any personal knowledge of
the affair. He was' in Springfield at the
time, but did not have then, nor, in
, ' -
r-
. .J . ..VM e ae:. . :.
Bourdonne, none other. New one on
you. eh? Never mind. Iook at the next
bottle of brilliantine you see on the bar
ber's shell none genuine without the
signature. That's him. He takes Jules
into the shop, Riviu' him a label-pastin
job. wil h a chance to double as night
watch and sleep behind the boiler.
The whole thing Is a cinch. About
twice a day Jules is paraded in the front
office as the man that Kmil rescued
from a horrible death, and every now
and then his par is raised. If it hadn't
been that he kept worry! n' about-Felice
he'd been happy as a clam. But the
longer he's away from her the worse he
feels. Kmil begins to kick, because he
don't look cheerful enough for an ex
hlblt; so Jules lets out what's the mat
ter.
"Well, well!" says Kmil. . "That's too
bad."
Then he fixes up a scheme for Jules
to take a trip home, have a talk with
Felice, and maybe bring her on to the
brilliantine fact'ry. where there's a good
openin for a bright, girl. It works as
smooth as lard. Felice was tired of the
village anyway, and Jules looks such a
swell in his new city clothes that she
most tears the shingles on the back shed
slldln' down to meet him.
For a month or no Jules is as merry
as if he was one of the chorus In a
musical comedy. Him and Felice pastes
label side by side, and durin the lunch
hour Jules plans how they'll have a
quiet weddin' and furnish three rooms
over the delicatessen store. Then Kmil
butts in. lie begins ban gin over the
bench to watch Felice work, and the
first thing she knows she's promoted to
the office and set to addressm circulars.
From that on the plot gums up. but
Jules don't mistrust anything until one
pay day when, without warnin, he's
handed his release.
"How's thip?" says he. "Have T
been pastln' crooked or aanything?"
Emil says no. but they always run
short handed durin the Summer, and he
might call around again next Fall.
"But how about my dear Felice?" says
Jules.
"Oh, she's all right." sas Emil. "She's
quite as much of a peach as you de
scribed; more so, in fact. And, seeing
that you'll be carrying the banner for
pome time, I've decided to marry her
myself."
At that Jules throws a fit; but when
Felice steps in and explains through the
desk grating that she's sorry, but he's
only a false alarm, while Kmil is the
deed, did he ever have, any social rela
tions with the families in which Mr.
Lincoln was always a welcome guest.
His only authority for the story fa a re
mark which he says Mrs. Ninlan Ed
wards made to him in an interview:
"Lincoln and Mary were engaged; every
thing was ready and prepared for the
marriage, even to tho supper. Mr. Lin
coin failed to meet his engagement
cause, insanity."
Jf such a thing had ever occurred it
could not have failed to be known, of
course, even to its smallest details, by
all the relatives and friends of both
Miss Todd and Mr. Lincoln. Nobody,
however, ever heard of this wedding:
party until Mr. Herndon gave his ma
terial to the public.
One of the closest friends of the Lln-
colns throughout their lives was
cousin of Mrs. Lincoln. Mrs. Grimsley,
afterwards Mrs. 1 r. Hrown. The first
six months of their life in tbe White
House she spent with them. Some
months bef ore Mrs. Brown's death
copy of Mr. IJerndon's story was sent
her, with a request that she write for
publication her knowledge of the affair.
In her reply she said:
"IId Mr. Lincoln fail to appear when
the Invitations were out, the guests in
vited, and the supper ready for the
wedding? I will say emphatically, 'No.'
"There ma y have been a little
shadow of foundation for Mr. Hern
don's lively imagination to play upon,
in that, the year previous to the mar
riage, and when Mr. Lincoln and my
cousin Mary expected soon to be married.
Mr. Lincoln was taken with one of
those fearful, overwhelming- periods of
depression which Induced bin friends
to persuade bim to leave Springfield.
This he did for a time: but I am satis
fied he was loyal and true to Mary,
even though at times he may have
doubted whether he was responding as
fully as a manly, generous nature
should to such affection as he knew my
cousin was ready to bestow on him.
And this because it had not the over
mastering depth of an early love. This
everybody here knows: therefore I do
not feel as if I were betraying dear
friends."
"Tho Most Miserable Man Living."
But while Lincoln went about his
daily duties, even on the "fatal first of
January.'" his whole being was shroud
ed in gloom, lie did not pretend to
conceal this from his friends. Writing
to Mr. Stuart (his law partner) on
January 2':, he said: "I am now the
most miserable man living. If what I
feel were equally distributed to the
whole human family, there would not
be one cheerful face on earth. Whether i
: .' -;: ' : :; y ; . ' y':y.-- ' '; '
DRAWINGS BY F. VAUX WILSON.
one best bet, his Corsica n blood goes
up to fever heat. Inside of the next
three days Jules is thrown out of the
fact'ry four times, and on his last trip
' a husky porter kicks him all. the way to
the gate, while Felice stands at the
wind-qiv and grins.
Just at that point he buys this trick
knife with the spring blade. 11 is next
move Is to stand on the church steps
and make a vow that, so long as he
can hate, he will follow the trail of this
cur-r-rsed Kmil Bourdonne until he has
a chance to carve his initials on his In
ner works.
But he's up against a shifty customer.
Mr. Bourdonne not only has him put
under bonds to keep the peace, but he
gets him run out of tiie district. t So
Jules' drifts into a table d'hote place and
learns to be a waiter. He settles down
for a long wait, too. Every report he
gets of Emil only plies up the agony.
The weddin' has been pulled off in tine
shape, the brilliantine business is boom
in', and' the happy couple is movin' into
a double-breasted mansion with a foun
tain on the front lawn. Jules sharpens
tip his knife and hisses Corsica n cuss
words through his front teeth. Next he
hears that Emit has opened a London
branch and has moved across the Chan
nel. Jules trails along, too. He grows
side whiskers and hires himself out as
a butler, havin' a fool idea that he'll be
on hand somewhere when Kmil is a.ked
to dinner. But there's not bin' doin. The
calendar moves on, year after year. Kmil
has got to be a reg'lar brilliantine king,
with his name blown in a million bottles
every season, while Jules is only front
butler for a man that runs an ale brew
ery. At last Ju!es gets word that Emil has
gone into the export business so big that
he's just likely to turn up in New York
as anywhere; so he comes over here.
Findin' the wages better and the tips
bigger, he stays. And that's the whole
bist'ry down to date.
'And how far back was it. do you
say. that Felice squeezed the lime juice
in your eye?" -says T.
'How long?" says he. "Why, vignt,
vignt-et-u ne twenty-two years this
Spring, sir.'
'A grouch old enough to vote:' says I.
Gee!"
"With that I looks him over careful, to
see if he, really means It. And say. come
to size Tidson up once more loose jaw,
wide eyes, stoop shoulders, and all T
could make a new gue$s. It's a case of
I shall ever be better T cannot tell. I
awfully forebode I shall not. To re
main as I am is impossible. I must die
or be better, it appears to me."
A curious situation arose the next
year 1 S 4 1' l which did much to restore
Lincoln to a more normal view of his
relation to Miss Todd. In the Summer
of 1841 his friend. Joshua Speed, who
had sold his store In Springfield and
returned to Louisville. Ky.. had become
engaged. As his marriage approached
he In turn was attacked by a melan
choly not unlike that which Lincoln
had suffered. He feared he did not
love well enough to marry, and he con
fided his fear to Lincoln. Full of sym
pathy for the trouble oi his friend,
Lincoln tried in every way to persuade
him t hat his "twinges of the soul"
wore all explained by nervous debility.
Mr. Speed's marriage occurred in
February. In March Speed wrote hini
that he was "far happier than he had
ever expected to be." Lincoln caught
at the letter with an eagerness which
is deeply pathetic:
"It cannot be told how it now thrills
me with joy to hear you say you are
far happier than you ever expected to
be. I am not going; beyond the truth
when 1 tell you that the short space it
took me to read your last letter gave
me more pleasure tlmn the tot a 1 sum
of all I have enjoyed since tho fatal
1st of January, 1S4I. Since then, it
seems to me, I should have been en
tirely happy, but for the never-absent
Idea that there is one still unhappy
whom I have contributed to make so.
That still kills me. I cannot but re
proach myself for even wishing to be
happy while she is otherwise. She ac
companied a large party on the rail
road cars to Jacksonville last Monday,
and on her return spoke, so that I
heard of it. of having enjoyed the trip.
exceedingly. God be praised for that."
Evidently Lincoln was still unrecon
ciled to his separation from Miss Todd.
Tn the Summer of 1S42, only three or
four months after the above letter was
written, a clever ruse on the part of
certain of their friends threw the two
unexpectedly together; and an under
standing of some kind evidently was
come to, for during the season they met
secretly at the house of one of Lincoln's
friends. Mr. Simeon Francis. It was
while these meetings were going "on that
burlesque encounter occurred between
Lincoln and James Shields, for which
Miss Todd was partly responsible, and
which no doubt gave just the touch of
comedy necessary to relieve their trag
edy and restore them to a healthier view
of their relations.
The Lincoln and Shields Duel.
At the time when Lincoln was visit
ing Miss Todd at Mr. Francis house,
the Whigs were much excited over the
fact that the Democrats had issued an
order forbidding tbe payment of state
taxes in state bank-notes. One of the
popular ways of attacking an obnoxious
political doctrine in that day was writing
' ' '
pipe dream. Maybe lie had been real
wrathy once, when he was young and
full of ginger; but twenty-odd years of
steppln' soft and lively to answer the
buzzer, of bowin' and sera pin and holdin'
the door open, had simmered bim down
until he wa.s as harmless as an air gun
with a busted spring. What he'd had
his mind set on all this' time wa'n't
spill in' somebody's gore, but gettiu t he
soup on the table hot and krepiu the
glasses filled. And all there was to this
revenge business was just an afterglow.
It was keepin' his mind stirred up and
makin his hair fall out : hot it didn't
amount to anything more'n a brain bug.
He'd never hurt anyone.
"Here. Tidson." says I. here's j,our
keepsake. Better close up that pocket
with a safety pin. Me? No. I ain't
sayin a word. Oh, that's all right. For
get It."
Havin' a lino on Tidson like that. T
feels more at home when he's around.
i-or one thing. 1 know lies human, just
like the rest of us, which is a lot bottcr'n
try in' to throw a bluff that he's just some
kind of a handy machine. When T passes
the story on to Sadie, she feels the same,
and we both tries to cheer him up.
And then about three days later I gets
the grand Jolt. I come up in the elevator
that afternoon with a foreign lookin
couple who got off at our floor. The man
Is a tall, skinny, hook nosed gent with
gray hair and black bushy eyebrows, an:'
a. complexion like a saleratus biscuit
The lady was some younger, about as
thick n a sugar barrel, with three chins
and a walk like a coal barpe In a heavy
sea. They treads down the corridor in
tow of a bell bop that's showin 'cm their
suite.
Just as I'm turnin' the knob in my door
I sees some one lean in' up .against the
wall. It's Tidson, his face white as a
napkin, and his fingers doin the empty
clutch act.
"Hello!" says T. "You look like you'd
been seein things."
"Mais oui!" says he, hoarse and husky.
"Kmil Felice!"
"What !" says T. "The cross mated
pair that just went by? Sure of 'em?"
"Diable!' says he. "X would know him
In"
"I'll take your word for the rest," says
T "That bein' the case, hand over the
knife."
"I I have destroyed it," says he. hold
In' up his arms. "Do you wish to
search ?"
"Well, T was almost will in" to believe
letters from some imaginary backwoods
settlement and showing how Its applica
tion affected his part of the world. Lin
wrote a letter to a Springfield 'paper
from the "Lost Townships," signing it
"Aunt liebecca." In It he intimated that
the only reason for issuing such an order
was that the state officers might have
their salaries paid in silver, and James
Shields, auditor of chc state, was ridiculed
unmercifully in the better for his vanity
and his gallantry.
It happened that there were several
young women in Springfield who had
received rather too pronounced at lent ion
from Mr. Shields, and who were glad
to see him tormented. Among them were
Miss Todd and her friend. Mtss Julia
Jay no. Lincoln's letter from the "Lost
Townships" was such a success that they
followed it up with one in which "Auut
IJebecca" proposed to the gallant auditor,
and a few days later they publishe I
some very bad verses, signed ".ath
leen." celebrating the wedding.
Springfield was highly entertained,
less by the verses than by the fury of
Shields. I fe sent a friend. ( Icuem 1
Whitesides. to the paper, to ask fur the
name of the writer of the communica
tions. The editor, in a quandary, went
to Lincoln, who ordered that his own
name be given as the author of letters
and poom. This was only about ten
days after the first letter had appeared,
and Lincoln left Springfield in a day or
two for a long trip on the circuit. He
was at Tremont when two of his friends.
E. F. Merryman and William Hiitl-.
drove up hastily. Shields and his friend
Whitesides were behind, they said, the
Irate Irishman vowing that he would
challenge Lincoln.
Soon Lincoln received a note in whi.-h
the indignant auditor said: "I will take
the liberty of requiring a full, positive
and absolute retraction of all offensive
allusions used by you in these communica
tions in relation to my private character
and standing as a man. as an apology
for tbe insults conveyed In them. This
may prevent consequences which no one
will regret more than myself."
Lincoln immediately replied that since
Shields bad not stopped to inquire
whether he really was the author of the
articles, had not pointed out what was
offensive in them, had assumed facts and
hinted at consequences, he could not sub
mit to answer the note. Shields wrote
again, but Lincoln simply replied that he
could receive nothing but a withdrawal
of the first note or a challenge. To this
he steadily held. Seconds were imme
diately named Whitesides by Shields,
Merryman by Lincoln.
Lincoln and Merryman drove to
gether for the rendezvous across the
Mississippi In a dilapidated old buggy,
in the bottom of which rattled a num
ber of broadswords'? It was the morn
ing of the 22d of September when the
duellists arrived in Alton. There are
people still living In Alton who remem
ber their coming. "The party arrived
about the middle of the morning," says
5 P '!
him; but thinks I'd betier give him th
feel down, just for luck, hen along
comes the bell hop.
"They want lunch in 7.V right away."
says lie, and Tidson slides off to get tho
order.
If Sadie'd been in she might have
known w hat to d; but she's out. so I
walks up and down the rooms, thinkin'
It over. I, hated to ring up Billy with
any such weird tale, or to km por
Tidson into trouble If he didn't deserve
it. But the more I chews it over the un
easJer I gets. There he i. called upon
to serve a couple f parties lhai had siM'h
used him bad. even if it did happen '
Jong time back. And here was I. knowi'i'
the inside fa.Ms, and lttlu things run.
Two more turns, and I finds myself mak
in' a dash down the corridor for "it.
Some one had Just gone in. and T
fetches there in time to put my foot
against the door before the catch sprfnc.
Then I waits a nrnute. wonderin :
whet her or no I'll ma ke a monkey of
myself if I butts in. All t can hear is
silver rattlin'; so I guesses that Tidson
is in there si-ttin' out the lumh. Will
they spot him for J ulcs the a ensr ?
Or won' l t hey s-e hi in any more" u folks
usually notices the waiter? It' they don't,
will Tidson break louse and try l- finish
Kmii with the sugar tongs?
Say. In the short time I stands there t
dug up all kinds oi answers, each one
worse than t lu last. Then 1 hears somr
words I don't understand not loud and
excited, but low and Jerky. A t last I
catehes somei!iin- fr.miliar. The lady
sa.s it. in a .sort of a grunt, and it
sounds like "Mrroy!"
That's enough for me. I pushes in
through the door just in time to see Tid
son bandin' her a plate of chick n sand
wiches. Then I tumbles. It wa'n't a
call for help she whs givin. She was
just bein polite In French. And as
neither of 'em was lookin my wa 1 has
time to duck behind a dour drapery.
But the ik-x: view was a hair raiser.
Tidson has backed off into the corner,
and is fishin' down Hie back of his coat
collar after something. And what do
you think'.' Blamed If lie don't pull out
that toad sticker of his. snap mit the
blade, and put it on the servin tab!
ready for use. a'd as calm and quiet as "f
it was part of the job.
Kver have one of them nightmare
when you' re bein' rha se by some hi ark
thing and can't yell? That was the con
dition my throat was In then. I wauM
to sing out the worst way: but it sems
like 1 couldn't. Maybe I didn't reallv
try. I stands there, all gnosefleyh. ready
to make a jump into the room. I guess
I could have done that.
But, after layin' his knife out. Tidson
tends strictly to business. Kmil don't
require much waitin' on. as all he's
doin is nibblin' at some dry toast, like
the dyspeptic he looks. But the lady ha
a different kind of appetite. She keeps
Tidson on the hop. supplyin' sandwiches
and crackers and cheese and jam. 'And
the way she tucks' in reminds you of ;l
sm usage mill run n in overtime. Twt
bites, and a chicken sandwich is done
for. while her hand is reach In for
another, until the whole plateful is Kon"
Then she begins pilin In great hunks of
Swiss cheese and jam on crackers. Fni
a food destToyin' exhibit, it was the
goods. And all the time Tidson is step
pin' around, eyelu' first her and then
Kmil.
She was pourin down her third cup of
tea when I sec Tidson walk to the porvin'
table and pick up the knife. "Now."
thinks T. "here's my cue!" But jut .n
7'm about to dash to the rescue, he step;
to the window. lifts the sah and ehiickT
that rib tickler as far into the open court
as he can sling it.
As he bring out the tray J slios
through the .door after him. He don't
seem much surprised to see me. cither.
"Well." says 1 . "the reunion was all
ore sided, wa'n't it? They didn't reim-m-bi
r you, eh? But what made you chanze
your mind so sudden about usin' the
knife?"
"Bah !" says he. givin" the shoulder
shrug. "Did you see her fed? Piable
He is welcome."
"Tidson." says I, "you're a deep
thinker."
T didn't tell Sadie until the next day.
after the pair had left.
"What a mean thing for him to any !"'
says she. "I didn't think it of Tidson,
really..
Wouldn't that get you dizzy, eh ?
(Copyright's! by the lejoelat d Sunday M.ig
azins. Incorporated, t
Mr. Eil ward Levis, "and soon crossed
the river to a sa udba r which at the
time was. by reason of t lie low wa t'-r,
a part of the Missouri mainland. The
wen pons were in t he keeping of tho
friends of the princi pa Is. and no ca rc
wa s taken to concea 1 them. N;t tu ra I ! y
there was a grca t desire among t ho
male population to attend the dud. but
t he managers of the a ffa ir won Id not
permit any but their own party to
board tho ferry boat."
The party had scarcely reached the
sa nd ha r before they were joined by
some n n expect ed friends. Li ui-ol n and
Merryman. on Iheir way to Alton, had
stopped at White I la II for dinner.
Across the street from the hold lived
Mr. Klijah Lott. an acquaintance of
Mcrryman's. Mr. L"tt was pot long in
li i ul i n g out what wa s on foot, and as
soon as I ho d tie 1 1 ist s had depa rted he
d rove to 'a nd I ton. w here he knew
that Colonel Jnhn J. Hardin and secern!
other friends of Lincoln wen attending
court, and warned them of th- troiibh-.
Hardin and one or two others imme
diately st a rted for Alton. They a i -rived
in time to calm Shields, and to
! a til the sjfuiiiitl in :t 1 1 i n t h i cr in a t 1 1- vi
"with honor to all concerned."
The Lincoln-Shields duel had so many
farcical features, and Mi;s Todd bail
u ti wit li ngly been so inurli to Ida me f.ir
it. that one can easily see that it might
have had considerable influence on the
relations of the two young people.
However that may be. something: had'
made Mr. Lincoln feel that he could re
new his engagement. Karly in October,
not n fortnight after the duel, he wrote
Speed: "You have now been the hus
band of a. lovely woman nearly eight
months. That you are happier now than
the day you inarr.'ied her 1 well know,
for without, you would not be Ii ing.
Hut I wa nt to ask a close quest Ion :
Arc you now in feelings as well as
judgment glad that yuu are married as
you n re?'
We do not know. Speed's answer, nor
the final st niggle of the ma u's hea rt .
"e only know that on November' 1.
JS4J. Lincoln was married, the wedding
being almost impromptu,
(Copyright, lflns, by the M Clure Co.)
$1,000,000 by Bull-righting.
London Ulov,t'
The retirement of a popular bullnghtpr
1n Spain creates almost us much sensa
tion as that of a prime minister. The
latest to retire from the ring is Anton!
Fuentes, In conformity with tradition,
has just cut off his "coleta," tho lock of
hair worn on the crown of the head,
which Is only cut when the bullfight r
has given up the rang once and for ail.
The celebrated matador is not 4' yer i s
old and made his debut at th age of U.
Since then he has figured in about
bullfights and made tome thing like
OufOM out of it.