THE SEMI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE SECTION
KEEPING UP WITH WATTIV LL
FROM THE LOG OF THE
BAR AND BOTTLE CLUB
ILLUSTRATIONS BY OSCAR CESARE
jVXOl'SlS ok P.UiT I Mr. Ferdinand
' Mi,...i.Yir Ynrk,undMr..laek
Wiiiiu ilb , of I'hiludelphiu and Xew
null, In iijijioinlmeiil, the
inoiiiini) after. Theij are a hit foijijii
a In trim inlrodneed llirm and what
hajijniud mi tin jn't'i i ill ii if erenimj. Hnl, mi better
tit'ijmti it In in i , tin ii Jintl inrli nthrr eomjeniul and em
harl on a inn sn ii s of voneiriul adreutiires. At the
liar mill Hut lie lil, lint are iiiiliatnl in I In- name
of Sitjiur I'ii ami Xiitier I hunt. Tin- iluieis sit in
the Club windows, and In I on llir htm l,- iiassershii in
llir Avenue X (((' it) llir street, I win: Xitiner
tloivu the street, I losi: After it disastrous session,
Mr. Stake; and Mr. Wattirille quit, jinnm'sini In
rrtiirit us snon us the hunks reopen mill theij run
olititin fresh funds.
Pant IT
S'iTKKY followed him to the sidewalk in a state
of absolute bliss, utterly unaware of a sudden
change to portentous seriousness on the face of Wnt
tiville. At this moment, a taxirah that had been
lurking; in the otlinr came bouncing up to the curb.
"Step in, Stukey," said Wattiville, absent-mindedly.
He followed suit, saying: "Drive anywhere."
The taxieab shot around the corner and proceeded
up town with as much speed as though the order had
been a definite one.
"Where are we going, old boy ?" said Stukey, with
blissful abandon.
"Stukey," asked W'attiville, rousing himself from
his reverie, "can you see the ehnull'eiir1.'"
Lu7 ,
1 11 i ' lm i(
; mm i'Hiv M . mm
iv rir- ii j . in i ' n i i i i i i
Stukey taw the avenue choked with the rank of the Dine Grenadiers Club, marching ifloriouily
"I can."
"lias he red chop whiskers'?"
"I think so."
"Is that you Miaunittnn?" said WnltiviHe, lunging
forward.
"The same, sir."
"tiood," said W'attiville, relaxing. "I buy you for
the next twenty-four hours, you understand Von
belong to me."
The response was immediate and enthusiastic:
"liody and sold, sir, and go as far as you like!"
"Krnnnignn follows me everywhere," said Walti
ville, in explanation; "wherever I go, he is sure lo
find me. He would sacrifice his life for me!
He is what I call a sympathetic ehnnfieur."
"Wonderful." said Stukey.
"Since he lias known me. he has sent bis
son to college and brought his aged mother
over from Ireland. However, that is trivial.
Stukev. do von know what 1 am thinking?"
"No."
"Stukey, they trimmed us well."
"You don't mean "
"No, no! It was all square and sportsman
like; but the fact remains we did not have
to call for a valise to take awav our money,
did we 7"
"Oh. well "
"No, Stukey; you are wrong. It was not
what 1 call a .howling success. We were
trimmed I particularly enjoyed the way
that fellow Harrigan did it. 1 like him. ' In
fact, I love him like a brother; but I will not
go back to Philadelphia nei
ther will I sleep until I apply
the lather and skin him with the
razor."
"The luck was with them.
What do you care "
"It is my fault, Stukey; 1
confess my vanity lias received
a'wrench a painful wrench."
"Oh, come now !"
"It. has. I used to fancy
myself but 1 am thinking,
Stukey, thinking hard and
something will evolve.
Miannigan !"
The red chauffeur
brought the machine to
a stop with a crash, his
ear craned for the
slightest whisper.
"Take Mr. Stukey
where he wants to go."
"1 say, you're not
(putting," said Stukey
in a grieved toite.
"A little family din
ner, rather conserva
tie," saiil Wattiville,
plainly out of sorts.
"I give no appoint
ments. I 'in like a
woman nothing defi
nite, nothing promised
when tlie spirit
moves then act. At
present, I 'm engaged
in a scries of mental
operations. I must be
alone. I can promise
nothing; but if what I
am thinking of works
out, we will call each
other by our first,
names. Ta-la, and bet
ter cut out the coffee!"
Stukey, having re-
ft
I' ive minutes later,
V
l! jI!
turned to his own apartments, stood longingly con
templating his inviting bed. "Shall I dress and take
in a show, or go down to the Club for supper'" 11c
sat down carefully and considered. "I might gather
a few of the boys and take in a scrap." lie clcxatcd
his legs to the bed ami propped his back with the
pillows. "What the deuce did Wattiville break aa
for? I feel just like starting something wonderful
chap -a little inclined lo draw the long bow.
Strange very strange person. I wish I could re
member how I where 1 - - wish I eould remember
where I met him. . . . ''
WiMvdon coining in on tiptoe
delicately drew
the pink and
white comforter
over his master's
sleeping form.
'p'KHMNAN'l) P.
Stukhy :
Eureka I I hurr
it. Ilevemje i
swrot. 'I'liursdui
without fuil. 'llir
Momo drill
X o o n t ii d u .
llrimj the fatted
jioeket-lionl: Mil
I i o u s i n I h e
srh erne!
"W.vmvu.i.i:."
Stukey bad al
most settled into
the belief of the
non-existence o f
Ii i s ehancc-ne-(iiaintance,
e x -plaining
the phe
nomena on the
same highly scien
tific grounds with which he was accustomed to ac
count for other confusing memories, when the aboe
telegram was brought to him. Confronted with
another seance with Wattiville, he carefully reviewed
their past relations, with a little growing suspicion
that the affair at the Club bad been an elaborately
prepared hoax. Fortunately, due to a week's session
with his dentist, he was in superb physical condition,
his mind clear and his logical powers alert.
"If there 's any hoax going on,'' ho said militautly
as he prepared for the start, "I 'II find it out this
time."
Hardly had he deployed on the avenue, when a
rush of wheels came to a cranky stop and he felt
his arm seized as he heard a familiar voice cry:
"Wattiville and his tame taxi at your service."
Prom the chauffeur's seat, the red chop whiskers
of Mranuigan bobbed to him in happy recognition.
"You got my telegram, I see," said Wattiville,
rushing on. "You are eager; you are curious; you
thirst for revenge. Mrannigan, follow at a respectful
distance."
'fhe taxieab fell behind and ostentatiously escorted
them.
"Let mo say at once, Stukey, old boy," said Watli
ille, drawing him gently through the swinging door
of a cafe, "that the plan I have evolved is so Na
poleonic that it demands quick wits and cool nerves.
We must be strictly abstemious though, of course,
an allowance must be made for the .joy of meeting.
Two rounds of Itroux and then a gentle Martini."
"1 say, Wattiville," began Slnkey (Irmly.
"Three and that is all," said Wattiville glibly.
"You see, it 's this way, scientifically: if we limit
ourselves to three, we mud concentrate---limit but
concentrate, that 's my motto. Mut don't let 's discuss
such trivial matters."
Continued tin I'age II)
'Keep the change and tend your
ion to collefie