A WEIRD TALE.
THE FALL OF JACK GILLESPIE.
CHAPTER I.
It was 9 o'clock in the lovely little breakfast room of the Stor
month family. It was also 9 o'clock elsewhere. The little onyx
and oroide ormulu clock on the mantel had just announced the
hour in silvery notes, when Mr. Stormonttufinisbed.hiB last piece of
bacon, seized his bat and coat and started for the office.
"Don't overtax yourself to-day," his wife called after him. .He
laughed a blithe reply. Stormonth was "the most level-headed
man on the street," and didn't fear overwork.
chapter n.
Out in the keen, frosty air the sunlight gleamed brightly, and the
rumble of the approaching electric car sounded sharp on the ear
The electric car rattled on to the corner whereon SVirmonth stood
and came to a pause, while the noted business man entered and
stood for a moment eyeing the passengers, who had spread them
selves over as much seat room as possible. Two men shoved along,
leaving an unoccupied place on the long seat.
"Ah, ha," said Stormonth to himself. "This is luck. I've got a
seat downtown."
.CHAPTER III.
Two blocks further on the motorman saw a lady on the crossing
make the beckoning gesture which women use when they want to
have a street car stop. The motorman turned his lever and the
women stepped aboard the car, which again begau to bowl merrily
along on its way.
The woman paused, and, with a queenly gesture, surveyed the
car.
Every seat was taken.
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CHAPTER IV.
But Stormonth.was .quick to grasp the situation.
Rising from his seat and lifting his hat, he said, politely: "Madame,
won't you have this seat?"' "
Then he started to go out on the platform. A voice arreeteu his
progress. It was the lady who, before accepting' the seat, turned
toward him and said, distinctly:
"Thank you."
The color fled from Stormonth's face, leaving it white as marble.
He passed his hand over his eyes as if to brush away the evil
phantasmagoria of a dream.
"I beg your pardon, out what did you say?" he stammered faintly.
"Thank you,' repeated the lady.
A low moan came from Stormonth's purple lips, followed by a
shrink of unearthly laughter. The shock had been too great.
The man whom kindly friends led home that morning was a
raving maniac
l
':
This fell when dinner time was
Twixt the first and the second
That oor mon Jack cam' home again
To his rooms ahint the .club. ggk
An' syne he laughed, an syne he sang,
An' syne we thocht him fou,
An' syne he trumped his partner's tricky
An' garred his partner rue.
Then up and spake an elder mon, "
That held the spade its ace:
"God save the lad ! Whence comes the licht
That whimples on his face?"
An" Jack he sniggered, an' Jock he smiled,
An' ower the card brim wunk:
"I'm a' too fresh fra' the stirrup-peg,
May be that I'm drunk."
"There's whuskey brewed in Galashiels,.
An' L. L. L. forbyo;
But never liquor lit the low
That keeks fra' oot your eye.
"There's a thrid of hair on your dros" coat breast
Aboon thee heart a wee?"
"Oh ! that is fra' tho long-haired Syke
That slobber ower me?"
"Oh ! lang haired Sykes are lovin' beasts,
Au' terrier dqgs are fair,
But never yet was terrier born
Wi ell-lang golden hair !
"There's a smirch o' pouther on your breast,
Below the left lappel."
"Oh ! that is fra' my auld cigar,
Whenas the stump end fell.'
"Mon Joek, he smoke the Trichi coarse,
For yo are short of cash.
An' best Havana couldna leave , y
Sae white and pure an ash. '
"This nicht ye stoped a 6tory braid,
An' stoped it wi a curse
Last nicht ye told that tale yourself,
An' capped it wi" a worse. ;
."Oh! we're no fou! Oh! we're no fou!
But plainly we can ken ,'j 4
Ye're fallin,' fallin," fra' the band!;
O' cantie singlee men!"
An it fell when eirris-shaws were sere,
An' the nichts were long an' mirk,
In braw new breeke, wi' a gowden ring,
Oor Jockie gaed to Kirk.
Rub yard Kipling.
THEIR MISCALCULATION.
Citizen I suppose you will agree with me that education is a
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The Defeated Ward Candidate You're dead right it is. If the
blokes wot was my party's judges at the polls had a known the least
t'ing about arit'metic I'd a been elected by a safe majority.
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