The Ne'er-Do-Well

as in the air, and on the side-streets long rows of taxicabs were standing, their motors blanketed, their chauffeurs threshing their

e, distorted eyes; fanciful designs of liquid fire ran up and down the walls or blazed forth in lurid colors. From the c

tter of hoofs. A horde of shrill-voiced urchins pierced the confusion, waving their papers and screaming the football scores at the tops of the

paused to adjust her wraps, and, hearing the

That performance during the thir

d. "Those boys don't mean anything. That was merely Youth-

mpanion, "but it sounded more like the en

came bustling forth

bling, pushing, jostling; greeting scowls and smiles with grins of insolent good-humor. In their hands were decorated walking-sticks and flags, ragged and tattered as if

ed the newsboys. "Full a

led a battle song of his university. Policemen set their shoulders to the mob, but, though they met with no

up. The cheer-leader increased his antics, and the barking yell changed to a measured chant, to the time of which the army marched

to wave napkins or to cheer. Men stepped upon chairs and craned for a better sight of them; women raised their voices

Darwin K. Anthony's son. You've hear

w play football four years

he?" remarked one of the women, when t

that's all. But he certa

t he had been sent

e was given

questioned another,

s third offence, and his fath

cru

t care for this sort of

llow is good for

n fact, and in a way he deserved it. For three years before his graduation he had been the heart and sinew of the university team, and for the four years

rs of the team. The crisis might have daunted the most resourceful of men, yet Anthony had proved equal to it. For twenty-one days he had labored like a real general, spending his nights alone with diagrams and little dummies on a miniature gridiron, his days in careful coaching. He h

een a strange team snatch victory from defeat, and not one of all the thirty thousand onlookers but knew to whom the credit belonged. It had been a tremendous spectacle, and when

taken time to cool off. Yet there was something appealing about it, after all. At any rate, the press deemed the public sufficiently in

ttack on the modern college, in which he all but cited his own son as an example of the havoc wrought by present-day university methods. The elder Anthony's wealth and position made it good copy. The yellow journals liked it immensely, and, strangely enough, notwithstanding the positiveness with which the newspapers spoke, the facts agre

l to the lustre of the family name. In particular, Anthony, Sr., was prejudiced against a certain Higgins, who, of course, was his son's boon companion, aid, and abettor. This young gentleman was a lean, horse-faced senior, whose unbroken solemnity of manner had more than once led strangers to mistake him for a divinity student, though closer acquaintance proved him wholly unmoral and rattle-brained. M

oresaid criminal was nothing more than an entertaining companion, whose bizarre disregard of all established rules of right and wrong matched well with his own careless temper. Higgins, moreover,

ad dwindled to perhaps a dozen, proposed to make a night of it. It was always Higgins who

azed owlishly over the flushed

world, we will visit some places of rare interest and educat

!" some one cri

ew. I feel sure you will enjoy yourselves there, for the bartender has the secret of

ffl

nt of sociology can obtain a w

o we g

ggins," Anthony laughed. "To

l get out," said

Seven Turnings," continued the ceremonious Higgins, "we wi

closed that

on a scale larger a

Austrian Village,

wish to request one favor. If by any chance I should become embroil

cautioned Anthony. "You've

h painful memorie

the waiters in the main dining-room below to cease piling chairs u

cond Street, they made no disturbance. On the contrary, it was altogether too quiet for most of them, and they soon sought another scene. But there were deserters en route to the Palac

ight escapade, composing a flying squadron of exactly the rig

full-blooded boys, fresh from weeks of training, strong of body, and with stomachs like galvanized iron. They showed scant evidence of intoxication. As for the weakest member of the party, it had long been known that one drink made Higgins drunk, and all further libations merely served to maintain him in status quo. Exhaustive experiments had proved that he was able to retain consciousnes

idnight Manhattan. Above and around this room runs a white-and-gold balcony partitioned into boxes; beneath it are many tables separated from the waxed floor by a railing. Inside the enclosure men in street-clothes and smartly gowned girls with enormous hats revolve nightly to the strains of an orchestra which nearly succeeds in drowning their vo

ight was inspiriting. The college men selected a table, and, shouldering the

nthony and Higgins by a shake of his left hand, ducked his roun

swollen hand criss-crossed with surgeon's

gins, gazing with interest a

adden said, vaguely. He turned a shrewd eye upon Antho

idn't have much to do with

e him," inter

t he's got two faults-he's modest and he's lazy. He's caused a lot of uneasiness to h

for us," added Anderson,

assured them. "Anything you boys

e man-peaceful, refined-got a lovely character,

mpanions followed him, with the exception of the cadaverous Higgins,

y found a stranger was seated with hi

Mr. Jefferson Locke, of S

hilarious cordiality, to which he responded with

when the greetings were over, "and recognized you

d Anthony, sizing up the broad frame of the

used t

he

loudly for a waiter, but when the

you play,

t ta

univer

freshwater school-you wouldn't know the nam

ay, so I'm having a little blow-out on my own account. When I recognized you all, I just b

ll!" he w

splayed a roll of yellow-backed bill

put that in my shoe

stick around with you fellows. I have an idea I've been followed, and I don't care to be tapp

t money awakens a feeling of loyalty in our breasts. I speak for all when

we last," Ri

ou're my guests for the evening, understand. If you'll agree t

just fooling. You're more than welcome to stay with

night of it. I'll show

m too nervous

later, when Kirk found himself promoted by tacit consent to the position of host for the whole company. This was a little more than he had bargained for, but t

ned to dance, preferring to remain with

owing his best friend's figure with his eyes, when

Yes, he

lways say: he's too modest by

k. His old man has plen

o. Heartless old wretch. Mr

oc

rnfully at his companion. "D'you kn

N

ly son and hei

s, started; his wandering, watch

t! J

owed his own flesh and blood to

ey get him for?" queri

eed

t himself back

he's a bra

. That's

Higgins, showing a disposition to weep. "If he were not such

cke gr

idea the disgrace i

Say, it gets on my nerves to sit s

Somebody's sure to star

care to get mix

rm. "Then stay with us, Mr.-Locke. If you incline to

le at the moment, and Ringold suggested

met with ea

we go?" ask

s," Anthony said. "All the cafes are closed now, and th

the ball-room a medium-sized man who had recently entered from the street caugh