Olympian Nights

ordinary

pected to see, there stood in front of it an ordinary office-chair that twirled on a pivot. Books and papers were strewn about the floor and upon the tables; the pictures on the walls were made up largely of colored sporting prints of some rarity, and in a corner stood a commonplace globe such as is to be found in use in public schools to teach children geography. As I glanced about me my first impression was that by some odd mis

room. I-ah-I have had the wholly unexpected honor to be granted an au

the hand and shaking it cordially. "You are all righ

ow's cordiality. "But I really can't sit down, because, you know, I-I

down and talk to me. I don't get a chance to talk with m

the merest chance last night-but you must let me go, sir. I'll come back later very gladly and

he old gentleman, testily. "What do you

"Still, I'm interes

s apparently simple remark. I didn't see the

"But you don't seem to understand my position. I can't stay here an

too. If you didn't wish to see me, you had no business to come into my room. Now that you are

e for the helmet I wore, and I had felt a

ome here on invitation, and, if I've got into the wrong room, it isn't my f

the old gentleman turned to

garette?" he

d, turning the knob and tugging up

ing chair and regarded me with a twinkle in his eye as I vainly

e with me," he said, calmly. "Take off

" I replied. "Not a word. Do you i

said. "Let's talk it over. Why do you wi

ocking me up in your rotten old den here when you must realize what

tion-first new sensation I have had in a long, long time. Let me see now, just how many n

l call you a lot more,

'll listen to you for a whole hour. What am I beside

a zinc-fastened Zany. A doddering do

hter that seemed nearly to rend him. "Go on

oltroon to treat me this

ing his knee with delight. "Sneak-livered po

I retorted, with a note of sarcasm in my voice. "It will require a reference to

bookcase he took thence the desired volume and ha

s are," I retu

ere's the book. Let me light a cigar for you and then you can begin. Only d

ound. I lit one of his cigars and sat down to tell the curious old freak what I thought of him. Ordinarily I would hav

y?" s

self. Just behave as if you'd known

dex, just to get a lead," I said, "I shall begin by saying that y

hat's that last? I neve

rd myself. Real words won't describe you. Stult is a new term, meaning

n, I dote upon them! They are ne

with the emptiness of ages in your face; you are a brother to the ox, with all the dundering nizi

radually making a madman of me. "I'd like to oblige you, but I really can't.

a jobbernowl and a doodle, a maundering mooncalf and a blockheaded n

ed, "A Hatter! Am

Thesaurus with a bang. "Have some

to sea in a bowl rolled into one, for all I know. You may be any old thing. I don't give a tinker's cuss what you are. Under ordinary c

ing up the word "bore" in the index of the Thesaurus, "What else am I? Maybe I'm an unmitigat

y tough characters in my day, but you are the first I have ever encountered without a redeeming f

lighted to hear. I've been asking myself that quest

rted. "You take advantage of me. You

you. I provoke you, I irritate you, I make you mad, I sour your temper, I sicken

rry, badger, infest, persecute. You gall, sting, and convulse me. You are a plain old beast, that's

without exception, the most extraordinary old person I had ever encountered, and in my

d my tormentor was given over to his own enjoyme

the Thesaurus again with the word 'liar' for your lead. Nevertheless, I'm pretty old; but I want to say to you that in

to have said and would have said if language hadn't its limitations. You are the infinity of the unmitigate

ation, and I like you. I should like to see more of you, but your hour has expired

thout a word in reply, glad of my deliverance, I turned and fled precipitately through it. The sumptuous guard stood ou

we proceeded back to my quarte

?" s

of course,

beastly old bore who wouldn't let go of me. You showed m

cried. "Wrong

s mild, I admit. But he's all

he Major Domo. "But you have been for t

ied. "I-that

you? He made a special effort to make you fee

k, limp an

me?" I moaned, as I rea

is messenger, Mercury, that the honors of Olympus are to be showered upon you

h the idea that all is not lead that doesn't glitter, and when I thought