"SALLY."

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 358, 19 March 1903, Page 2

"SALLY."

By FRANKFORT MOORE.

[COPYBIGHT.] ' Some parcele has come from Briggs, sir,' said Jervis from the door of the room where bis master, the Honourable Gerald Gravthorpe, was enjoying an afterdinner cigar. '■ All right, Jervis; lay the things out, and leb me know when Mr. Ashby calls,' said Gerald, ' Very good, sir.' The servant went noiselessly away, and his master resumed his study of the lighted end of his cigar. The evening paper, which he had been trying to convince himself he had been reading, lay in a most inelegant sprawl upon the fl or. ' Tne die is cast!' muttered the sole occupant of that room in St. James's Street. ' The die is cast! Like the distinguished monarch, Nebuchadnezzar, I am about to go forth from the dwellings of civilised people and mingle with the beasts of the field. Well, I don't suppose it will do me any mere barm than it did Nebuchadnezzar—according to the most authentic accounts of that business of his it did bim a considerable amount of good. I'll be quite content if I get out of my little affair so satisfactorily. Now what the mischief can be keeping Charlie ? I said eight-thirty for a dross rehearsal, and now it's nine.' He put his cigar between his lips once more, and, after a few earnest puffs, picked up the paper and alternately puffed and yawned down one of the pages; it contained a review of two books—the sort of thing that everyone yawns over. After another quarter of an hour had passed he flung away the paper with one hand and the end of the cigar with the other, crying: 'Confound that fellow! he's al way b late. I'll not wit for him; I'll] have a dress rehearsal on my own account.' He went to his bedroom on the upper floor, and turned on the electric light. His servant was in the dressing-room in a moment. ! (To be continued.)

* Dear me ! That poor fellow looked so hungry.' ' Impossible. That's the author of 'lnfallible Systems for Beating the Races.' Bachelor: 'Do think a man will have bad luck if he gets married on a Friday ?' B-mdict: * I don't think it makes any d ff ->rence whether it is Friday or not.' Layarouod Lucas: 'Did youse ever speckulate on Wall Street ?' Tired Timothy: «Yes, I uater stand around the Stock Exchange an' wonder wheie my next meal wuz comin' f mm.' '