| Show 4 > 1 THE SAVING OF BLOSSOP I By CHARLES GARVIE i II 1 1 Copyright by UobbsMerrlll Co What Is wrong with Blossop asked Bunter lilosso had just gone out of the reading roon slamming the door behind be-hind him There had been an argument argu-ment between Bunter and him one of those arguments which begin mildly and casually enough but not seldom proceed by quick stages to something like a heated altercation On this oo raslon Blossop had boon quite violent and had put his side of the caso with a display of temper which was tin usual until quite recently for though Blossop by dint of his vast bulk and strength and his admirable lung power pow-er had from the day that the club tfwas started been In the habit of talkIng talk-Ing most of us down his bullying to use the word In an Inoffensive sense had not only met with our toleration but secretly amused us We all liked Hlossop liked him for his honesty his generosity his literary achievements achieve-ments his sterling worth I dont know whats come to him proceeded Bunter In an aggrieved tone Did you fellows hear how he jumped on me Almost almost spitefully spite-fully Fancy Blossop spiteful Blossop seems to have been < oft color for tho last week or so said Gorham Seems to have lost his appetite ap-petite aid ho doesnt talk so much and thats a bad sign with Blossop And when he does talk hes Inclined In-clined to bo spiteful as Bunter says remarked Mlllnn And havdany of you noticed how ho peers at things Yesterday when he was reading that article Is Fiction a Blessing ho held tho paper close up to his nose and then carried Itthe paper not his nose I mqan to the window though the light was good enough Writers headache suggested someone some-one Nonsense said Mlllnn Blossop with a headache He doesnt know what it means Hes upset about something Of course we humored him and were careful to avoid contradicting him even when ho expressed tho most outrageous opinions Presently he was absent from the club for a week or ten days Wo missed him very much Gorham attempted at-tempted to take his place on the hearth rug and tried to bully us but the attempt was futile and the imitation imita-tion so ridiculously feeble that we scouted Gorham with scorn and contumely con-tumely and wo were all heartily glad when BIosspp returned but we were secretly distressed to observe that he 1 looked worse than when he had left us He was pale and had grown thinner and there was an anxious harassed look about his face which caused us a vaguo anxiety He seemed tired and listless and once or twice he fell asleep In the chair beside the tire When he did so we talked In whispers and worn careful not to awake him One night when he had been asleep for nearly au hour he woke suddenly felt for the newspaper which had dropped from his hand and raised It to his eyes then he said Do you mind ringing the boll Robinson Rob-inson and asking the waiter to turn on the lights Wu looked at each other aghast Tho lights had been on for some time There was a silence a terrible silence but It was broken by a new member who hud joined us during Blossops absence The lights have been up for tho lust hour In said Blossop turned his face In the direction di-rection of tho speaker sat perfectly Mill for a moment then rose and leaning against the mantelshelf flung his hands before Ma eyes My 1 God boys he cried in a voice which rang In our curs for days afterward after-ward Im bllndl Littleton his oldest friend rose und went to him and caught his arm Hold on Blossop he said trying to laugh but with a shako of Ills voice Dont he nn Idiot Pull yourself to Rithor You blind What rot Youro bilious that confounded liver of jours pr youre got neuralgia of the optic nerve Know over so many eases Had it myself havent you boys For heavens sake dont look like that muni here have some hiuiidy Tho poor fellow stood with bent head his lips moving the tears running run-ning down his cheeks until with a movement of shame ho struck them away with the back of his hand lie could not speak Uttleford led him away and wo who were loft sal and looked at each other and gazed at tho hearth rug which was sacred to him In heartrending heart-rending silence We waited until Lit tloford returned He came In very lulctly and sank down III Blossops chair but got up and took another tile and It was some minutes before I ho replied to our mute questioning I took him homo ho said huskily i Ills wife was terribly cut up but but I think she expected It She dldnU cry but her face I was almost glad i Dint DIoHsop couldnt see It She helmed I he-lmed liko llko a woman and tho voist of em will boat the bravest nan hollpw I Kilt with them for sonic time but I saw that she wanted to ham him to herself so I clime away I am going to Critchott with him to moriow morning but Im afraid theres very little hope Ive known ono or two similar cases and theyve always panned out badly I I Wo had the saddest evening wevt ever experienced at the Scrlbblms The famous oculist confirmed Lit llafotds forebodings poor Dlossop had been smitten by Incurablo blindness I think we did all we could for him somo one of us sometimes two went to tee him every day and talked and lead to him We found him resigned but In terribly low spirits As his wife poor soul said he was patience Itself his old In liable little ways his genially domineering manner had gone with his sight he would sit for hours she told us with his hands lying limp ly on his knees his sightless eyes gaz ing before him his lips twitching every now and then as if his mental anguish were almost too much for him His work hud of course stopped Wo hired a skilled typist and took her round with the hope that we might lure him to dictate to her but tho mans mind was for the present overturned over-turned and incapable of composition It was evident that something would have to be done to louse him from the dreadful lethargy which was possessing pos-sessing him It was Llllleford l who lilt upon that something One afternoon at teatime tea-time we heard footsteps In the hall they wore slow and accompanied by the quick patpat of a stick the door opened and Littleford appealed leading lead-Ing the blind man We sprang to our feet with a shout but Littleford signed to us to moderate moder-ate our delight and We came forward quietly shook Blossop by the handled hand-led him to his old chair and stood round him till Mttleford motioned us back to our seats Blossop returned our greetings and answered our Inquiries In-quiries with amused cheerfulness we went on talking for his benefit as If nothing were the matter but though he turned his face toward us with a wistful smile Tie gradually becamo silent si-lent moody and embarrassed Our talk peteied out we glanced at each other in dismay for we felt that Blos sop would not come again that tho strain would be too great for him What was to ho done It was the Chaffinch the shy silent Chaffinch to whom speech was a labor la-bor and a pain who sprang Into the breach Pale and shrinking he came from his coiner took a chulr in the middle of the circle and began at first in quavering accents to speak of Blew Smith and to our amazement the Chaffinch praised his last novel Now Blew Smith and all his works are to Hlossop as a red rag 1 Is to a I I bull Many and many a time had HlosI sop denounced the popular very popular popu-lar author whose fiction sold by the hundred thousand and whose name was worshiped in all the regions of Suburbia We stared at the Chaffinch fearfully and then tinned our eyes still more fearfully on Blossop What was the Chaffinch at Wo soon discovered At the beginning of th > eulogy BIossop had listened Indifferently enough but presently lie began to fidget In his chair then he leant forward a frown gathering on his brow his lips beginning begin-ning to move In the way with which we were nil so familiar It Is an Interesting book bleated Chaffinch a conscientious work full of the noblest thoughts and the most I poetic Imagery There is not B dull or unworthy line In It The characterization charac-terization too is admirable It is a perfect work lie stole a glance at Blossop who was writhing in his chair and I nm not surprised that It Is already al-ready In its fifth ed Up spring Blossop Scarcely feeling his way by the mantelshelf he stood on the hearth rug with his back to tho fire In the old attitude and he poured forth the vials of his wrath on the Chaffinchs devoted bend To our inexpressible joy and delight he rent and tore Blew Smiths literary reputation into shreds and tatters and strewed the floor with them All through the torrent which poured over lthn boiled and surged round him the Clmfflnch sat with a placid and shy smile of satisfaction We kept ourselves our-selves In hand as long as It was possible pos-sible to do BO then when restraint became absolutely dangerous we gave way with a roar and a yell of delight We hud roused Blossop the dear old man was himself again We wore goIng go-Ing to be bullied us of old It was all right And thanks to the Chaffinch Blossop stopped In his harangue and looked round halt confused but he was smiling and still bubbling over and we sprang at him and patted him on the back crying Thats your style Blossop Let him have It lIes an Imbecile Is the Chaffinch Weve all been growing Imbecile Im-becile for the want of you Dont you dare to keep away from tho club or it will fall to pieces No no dont sit down Stand whore you are and keep on jawing at us like your dear old self Heres your l1losome one el I It and thrust It Into his hand a light Chaffinch affincb came forward timidly mutch Blossops big hands fell upon the Chaffinchs small shoulders and shook him lovingly You miserable little fraud ho said In u broken voice You praise Blew Smith I might have known you woiu stringing me God bless you Chtifllnch I |
