| Show I THE ASTROLOGIST AND THE BULLY Yes said the hotel clerk as ashe ashe ashe he took a fresh cigar after the laugh at the last dr drummers drummer's story had died away a mans man's failings do get him into trouble all right Now I never forget a face but out butI outI I cant can't keep a name in my head to save save my life And that means something too in our business One night a gentleman who patronized patronized patronized pat pat- us often came in and asked asked asked ask ask- ed for a room I greeted him cordially cordially cordially cor cor- as was my custom and told him he needn't mind registering as it was late and he looked tired I would attend to that for him I Isaid Isaid Isaid said so he went off to his room with the hop bell-hop and all night I racked my brain for that f fellows fellow's fellows fellow's fel fel- l- l lows low's name But it was no use and I didn't have the nerve to ask him for it as I knew him fairly well and wanted him to feel at home Suddenly however I had hada a bright idea I would find out his name in a decidedly clever manner manner and and I patted myself on the back as I thought how my ruse would work So the next morning as the gentleman in question approached the desk I spoke pleasantly to him and just as he turned away aYay I called out By By Bythe the way old man which way do you spell your last name I have forgotten He turned and looking me full in the face said after an instants instant's instants instant's instants instant's in in- stants stant's pause t S is the way I spell it How else would you do it Well said the quiet old gentleman gentleman gentleman gen gen- who alone of the group in the smoker had not yet spoken speaking of failings I will tell you how I was cured of one of mine As a boy I was a quiet imaginative imaginative imaginative im im- sort of chap far from pugnacious and with a tendency to believe in the occult and super super- natural Shortly after I entered high school an old man who professed professed professed pro pro- to be an astrologer moved into our neighborhood I soon met him and at once became deeply interested in his hobby and it was not long until the old codger hay my head so filled with stars and ascendants and descendants descendants descendants that I thought of almost nothing else lse At this time there was a tremendous tremendous tremendous tre tre- bully in the high school and he used for his own amusement amusement amusement amuse amuse- ment and that of others to thrash me about once a week and at other times as he felt in the mood And up to this time I had tal taken en my beatings with much meekness and little resistance But shortly after my acquaintance with the theold theold theold old astrologer I had a bright idea indeed I would find out from the old man just when my st star r was was in the ascendant and that of the bully in the descendant and aided aided aided aid aid- ed by this hidden knowledge I would beat the bully within an aninch aninch aninch inch of his life t So gleefully I hunted up the theold theold theold old man and after carefully consulting consulting con con- Jj suIting his charts he told me on just what day and at what hour our stars would be in a position i most propitious for me and most j baleful for the bully Armed with this information I car carefully fully avoided avoid- avoid j jed ed my enemy until the lucky day J arrived and then hunted him up J Jand and bade him meet me in bloody 1 battle behind a certain old barn j He agreed in some surprise and followed by a crowd of jeering J boys we repaired to the appointed appoint appoint- j ed battle field I was confident and showed it Well sad to relate relate relate re re- late the bully gave me a sounder thrashing than he had ever administered administered administered admin admin- before and I slunk home sore and and vowing revenge on my astrological friend Needless to say I lost my belief in astrology and all things oc oc- oc- oc cuI cult t. t t |
