The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-11-11
Nothing Between
Them.

p. Deming in Atlantic Monthly.
He WIS a small, wiry man, about 40 years
of age, with a bright young face, dark eyes,
and irou-gray hair. We were reclining in a
field, under a clump of pines, on a height
overlooking Lake Champlain. Near by were
the dull red brick buildings Of the University
OF Vermont Burlington, blooming with
flowers and embowered in trees, sloped away
below us Beyond the town the lake, a broad
plain of liquid blue, slept in the June sun
shine, and in the farther distance lowered the
picturesque A~dirondacks.
at is certainly true" said T~ompkins, turn
ing upon his side 50 as to face me, and prop
ing his head with his hand, while his elbow
rested on the ground. Don't you remember
/ used to insist that they were peculiar when
we were here in college.
Ifemembered it very distinctly. and so in
formed my old classmate.
~ always said, " he continued, that Icould
not do my best in New England, because
there Is no sentiment In the atmosphere, and
the people are so peculiar.n
You have been living in Chicagof' l re
marked inquiringly.
That has been my residence ever since we
were graduated; that is, for about seventeen
years" he replied
You are In business there, | believer l
questioned
Tompkins admitted that he was, but did
not name the particular line.
"Hallooln be suddenly called out, rising to
his feet and looking toward the little brown
road near Us. 1 looked In the same direction.
and saw a plainly dressed, elderly couple on
foot, apparently out for n walk. Tompkins
went hnstiiy toward them, helped the lady
over the fence, the gentleman following. and
a moment later | was introduced TO Mr.. and
Mrs. Pember, OF Chicago.
Tompkins gathered some large stones,
pulled a board of tho fence in rather a reck-
less manner, and fixed a seat for the couple
where they could lean against a tree. When
they were provided for, | reclined again, but
Tompkins stood before US, talking and ges-
ticulating.
"This," he said, lis the Identical place Mrs.
Pember. Here you can see the beauties /
have so often described. Before you are the
town and the lake, and beyond them the
mountains of northern New York, and az
you will please TO turn your head that great
blue wall behind you, twenty miles away is
composed OF the highest mountains in Yer
mont The mountains in front of you are
the Adirondhcks, and those behind you ara
the Green mountains. You are at the CEN
tnl point OF this magnificent Champlain val
ley; and you are comfortably seated here
beneath the shade, on this the loveliest day
u summer. Dear friends, | congratulate
you and Tompkins shook hands with Mr..
and Mn. Pember.
"And there, Timothy" observed the old
gentleman, pointing at the university build
ings with his cane, "is actually where you
went TO college"
1t was in those memorable and classic
halls, as my classmate here can testify re-
piled Tompkins. "And here we roamed in
'Academus' sacred shade and a good deal
beyond 1t. Went fishing and boating during
term time, and made long trips TO the noun
tains in the vacations. In the meantime, this
wonderful valley was photographed upon the
white and spotless sensorium of my youthful
soul"
"Going. going, goingl' cried Mrs. Penn
Der, with a light, ripping laugh, CHANGING at
me. THAT is the way ! stop Mr.. Tompkins
when be gets too iowery."
"~Tompkins looked at me and reddened. al
own up, he remarked, 81 am an auctioneer
In Chicago"
l hastened TO say that / felt sure he was a
good one, and added, in the kindest way |
rould, that l had just been wondering how
BE- bad become such a good talker.
is II a good deal Of n come-downr' asked
Tompkins, with a mixture of frankness and
embarrassment
Ireplied that the world was not what VIZ
lad imagined in our college days, and that
the calling of an auctioneer WINS honorable.
A general conversation followed, In tho
course of which II appeared that Tompkins
had boarded at the home of the Pembers for
several years. They evidently looked upon
him almost as their own son. They were
travelling with him during his summer rest.
This is a queer world - observed Temp
kins, dropping down beside me aud lying fat
on his back, with his hands under his head.
~ came to college from a back neighborhood
over in York state, and up TO the day l was
graduated, and for a long time afterward, /
thought l must be president of the United
States or a Presbyterian minister or u great
poet or something remarkable, and here | am
an auctioneer.
Occasional remarks were made by the rest
OF US for a while, but soon the talking was
mainly done by Tompkins.
Said he, "Since was graduated | never
was back here but once before, and that was
four years ago next August. 1 was travelling
this way then, and reached here Saturday
evening. l was in the pork business at the
time, as a clerk, and had TO stop of here TO
see q mar for the firm. / put up at the best
hotel, feeling rs comfortable and Indifferent
as ever did in my life. There was not the
shadow of an idea In my mind of what was
going to happen. On Sunday Fmcrnlng l
walked about town, and 1t began to come
down on me-
what, the town. asked Mrs. Pembcr
"No; the strangest and most unaccounta-
BILE feeling l ever had in my life" answered
Tompkins. at was thirteen years since l
had said good-by to college. 1t had long ago
become apparent to me that the ideas with
which ! had graduated were visionary and
impracticable. / comprehended that the col
lege professors were not the great men | had
once thought them, and that u college presi-
dsnt was merely a human being. ! had been
hardened by fighting my way, as n friendless
young man has TO do in q great city. As the
confidential clerk Of a large pork house In Chi
cago, ! felt equal TO the next man. whoever
be might be. II a professor had met ne as |
got of the cars here Saturday night IL would
have been easy for me to smut him. But Sun
day morning, as familiar objects began to APP
pear in the course Of my walk, the strange
feeling of which l have spoken came over
me. 1t was the feeling Of old times. The
white clouds, the blue lake, this wonderful
scenery thrilled me, and called back the col
b &c Dreams"
As he spoke my old classmates voice
tTembled-
Horace, and Virgil and Homer he re-
marked, sitting up, and crossing his feet
taiior-fashion, and looking apPealingly at
me.
replied, enthusiastically and truly, that
he had been one Of our best lovers Of the
poet.
well" continued Tompkins, that Sun
day morning those thing began TO come back
TO me. Il wasn't exactly delightful. Ny
old ambition 10 do something great in the