The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1891-02-26
DEAR OLD FRIENDS"
Delight and Astonishment Of an
Unexpected Meeting.

know why he said this, and of course, I
don't attempt to defend it; but it is style
of address affected by some men who are
as profoundly astonished if they meet
you in a restaurant as if they had run
across you in the mines of Siberia. /
felt little bit annoyed at his want of
originality; however, smiled pleasant
~, and said, as shook hands:
"Weu, if you come to that, old fellow,
who'd have thought of seeing you here?''
We stood opposite each other for a
few seconds, 1 simpering somewhat
emptily at the nature of our greeting,
and struggling to recall his name; and
he, with his head slightly on one side,
and an expression of courteously sup
pressed amusement on his face, as if
my presence on the steps of the post
office was one of those inexplicable
freaks of chance for which it is hope
less to seek to assign any reasonable
law.
gave him a few seconds to digest
his establishment, and then, feeling that
the silence was becoming little en-
barrassing, said, inconsequently:
well, what have you been doing all
this time?"
''Well," he replied, 1--WE been in
Australia"
"Oh, ali" I calculated, as if it had
for moment slipped my memory;
''why, you went there"-and l hest
tated, as though calculating within my
self the exact day of his unknown de-
parture-
''Three years ago. he put in shortly,
land quite long enough it is, too.'
l ran over in my mind my acquaint-
ances of three years ago, but could re-
call no trace of recollection of my ne W
companions; so. to gain time and to
gather fresh information. asked:
And what sort of time have YOU
had?"
ooh, much about the same as before -
he answered, with slightly puzzled
air
1 candidly admit that the sensible
thing for me to have done would have
been to own up and admit that had
forgotten my friends personality. I'm
fortunately, am one of those painfully
constituted people who shrink with
nervous horror from any thing in the
nature of an explanation, and, in addi-
ton, l felt that had gone too far to
cry OF without some appearance of in
sincerity. Besides, he seemed to con-
graduate himself so warmly upon what
he insisted upon looking on as our PROV
idential meeting, that my lips were
sealed, and felt confirmed in the idea
that it let things slide little longer,
his name would recur to my mind.
He had slipped his arm through mine
as we walked uptown with an easy
sense of good-fellowship, and said: ''Of
course you'll dine with me this evening.
Now, don't say you are engaged" he
added, as hesitatcd for an instant be-
tween my desire to have more of my
companion and my Discrimination to
dine under false pretenses; you know
they'll be awfully disappointed if they
hear | have met you and let you off
without long talk, and join them to-
morrow
felt constrained to consent against
my better Judgment and added, in a
playfully solicitous manner:
And how are they all?''
''Oh, they are all tip-top-all except
the Colonel;' after pause and with a
slightly subdued air-''I don't think he
has ever quite got over that affair"
''Ah," l rejoined, shaking my head
sympathetically, lone doesn't get over
that sort of thing in day, you know;
but the others?'
What others?" he said, bluntly.
l hesitated, and rejoined, vaguely:
''Were there not some others?''
He pondered heavily for few Sec
onds before replying: Eyes, I believe
there were some others, but they made
no difference.
l was just murmuring: Every likely
not" when he turned to me abruptly
and said: Il hope you don't think he
came badly out of that business?"
His hand seemed to relax it's pressure
on my arm, as if he was preparing him
on my part.
1 felt touched by this little proof of
his sensitiveness to my good opinion,
and pressed his fingers as l rcjoined,
warmly: II never, never heard any one
speak otherwise than highly of his con-
duct in the matter"
He stopped and said. shortly:
"Why, who knows any thing about
it? 1 thought you and had it all to
ourselves"
Eyes, yes" / faltered, and added,
some time, old fellow"
1t did not seem to fit in very we'll;
but he accepted it as an argument, and
said:
''There is something in that, but
don't let people talk about it. know
he relies upon you and me-
There was something so touching in
the reliance of this unknown, that a
glow of sympathetic affection warmed
my heart, and I resolved on the spot
that his confidence should not be mis-
placed. Come what might the secret
of that old mans life should never be
betrayed by me- Others might make
it subject of club gossip or tea-table
tittle-tattle, but no word of mine
should add one drop to the cup of Bit
terness that had been placed at his
lips. There are passages in the lives
of all of us which we would wish to
have buried in oblivion-the thought
less follies of youth, the unworthy am
billions of manhood, and the selfish
jealousies of old age; who is there that
can stand up and say there is no cpl
sode in his life he would not have ex-
plunged, forgotten or condcned?
We had turned into restaurant for
bit of dinner, and those thoughts
passed through my mind as we ate our
ash. Ax companion pondsred sadly