Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-09-22
A GAME OF QUIXOTISN.
By TON GALLON.


ntes. There's no dccciving mo, you
know. Hang all formalitics 1 say--in-
Productions and all that kind of thing.
] like YOU" Tho boys handsome face
was flushed, his eyes were wild He
had tilted his hat to the back of his
head lie caught the man he addressed
by the arm, swaying little unstcadily
blinking at him. Il say, you know"
he added, 1--WE mustn't loso sight Of
each other ch?'
"a wise prccaution, certainly, so far
as you are conccrrcd," laughed the
Dther rather YEARLY. But, COME
what do you want to do? think I'll go
home.
"Homer' cried the boy, shaking his
now friend boistcrously. "What sug.
gcstion! No. let stick together We
haven't known each other half an hour
yet.
(which is perhaps fortunate, from
your point Of viow," muttcred the 9TH
rr. Aloud he said: "Well, my dissi-
pated unknown what is your pro.
grammc. Come, who are you, what arc
YOU. where are You going? I've got yuu
out of row i'll that worry shady place"
.-hc jcrkcd his head toward the lighted
doorway behind thcm-"but that does
not necessarily mean undying friend
ship i'll return. If that's your game,
perhaps I'd better have left you to get
out OF the row yoursclf-again from
your point of view. y
Il don't know what you're talking
about, " replied the boy Il little slcopily.
"l}ut III tell you what we'll do, " be
nddcd rapidly, striving to stand stcadi-
" for moment. "Wem go to my
place. Jolly littic rooms. Wen have
mother drink and chat. Come along"
"Hcrc-Stop, my young friend. If
you won't think for yourself, l must do
st for you. You're not a bad sort of fcl.
low, as boys so. l don't want to get
you into trouble. l hate family jars,
and you're very young. What about
your people,"
People be hanged" was the reply.
"I'm my own master, I'd have you
know. Here, come on. We can't talk
in tho street" He swung around, ana
noisly hailed Il passing hanson and be-
gan to drag the other man toward it.
"Wcll, / suppose I'd better see you
home at all events, muttered the other.
The boy shouted an address in Ken
eington, and the cab ratified off. Tho
boy talked spasmodically-even broke
into song now and then. The other man
leaned back in the cab and looked be-
fore him down the almost deserted
streets. He was thinking III dull fash
ion, thinking of the hours long since
gone by, when he had been as this boy,
with all life opening before him, Il road
sweet and pleasant to be trodden with
head erect and confident eyes that
watched for victory, thinking of how
Dftcn no had been content TO crawl in
the dust Of unhallowed byways. 1t an.
gcrcd him Il litte> that he should think
of that now. Such thoughts had trou-
blcd him once, but he had since learned
to dismiss them with IL shrug-to laugh
at tho old plutitudcs Of virtue which
had once meant SO much to him.
lie reused himself with start, to
find that tho cab was stopping. He saw,
with something of contempt that the
boy had fallen asleep, his head nodding
down stupidity on his breast. He reused
MIN sharply almost shaking him out OF
the cab TO the pavement. Tho boy put
some silver into the drivers hand, and
then thrust his arm through that of his
companion.
Hero we are, " he exclaimed. "By
Jovc, I'm half asleep. / want some.
thing to liven mo up. Come on, thi.
way
mo, l shan't come in, " replied the
other, CHANGING up at the windows Of
the place and catching the CLEAN of tn,
summer dawn that was struggling il
tho sky. YOU'D better get to bed
young un."
Your not going TO leave me like
this," was the reply. Bed, indeed
Come l tell you you shan't 20"
1t had been the mood of the man Il
yield to every passing impulse through
nut his life; it was SO much easier thar
to struggle. He yielded now and wen
up the stairs. After all, he thought, il
would be Il lighter matter to get rid OF
this importunate youth in an hour.
time than to have discussion with hin
in the street.
The fiat into which tho boy noisily
stumbled was we'll and prottily furnish
I'd, seemed almost to show the touch o
feminine hand in its arrangement O
flowers and knickknacks. One small
electric light glowed at the side of tin
room; the boy turned all the others full,
OH. They showed CHASTITY white agains
The dull rosy light which was coming
family in through the curtains,
The visitor had strolled across to tn
fireplace and stood there modify look
ing at some photographs ranged on tn
shelf; he had picked up one and wa
examining it, lie set it down sharpl,
and turned to his young host,
"Now," he said, sis the time for for
malitics-for introductions In a pro
sale world we must be careful of tn
conventions, you know. am Richar
Folgate"-hc bowed little ironicall
"a man of whom his acquaintance
(and they are numerous) have but littl
good to say, when they choose to spca
of him at all, and of whom his friend
(if he happened to possess any woul
probably speak with an i'll placed pit
"a poor rogue, in fact, who has but on
merit that he gives duller rogues some
thing to talk about -
"Oh, come, you know, you re runnin
yourself down." replied the Other
'You must be out of sorts. Havo
drink My name, you know Ia Rough