The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-01-15

BY Jove old chap like You.
You re the right sort of friend. you are
| can always sum up a man in five min
utes; there no deceiving me- you know.
Hang all formalitieS, | say-introducti"ns
and all that kind Of thing. like you.
The boy handsome face was flushed. his
eyes were wild; he had tilted his hat 20
the back of his head He caught the
man he addressed by the arm. Swaying a
little eady-blinking at him. Il say.
You know. he added. we muslin lose
sight of each other-eh?'
"A wise precaution, certainly. 50 far
as you are concerned laughed the other
rather YEARLY. But. come-what do
You want to do? think III 90 home.
Home = cried the boy, shaking his
new friend boisterously. WHAT Il sue
gestion No-let's stick together: we
haven known each other half an hour
yet
Which is perhaps fortunate. from your
point Of view muttered the other.
Aloud, he said well, my dissipated
unknown. what is your programme? Come,
who are you; where are You going? | We
cot you out Of row in that very shady
place he jerked his head toward the
lighted doorway behind them-,but that
doesn' necessarily mean undyin@ friend
ship in return. If that your game, per-
laps | d better have left you to get out Of
the row yourself-again from your point
of view
II don't know what you re talking
about, replied the boy. little sleepily
But I'll tell you what We Il do, he
added RAPIDLY, striving to stand steadily for
Il moment; we Il 90 to my place Jolly
little rooms Well have another drink
and Il chat Come along =
':Here-stop, my young friend. If
you won think for yourself must do it
for YOU You're not bad sort of fellow.
as boys 90; don want to Get you into
trauble. | hate family jars-and you re
very young. What about your people 2
People be hanged = was the reply.
I'm my own master, L d have you know
IIere-eome on: we can't talk in the
street.
He swung around and hailed passing
hanson and began to drag the other man
toward it.
';Well, | suppose Id better see you
home, at all events, muttered the other
The boy shouted an address in Kensing-
ton and the cab ratified off. The boy
talked spasmodically -even broke into song
now and then; the other man leaned back
in the cab and looked before him down the
almost deserted streets He was thinking
in dull fashion; thinking of the hours
long since gone by-when he had been as
this boy, with all life opening before him
road sweet and pleasant, to be trodden
with head erect and confident eyes that
watched for victory; thinking of how often
he had been content to crawl in the dust
of unhallowed byways. 1t angered him IA
little that he should think of that now
such thoughts had troubled him once, but
he had since learned to dismiss them with
shrug-to laugh at the old platitudes of
virtue which had once meant so much to
him.
He reused himself with start, to find
that the cab was stopping. He saw, with
something of contempt, that the boy had
fallen asleep, his head nodding down stu
pidly on his breast He reused him sharp
ly-almost shaking him out of the cab to
the pavement. The boy put some silver
into the drivers hand, and then thrust his
arm through that of his companion.
Here we are, he exclaimed. ..By
Jove I'm half asleep. | want some
thing to liven me up. Come on-this
way
"No-I shan't come in, replied the
other glancing up at the windows of the
place, and catching the CLEAN of the sum.
mer dawn that was struggling in the sky.
'You' d better get to bed, young un. ~
you're not going to leave me lik,
this, was the reply. Bed, indeed
Come, | tell you you shan't 60