The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-20
A Nights Comradeshlp.

l he was IN a CITY OF Two H1llAOH SO4AS,
but he knew none of them. He did not
know the name of street; there was not
| one light, however feeble, among all the
lights of the town that shone for him.
| Indeed, he was not sure that in all the
world light was 1T with thought of him.
Perhtps-it might be, remotely and in
definitely-that a certain distant, feeble
CLEAN in a town thousand miles away
was lit with some faint hope OF his re-
turn. But, after all, il was improbable.
He had done nothing to deserve affection
ate memory. He had been ungratefui 10
those who had raised him, selfish and
| bitter to the girl who might have loved
him, scornfuI of old friends and neigh
bors, and bent upon his own obstinate,
willful way The result was step down
ward-a step which precipitatedi Then
the punishment-brief but shameful-and
| now liberty again and no knowledge Of
what to do with it.
He did not know where TO go. He had
a horror Of going TO any place that might
be inhabited by such dark spirits as
those he had pust left in their captivity.
He had had enough of darkness. Yet
where else could he go? He must be
careful with the few dollars that were
in his pocket. They were hateful dol
lars-the dole of the State TO its offend
ing child. He had no sooner assured
himself of the need for the scrupulous
guarding Of this treasure than he was
| seized with a passionate impulse to cast
it from him in the gutter The money
he used should come to his hands fresh
from toll and liberty! But a saner
thought impelled him not only to retain
the money, but to place it in small
pocket in his flannel shirt under his vest
He was growing cold and sleepy. The
thoughts that had beaten in his brain
wild, tiger thoughts that fretted and
paced and would not lie quiet-had worn
him out. The need for rest was upon
him imperatively. He looked about him
for some corner in which he could creep
for short time, and he saw by his SIDE
what at first appeared TO be large,
burned building, ice-coated, grimy, desc
late. Hardly realizing the poorness of
his choice, he turned in here and CROPPED
about amid the debris, wondering if he
could not find some place out of the
! wind where he could spend the night.
The place was far from being a com
pIete ruin, as he soon saw, and he STUN
bled finally against a fight of stairs
''It is really gorgeous" said he aloud
"Ain't it?" responded a voice. Rhoda
was on his feet like cat and facing
| the door. a man with a gaunt face
! looked in.
Room enough fer two?" he inquired
| Rhoda's heart was beating at his ears.
II shall probably be killed" he re-
/ fected and remembered with anger that
| he had no weapon of any sort, not even
| a pocket-knife. The other man had en-
! tered and closed the door behind him,
! standing with his back to it. He was
| short and rather stout, and his head sat
almost upon his shoulders. His heavy
/ nose and mouth bespoke an obstinate but
not particularly ill-natured temperament.
His eyes were sunken in his head, but
Rhoda could see that they were black
| and singularly sharp IN their expression.
The feet OF the man protruded from his
shoes, and his clothes were in ragged
and filthy state. He took his hat from
his head and dashed the moisture from
| it.
IT guess yer givin' a house warmth
! amt YEP" he asked, smiling in as re-
assuring a manner as possible. i've
! been leggin' It fer eighteen hours, an
| I'm fit to drop"
Rhoda would never have encountered
all of those embarrassments which had
i made him an outcast If he had not been
Of whimsical temperament. Now, sud
denly, his fear deserted him. He desired
an adventure 1t certainly had been de-
residence for the last two years.
He held out his hand
Come in" said he. There are two
! chairs and fire enough for forty. 1t is
a pity 1 cannot give you something to eat
! and drink
/ well, 1 call this white!'' he said IN
commentator. You're a gentleman, l
| ken see that. if you are down on your
! luck
DON'T speak of that, please" said
| Rhoda, lightly. Il was just making up
my mind to forget it for a time"
"Eh? Well, that's a good idee. Some
thing to eat and drink, did We say? Man,
I've got it!'
mo-"
Here We are" He took two slices of
dried bread out of his pocket. That's
the eatin''
| He produced a flask in which there was.
perhaps, four mouthsfuls of amber liquid.
And that's the drinkin' and there might
| be more
I'VE can toast the bread" suggested
Rhoda His guest drew formidable
! knife from his pocket and opened its one
| terrible blade slowly. Rhoda smiled with
| infantile grace and seated himself cross
! legged before the fire. He was not en-
| tirely sure of the purpose Of that I'M
| sheathing of the weapon, but he deter
! mined to make light of it. However, he
! had apparently no cause for apprehen-
! sion. HIS companion stuck slice OF
/ bread on the point of the blade and held
| it up before the fire.
1T smells good" remarked Rhoda.
| wish to heaven there was smell OF hot
! coffee going with it.
! The other man looked pensively into
! the fire.
yes he said refectively, 81 wish so,
| too" He got to the second slice Of
1 bread and toasted It to a warm brown.
| Then they began TO eat. It was quite
| ceremony. The man talked of going TO
/ a climate where there was no winter.
| and they were truly magnificent 30 one
listening would have doubted their ability
/ 10 visit such a place IL they had pleased.
| Afterward they made the fire safe and
| laid down with their feet toward the
| glowing ashes and slept
''Maybe I'll be when l wake ~ and
maybe I won't" remarked Rhoda hu-
rnorouslv. as sleep came over him But
! It doesn't matter. really. That knife.
| however. Is an ugly sleeping companion
| I dare say I shah know more about 1t
/ by morning than I do now"
He fell asleep easily for sll that. and
/ he tIrearnt OF walking under palms with
/ The man By his side and Of sailing WITH
aim over summer seas He dreant o.
/ fighting by his side and OF struggling 70
/ defend him from some danger; and then.
| suddenly. ne sat 10 and saw the dawn
/ peepinz about the edges af the curtain.
50 the knife isn't IL ne. after all be