The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-25

| Il am going D thank you for all of your
| past kindness" sad l, at last, leaving my
| chair, and walking to him, land also for
the interest you've taken in me, and your
| advice
Come, now, don't try to be polite, -
| Pearson broke IN, Strengthening himself as
he spoke, and curses for advice-it s
| cheap. I wish to be your friend II you
| will let me-"
1 extended him my hand. He grasped
| II warmly and held it.
| Now, sit down and make yourself at
| home" he laughed. THE e are a jolly
set of books" lie pushed me gently away
| from him and left me alone. There was
| domineering magnetism about Pearson
| that never could explain. So sat down
in an easy chair, picked out book and
read until late, or rather early in the
| morning. Reading the voyages of Magel-
| Ian, and Pearson looked in at me several
| times. He was in high spirits.
Rum oeggars, those old sailor people, ="
| he said. played for high stakes, didn /
| they? Eh?.i Islands and continents-and
! they got their names down on the maps
| foreverlasting. We people nowadays are
| only dummies"
And we talked on together for some
| time-Fearson al his best in the old way
| / remembered him.
Then suddenly ne broke off and cursed
| himself in a cool deliberate fashion that
| made me shudder. st
| l went home when the street lamps
| looked duh and very useless, and 1 dream
| ed that some one had insulted Pearson
when he was not present, and that had
| fought in his defense and wept. Truly
| l think that a. boys love for man whom
| he admires and who appeals wholly 10
| his better nature is much like woman's.
Within week after my first visit to
that silent house that was so dark With
fObt
| I had secured a position as day book
| keeper and clerk in a small hotel-wen
| known in those Jays, since torn down.
| Here l suspect the hand of Roach or
| Pearson, hut ASH aimed to do my duty,
| and perhaps succeeded, / asked no ques-
| lions. II
"Gudgeoas" were plenty noticed from
my post of vantage for every evening
| found me seated in the corner Of the room
| down stairs
[ had ceased to regard il as an adjunct
to a gambling nell after my first half
| hours experience. / ate ana dlIestGo
| printed pages. I would come there uHg-
| ling with the desire to read.
Pearson sometimes met me. If not L
| stole in quietly and found my book with
a sense of delightful anticipation. 1 would
| lie back in the easy chair and dream for
| hours
Roach seldom spoke, although he never
|
| he was always kind.
| MANY men who are not yet old have
| seen go up the carpeted staircase to Where
| the cards whirred softly shuff1ed by dett
fingers, and the ivory chips clittered mus
| ically like castanets.
| JOYOUS days Pearson and had together
when we left the city behind us every
| Sunday. and how his spirits use to rise
| until he was a boy again. o! the delight
| full far niente times, when We drifted out
| toward the Golden Gate or lolled In the
| shade under the trees on the islands.
| And so the weeks rolled by.
1t was upon one of these excursions
| that Pearson first suggested to me the
| idea of adopting a profession and taking
up the law.
| claimed when had rather dogbted my
| ability to succeed, which means, pitch
in, come what may, and know you '.A
do it."
This statement had given me a thrill oe
intense delight, as might the encouraging
confidence of an cider brother
Small things change The current of ones
life. 1 there determined 60 become a law
yer. My self-interest began to grow at
once.
For the six months following read law,
steadily and Pearson coached me in my
Latin. He seemed delighted when | ask
ed a question, leaning heavily on my
shoulders like a proud. aftectiona'e tutor.
And here an odd thing THAI / had no
ticed long before.
Pearson did not have much to say TO
the frequenters and casual patrons of the
upstairs apartment But Roach used 10
greet them in an over hammered way.
Usually so taciurn, he was gracious in
his every tone and gesture-the gracious
ness of the proprietor anxious to conclu-
ate or to reassure. 1t amused me to watch
him.
But a cloud was growlnS-ani all this
was soon to end. Business steadily de-
creased and Roach grew sullen. 1t was
now quite a year-how quietly IL had
gone-since had FIRST begun 10 spend my
evenings in gambling house. I was be-
coming deeply interested in myself and the
possibilities that the future held for me.
fell that Pearson was cooling towards
me- when In fact 1t was the other way.
I was changing to him and l know now
that he saw II.
IL was at this time that entered o law
Office at a nominal salary, and Pearson
closed the doors upon me. The day had
come. am sure my seeming ingrAtlt;.de
must have hurt him badly.
One night found the law library, from
the little front room, az my lodgings, with
out a word to explain its presence, and
calling 10 seek an explanation even against
orders) 1 found the house where / had
spent so many happy hours, closed and
deserted. once, after a few weeks, / met
Roach on the street and inquired for his
partner. / did so, am ashamed to say,
in an offiand manner that gave me many
aualm of conscience afterward.
why should ! have been ashamed of
the deep affection, nay even love, that
bore Fearson when he had done
everything for me, and why should ma
ture such as his have become so warped
and twisted out OF line, and yet remain
so strong and true, / cannot tell. He was
certainly an exception to the universal
rule corrupuo optirni pessima,
To my surprise Roach answered curt
ly that he knew nothing OF Pearson