Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-24

go-here or in any other eel pot. Promise
me-"
as | have said before, but it was big with
| books. What tempting things books are to
| those who love them
Let me tell you something" continued
Pearson, as l did not answer. He placed
his heavy hand on my knee and swung it to
and fro. This is something | would tell
any one who asked me. No luck or system
can beat big odds against you in the long
run. We live off people who think other
wise: take my word for it. Don't We, RAJ
jah?"
Roach jingled the crystal pendants of
candelabrum with his fingers and nodded.
Then he threw his big cigar vicously into
the fireplace and LETT the room.
My dismay at the avowal of my friends
occupation had faded to a dull regret. And
yet strange to say, confessed to feeling
of resentment at the rather patronizing air
that / thought Pearson had assumed to-
ward me, and l remained silent.
Suddenly he arose and took a step or two
backward, until he leaned with his broad
shoulders against bookcase and sprawled
his arms along shelf and stood there
watching me.
Il am going to thank you for all of your
past kindness" said l, at last leaving my
chair and walking to him. land also for
the interest you've taken in me, and your
advice"
son broke in, Strengthening himself as he
spoke, land curses for advice-it's cheap
l wish to be your friend if you will let me-
l extended him my hand. He grasped it
warmly and held it.
Now sit down and make yourself at
home, he laughed. There are jolly set
OF books He pushed me gently away
| from him and left me alone There was a
! domineering magnetism about Pearson that
! / never could explain. So | sat down in an
| easy chair, picked out a book. and read
until late, or rather early in the morning
| Reading the voyages of Magellan and
Pearson looked in me several times He
was in high spirits.
Rum beggars. those old sailor people"
/ he said. played for high stakes didn't
they? Eth? Islands and continents-an
| they got their names down on the maps
J for everlasting. We people nowadays are
| only dummies
Pearson at his best in the old way 1 re-
membered him.
| Then suddenly he broke off and cursed
himself in a cool, deliberate fashion thar
m&de me shuGder.
! went home when the street lamps looked
dull and very useless and l dreamed that
| some one had insulted Pearson when he
was not present, and that | had fought in
| his defense and wept. Truly / think that
| boys love for a man whom ne admires
and who appeals wholly to his better ma
| ture Is much Ike a Woman's.
Within week after my first visit to that
| silent house that was so dark without at
| night and so full of light within | had Sc
| cured position Gay bookkeeper and
those
Gays. since torn down. Here / suspect the
hand of Roach or Pearson. but as | aimed
| to do my duty, and perhaps succeeded
asked no questions.
"GudgeOns' Were plenty / noticed from
] my post of vantage, for every evening
found me seated in the corner of the room
down stairs.
l had ceased to regard 1t as an adjunct
to a gambling hell after my first half hours
| experience. j ate and digested printed
| pages. l would come there tingling with
the desire to read.
Pearson sometimes met me- If not /
stole In quietly and found my book with a
| sense of delightful anticipation | would lie
back IN the easy chair and dream for hours
Roacn seldom spoke, although he never
seemed to dislike my presence there. and
| he was always kind.
Many men who are not yet old have
seen go up the carpeted staircase to where
the cards whirred softly, shufffed by def
! fingers, and the ivory chips clittered mn
sically Ike castanets.
Joyous days Pearson and / had together
when We left the city behind us every
sunday, and how his spirits used to rise
until ne was boy again. Oh, the delight
| ful far niente times. when we drffted out
toward the Golden Gate or lolled in the
shade under the trees on the islands And
| so the weeks rolled by
II was upon one of these excursions that
PEARSON hrst suggested to me the idea of
! law. .f ,Ae
Vogue 10 ga'ere." Pearson had explained
Wheh l had rather doubted my ability to
| succeed which means. pitch ine come
what may, and know you can do it,
| rms statement gave me a thrill of intense
/ delight, as might the encouraging conf
| dence OF an elder brother.
| small Things change the current of ones
! NE. there determined to become a law