Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1900-08-10

ragged aud illihN state. lie took his
hat from his head and dashed tho
mols'Nre frem II.
"l guess yer pivin' house warmin'.
ain't Nef' he asked. smiling in ns re-
assuring . manner as possible, "Ive
been legglug IL fer Is hours, and I'm
ST 20 drop"
Rhodn would never have cncoun-
tered all of those embarrassment
which had made him an outeust IL he
had not hccn Of whimsical tempera-
ment Now, suddenly HIS fear de-
serted HIM lie desired 40 adventure.
1t certainty had been devoid OF all
venture la the place OF his residence
for the last two years.
lie held out his hand.
"Comc h." said he "There are two
chnirs aud fire enough for forty. II is
pity cannot give You something TO
eat md drink"
lie was smiling, and actually. for u
moment, glow went through him
Ike that which comes from the cxer-
else Of hospitality, Thc other man
advanced almost jauntily.
"Wcll, | call this white!" he said.
in commondation. "You're gentlc-
mau ken see that, If you are dowp
on pour luck"
Don't speak OF thot, please" said
Rhoda, lightly. "I was just making
UP my mind TO forget it for time"
"Eh9 Wen, that's good idec.
Something 60 eat and drink, did ych
spy7 Man. fve got it!'
"Nol"
'llcre ych are" lie took two slices
of dried bread out Of his pocket
"fhat's the eatin.'
lie produced Gasls In which there
wns, perhnps. four mouthfuis Of nmr
her lt4uia And thats tho drnlsin.
and there might bc more"
I'VE cam toast the bread suggest.
ga Ehoda His guest drew a formil-
nhc knife from his pocket aud opened
It's ono terrible blade slowly, Rhoda
SMILED with infuntile grace and seat
"a himself cross legged before the
FIRE He wps not entirely sure of the
purpose of that unsheathing OF the
wcApon but he determined TO make
lpht of IT, However, he had nppnr-
eutly 80 capse for apprehension. His
companion stuck II slicc OF bread on
the point of the blade and held IL up
before the fire.
81 smells good" remarked Rhoda.
II wish 10 heaven there was u smell
of hot coffee going with IT,"
The other mnn looked pensively
into the fire.
"Nes," he said, rehcetlvcly, II wish
so, too" He Put 10 the second slice
Of bread aud toasted IL to a warm
brown. Then they begun to eat. II
wns quite d ceremony. The men
inled Of going to climntc where
there WINS no winter, and they were
truly magnificent No one listoninR
would hnyc doubted their ability to
visit such Il place II they had plenscd
Afiervnrd they mnde the fire eafc mud
hid down wlth their feet toward the
glowing ashes and slept
"Mayhc I'll be when I wake up
and muthc WON'T" thought Rhoda
humoroHNlg as sleep came over him
"Iut II doesn't matter, really. Tint
knife, howe45r, Is mn ugly sleeping
companions I dare sny ! shnl know
more about IT by morning than ! da
now"
lie fell asleep easily for all of that,
and he drcamt of walking under
palms with the man by his side, and
Of sailing with him over summer scns.
IIo droamt Of fighting by his side,
and of htruuping 10 defend him from
some DANGER aud then suddenly, he
rat up aud saw the dawn peepnH
about the edges Of tho curtain.
"so thc lrifc ian't ia me, after all, "
he commented, aud looked about for
hia companions. l'ut he was not 10
saYe ~ himself lngiinciiyely he felt
Tor bis money. II wns snfc. And on
tho Aeor hY his side lay the knife.
l,hodn liflod 1t and stared &C II stu.
pidiy Then, by degrees, the signiil-
cance Of IL came over him. 1t was 4
rift for remembrance, and all that
its owner bad 90 bpstow. 1t was the
first evidence of friendship that the
man Who held 1t IN his trembling
Nfhf lAA ihfAlNtl Ibi ltNihs faNlll'-
tliag tint he had thought dead
stirred in him. lie put the Rlft Ia his
pocket and arose TO his feet. Obscure
N i came across him Chat the hose
uiialty had been worth while, tho
confidence Ind been worth while-it
sad been worth while @ hream thosa
lrenr4s II confadfship ile went ous
y ihc murky building aud down on
lie streot As he walled nlong he
leli bis head like mau who has
3urraee "a his mind The sluikHg
attitude Of the night before was gone.
he walked into o newspaper Office
ind heni over the desk whore the ad-
zgis for workers were dis
played, and. MS lie looked AZ them,
writing down a number 81 addresses,
ie ranked himself once more In The
mighty Ole of honest men Dimly,
ike an etil vision away into the OBJ
ision of the past wound that other
procession ~ which he had once been
. part that procession of dark fg-
ires aitA aseited gaze. with misehiev-
nus hands, with vain tAoughts.-Chi-
ago Tribune.