Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1902-12-05
Two DOLLARS Per YEAR


The feet OF the man protruded from
his shoes, aud his clothes were In =
ragged and nth, state. He took hi,
hat from his bead and dashed this
moisture from II.
II guess yer givin' house warmth
aint yep" he asked, smiling In as re
assuring n manner ns possible. "i'vt
been logging II fer Is hours. and I'm
1T to drop"
khodn would never have cncoun
tered all of those embarrassment
which had made him an outcast IL h,
had not been of whimsical tempcra
msnt. Now. suddenly. his fear do
serted him. He desired an adventure.
II certainly had been devoid OF all
venture in the place OF his residences
for the last two years
He held out his hand
'Come n." said he. "1here are tive
chairs and fire enough for forty, IL ID
pity cannot give you something to
eat and drink"
lie was smiling, and actually, for q
moment, glow went through him
like that which comes from the exer-
else OF hosritnIity The other map
advanced almost launtly.
"Well. | cnil this whitel" he said.
in commendntion you're gentle
man, ken see that. II you are down
on your luck"
Don't speak OF thnt, please" snid
Rhoda, lightly. II was just malsng
np my mind to forget II for time"
"EhP Wei, that's rood idec.
Something TO cat and drink. did yeh
say? Man. Eve got itl'
"Noi"
"lIerc yeh nre." lIo took two sliceD
Of dried bread out OF his pocket.
That's the entiu'."
He produced n flask In which there
was. perhaps, four mouthfuls OF am
Der liquid "And that's the drinkin,
and there might be more"
ave can toast the hrcnd,' suggest
ed Rhoda His guest drew u formid-
able knife from his pocket and opened
it's one terrible blade slowly. Rhoda
smiled with infantile grace and seat
ed himself cross-lcggcd before the
fire. He was not entirely sure Of the
purpose of Tint unsheuthing OF the
weapon. but he determined to make
light OF it. However, he had nppnr-
emily no cause for apprehension. His
companion stuck u slice Of bread on
the point Of the blade and held 1t up
before the fire
III smells good" remarked Rhoda.
II wish 10 heaven there was n smeU
OF hot coffee going with It,"
The other man looked pcnsively
into the fire.
"ycs" he said, reflectiycly, II Wish
80, too Ilo got to the second slice
Of bread and toosted IL to n warm
brown. Then they began to eat. II
was quite ceremony. Tho men
talked Of going to n cllmnte whcrs
there was no winter, and they were
truly magnificent No one listening
would have doubted their ability to
visit such u place II they Ind pleased.
Afierwurd they made the fire safe and
laid down with their feet toward the
glowing ashes and slept.
"Mnybe I'll be | when | wake up
and maybe | won't" thought Rhoda,
humorously, ns sleep came over him.
but II doesn't matter, really. That
knife, howeY"r, IL an ugly sleeping
companion. dare say ! shall know
more about it by morning than | do
now"
He 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 seas.
He drcnmt OF hgAting by his side,
and of struggling "a defend him from
some danger: and then. suddenly he
sat up and saw the dawn peeplng
about the edges OF tho curtain.
$50 the knife isn't in me, after ALL"
he commented, and looked about for
his companion. But he was not te
be found Inc room was unoccupicd
save by himself lnstinctlvely he felt
for his money. II was safe. And on
the floor by his aidc lay the knife.
Rhoda lifted II and stared at II stu
pidly Then. by degrees the signlh-
cnnce OF II came over him II was
gift for remembrance, and all that
its owner had to bestow II was the
first evidence OF friendship that the
man who held II In his trembling
hand had received for wears. Some-
tninR That he had thought dead
stirred in him. He put the gift in hiy
pocket and arose to his feet. Obscure
ly II came across him that the hos
pitnlity had been worth WHILE the
had been worth while-it
Ind been worth while TO dream those
dreams of comradeship, lie went OUT
II the murky buildiag and down op
he street. As he walked along he
held his head like a man who has
purpose in his mind. The skuIkng
attitude Of the night before was gone.
lie walked into a newspaper Office
md bent over the desa where the adj
for workers. were dis-
played. and, as he looked at them,
writing down number OF addresses.
ne ranked himself 0.ee more in the
mighty file Of honest men, Dimly.
Ike an evil vision. away into the OBJ
ivion Of the past, wound thnt other
procession OF which .sunqlIL oSuo
-mo-lslqSnou1 u!sA qliM 'spuuq s"o
-Asruostm qlIM sszsS po,IsAs ql!~ ss1n
.su sIup 10 uo.sssooId lsq, iva
usaq 9ouo puq 81