Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-05-14

for a man whom he admires and who
appeals wholly to his better nature is
much like 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 l had secured position as day
bookkeeper and clerk in n small hotel
well known in those days, since torn
down. Here suspected the hand of
Roach or Pearson, but MS l aimed 10
do my duty, and perhaps succeeded,
asked no questions.
"Gudgeons" were plenty l 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 Us an nd
junct to gambling hell after my first
half hours experience. I ate and d.
gested 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 sense of delightful anticipation.
would lie back in the easy chair and
dream for hours.
Roach seldom spoke, although he
never seemed to dislike my presence
there, and he was always kind.
Many men who are not yet old have
1 seen go up the carpetcd staircase to
where the cards whirred softly, shut
fled by def fingers, and the ivory chips
clattered unsteady, like castanets.
Joyous days Pearson and 1 had to-
gether when we left the city behind
us every Sunday, and how his spirits
used to rise until he was boy again!
Oh, the delightful far niente times,
when we drifted out toward the Gold
en- 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 profession and TAX
ing up the law.
Pearson had exclaimed when l had
rather doubted my ability to succeed.
He said, "Pitch in, come what may,
and know you can do it."
This statement had given me thrill
Of intense delight, as might the en-
couraging confidence of an elder
brother.
Small things change the current Of
ones life. there determined to be-
come n lawyer. 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 asked question, leaning heav-
lily on my shoulders like proud, affec-
tionate tutor.
And here an odd thing occurred that
, 1 had noticed long before.
Pearson did not have much to say to
the frequenters and casual patrons of
the upstairs apartment. But Roach
used to greet them in rather over
hammered way. Usually SO taciturn,
he was gracious in his every tone and
gesture-the graciousness of the pro-
prietor anxious to conciliate or to reas-
3 sure. 1t amused me to watch him.
But cloud was growing, and all this
was soon to end. Business steadily de-
t creased, and Roach grew sullen. 1t
was now quite year-how quietly 1t
! had gone!-since I had first begun to
spend my evenings in a gambling
house. was becoming deeply inter
ested in myself and the possibilities
that the future held for me. felt that
, Pearson was cooling toward me, when
in fact, 1t was the other way. was
J changing to him, and know now tina,
!. he saw it.
1t was Mt this time that entered
! law office at nominal salary, ant
Pearson closed the doors upon me. Tht
: day had come. am sure my seeming
ingratitude must have hurt him badly
One night found the law library
from the little front room at my lodg
ings, without q word to explain 1T
presence, and, calling to seek an ex
PLANTATION, even against orders, fount
the house where had spent so many
happy hours closed and deserted. Once
after few weeks, met Roach on thu
. street and inquired for his partner
did SO, am ashamed to say, in an off
hand manner that gave me many ,
aualm of conscience afterward.
Why should have been ashamed o
= the deep affection, nay, even love, tina
1 bore Pearson when he had done ey
= erything for me, and why should a ma
ture such as his have become so warp
y ed and twisted out Of line and yet re
- main SO strong and true, l cannot tell
" To my surprise Roach answered curt
u ly that he knew nothing of Fearson'
whereabouts, denied all knowledge o
IS the lawbooks and showed no pleasure
10 at my volunteered information abou
- my prospects. So we parted withou
even nod of good feeling and wen
a. our different ways.
[e saw him many times in the mex
ID two years; but his life and mine wer
e. wide apart, and he seemed to have for
"a gotten my existence.
Ig Three years sailed past in the fog
q Before the next would come and go
@. would be member of the bar of Call
a. fornia. was Of age and had fallen il
love. This, with certain self relianc
IA some small success had brought nc
ID must have changed me somewhat. Ye
IF when saw Fearson's face looking on
,e Of the window Of passing cab for
got my dignity, and. with my greer
~ bag over my shoulder, ran after tn
II rattling four wheels and, catching II
n. jerked at the door handle and almos
~ plunged into Fearson's arms.
~ He was never exactly demonstrativc
a but he was overjoyed to see me an,
shook me by the shoulders until m,
- head ached.
10 But he was sadly changed. His neat
- ness in his dress was gone. and thel
le he smelled of liquor. His face wa
pale and rather worn, and his eye
- were not SO clear and bright as the,
: used to be. despite his sleepless nights
- I saw he had been i'll.
~ Almost his first inquiry was 70
" Roach. Had seen him? mo, no
>, for months" felt piqued that he di,
NOT aSl mo nhnlt musalf II snnmn,