The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-06-19

fay him myself, but like him too
much"
"I've no scruples. He had the audac-
ity to try to cut me out with woman
at Cairo once. l forgot that, but re-
member now"
"Did he cut you out?
you'll see when l have dealt with
him; but, after all, what's the good:
Leave him alone, and he'll come home,
II he has any stuff in him, dragging or
wagging his tail behind him. There's
| more in a week of life than in lively
| weekly. None the less, I'll slate him.
I'll slate him ponderously in the Gaia
clysm."
Good luck to you! But l fancy
nothing short of a crowbar would make
Dick vince. His soul seems to have
been fired before we came across him.
He's intensely suspicious and utterly
lawless."
Matter Of temper" said the Nilghai.
"Its the same with horses. Some you
wollop and they work; some you vol
lop and they jibe, and some you wollop
and they go out for walk with their
| hands in their pockets
''That's exactly what Dick has DONE -
said Torpenhow. "Wait till he comes
back. In the meantime you can begin
! your stating here. I'll show you some
| Of his last and worst work in his stu
do"
Dick had instinctively sought run
(, ming water for a comfort to his mood
1 of mind. He was leaning over the en-
bankment wall, watching the rush of
I the Thames through the arches of
Westminster bridge. He began by
| thinking of Torpenhow's advice, but,
as of custom. lost himself in the study
| Of the faces booking by. Some had
death written on their features, and
| Dick marveled that they could laugh.
Others, clumsy and coarse built for the
| most part, were alight with love; 9th
ers were merely drawn and lined with
| work, but there was something, Dick
| knew, to be made out of them all.
The poor at least should suffer that
he might learn, and the rich should
pay for the output of his learning.
Thus his credit in the world and his
| cash balance at the bank would be in
| creased. So much the better for him.
| He had suffered. Now he would take
toll Of the ills Of others.
The fog was driven apart for mo-
| ment and the sun shone, a blood red
| wafer, on the water. Dick watched
the spot till he heard the voice of the
tide between the piers die down like
the wash of the sea at low tide. A girl
hard pressed by her lover shouted
shamelessly, "Ah, get away, you
| beastr' and shift of the same wind
that had opened the fog drove across
Dicks face the black smoke of a river
steamer at her berth below the wall.
He was blinded for the moment, then
spun round and found himself face to
face with-Maisie.
| There was no installing. The years
had turned the child to a woman, but
they had not altered the dark gray
| eyes, the thin, scarlet lips or the firmly
modelled mouth and chin, and, that all
should be as it was of old, she wore a
closely fitting gray dress.
1
not in the least under it's own COM
mand, Dick, advancing, said, ''Hellov'
| after the manner of schoolboys, and
| Maisie answered, "Oh, Dick, is that
you?" Then, against his will, and be-
fore the brain, newly released from
| considerations of the cash balance, had
time to dictate to the nerves, every
i IN Sc fhrahhn1 nil
~ and his palate dried in his mouth.
! The fog shut down again, and Maisie's
face was pearl white through it. Nc
word was spoken, but Dick fell into
step at her side, and the two paced the
embankment together, keeping step as
| perfectly as in their afternoon excur-
sions to the mud flats. Then Dick, a
| little hoarsely:
"What has happened to Amomma?'
"He died, Dick. Not cartridges; over
eating. He was always greedy. Isn't
it funny"'
Eyes. No. Do you mean Amomma?
| "Ye-es. No. This. Where have you
come from?'
| "Over there" Dick pointed east
ward through the fog. "And you?"
| "Oh. I'm in the north-the black
north, across all the park. / am very
busy
"What do you do?"
81 paint. That's all have to do"
"Why, what's happened? You had
three hundred year."
| II have that still. l am painting;
that's ALL
"Are you alone, then?"
"There's a girl living with me. Don't
walk so fast, Dick. You're out of STEP"
| ''Then you noticed it too?"
| "Of course. You're always out of
STEP"
$50 l am. I'm sorry. You went on
with the painting?'
! "Of course. l said should. 1 was
at the Slade, then at Morton's in st.
Johns Wood, the big studio, then l
pepper potted-I mean l went to the
Newfoundland now I'm working under
| Kami."
| "But Kami Is In Paris surely"
mo; he has his teaching studio at
! Vitry-sur- Marine work with him in
the summer, and l live in London in
| the winter. I'm a householder"
| do you sell much?"
| "Now and again, but not often.
There is my bus. l must take it or
lose half an hour. Goodby, Dick"
"Goodby, Maisie. Won't you tell me