Morgan County democrat. (Versailles, Mo.) 1900-1906, 1904-08-26

Hanging over a cliff with n lire is not
nearly as bracing as II seems to a ten
derfoot. But the work VAS the least
of my worries. The roar of the city
still fingered in my ears. and | de-
cideG that scenery and fresh air could
not compose my all in life. AS for
Kent. he was an ideal camper. With
his clay pipe and "A blanket roll he
was in his element. The memory Of
q sweet face haunted me sometimes,
and with the post Office ten miles
away, this grew to a serious consid-
Grafton. At last, I showed the white
feather TO such a degree that ! want
ed to go back. | nerved myself and
told Kent about it.
Kent listened to me lazily, with the
kindly indulgence of a big brother.
Go back, then" he said, with an
ODE little twinkle in his eye. The
suryt% can get OF without you-may-
be! A; any rate, | can find some one
TO take ytNIr place
In a day CT W 7 went. The alac-
| rity with whrtn I took my departure
amuses me whe" ] look back on Il
now. | went, and loft Kent to his ro-
nance and to the Other man" Per-
haps when you hear the story, you will
say. "And do you call that a romance"
Perhaps it is not much of a one. but
vou must remember it is the only ro-
nance Kent ever had. The other man,
the mar who took my place. brought
it with him-the romance | mean ak
done up in a nice little packet, one
might say, for so it proved. ! had
the good fortune to stumble over him
on my way back, although ] did not
know him at the time, but the descrip-
ions tally. He brushed against me
at one of the stationS-almost knocked
me down. in fact. in his rush to get
off the train. | seized him by his
shoulders and held him back. He
shook me off with more thar neces-
sary force. then, noting my surprised
laugh, he bowed in a gentrel fashion
and begged my pardon.
turned Il look at him. the same
way I had turned to look at every
body after leaving the foothills. He
was we'll dressed and well sroomed.
His hands were soft-looking and white
and his nails highly polished. One
would not have taken him for "A pros
pec:ive lineman, but such he proved
to be.
It is necessary to take up the story
now from kent's standpoint, for
drop out of the scene here. though
slightly against my will. am rather
fond of mixing in things. If | were
not I would have told this story in q
straightforward fashion and not have
beaten about the bush in the way ]
have.
This man. Jack Cassie q wonder
Why it is that when a man chooses
an alias he always lights on jack
appeared at the camp the e morn
ing and asked for Mr.. Kent. That
i'm itself should have excited suspicion
for Kent had not sent out lat home
cards, o introduced himself by name
to the natives. Blu Kent was born to
be fooled. Mind, | do not say the mar
fooled him, but there is a possibility
OF It. At Ii rate. when he asked for
work, Kent promptly handed him out
my place and asked no questions.
Kent was not exactly daft on the
subject of trusting people, but ht
anne dangerously ncar being SO. HI
had a cheerful theory tucked away
in his soul that the best way to trea'
every mar is to trust him; then If tn,
man is dishonest, hen give himsel
away, and if not. it is all right. Ken
could afford to take chances, for, from
"A worldly reckoning he was remark
ably well off. His salary on the sur
vcy did not amount to a row OF pins Il
him. although he was at the head o
the party. Money did not seem to rep
resent to him what it does TO most o
us. He had a careless way Of leavin;
his wallet around, one day he rushc'
from his tent with an exclamation akil
, to an oath.
"Tye been robbed" he swore.
Serves you right" | replied, so
leaving your money around"
1T isn't my money" he said with
snap of his fingers; ITS my collar
and the only clean collar | had"
And that to Kent was a real tragedy
hu' ''tl NUM- hud " ii'''' o"aPi'io'
7 in his makeup. and Jack Cassl
! aroused il after a few days. Who wa
he, and where had he come from?
was at this point that Cassie, waklni
mp to the fact that he might be ques
toned, proceeded to tell Kent the stor
. Of his life.
t A love affair was connected with hi
determination to join The survey. h
said He had hoeu .poaped tn no mar