Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-07-02
A Tale of
The Town

1O~O~~~~-~~~--~~~~-~-~~~
Ten years ago he came from a small
Illinois town and settled in Rock Isl
and, and blossomed into one of the
leading professional men of the city.
While he did not forget the surround
inss in which he passed the happiest
years Of his life, still he never found
tine to return TO his old stomping
Ground for a reunion with the com
, panions of his youth until here recent
y. He related the story of his expo
iriences to a few of his friends on his
return.
! when I aIighted at the depot l saw
. the same old faces that were there to
meet the trains when 1 was one of the
oilers of the village. 1t did not APP
pear as though l had been away more
than a week. Even the grass had not
been cut, and the cattle were brows-
} in along the principal thoroughfares.
! y friend with whom l had a business
engagement met me ana we drove to
his home, where we had dinner With
/ il n hour II seemed as though every
/ one n the burg knew that l had ar
rived, for the telephone kept up a con
tinuous ring. and each caller wanted
, 10 speak with me, not that l was such
an important parsonage. for l was
+ just as Slad TO hear from them as they
we're to have a word with me. It was
- M. oil Of ?
! had passed the years of youth when
/ one has nothing to worry one; when
, the day is spent making plans for the
/ uight-onc continuous round of pleas
lure.
The result was that meeting was
arranged for the drug store at 10
! O'Clock on that night. The same man
owned the store. He had grown
trihe older, as had the rest of the
! boys, but they were just as young in
spirit as ever they had been. We
gathered for a close harmony session
behind the prescription case, where
| the proprietor set out a box of his
! finest cigars and a decanter of Ken
lucky JOY water. Between highballs
each related how he had Jared since
I withdrew from the crowd. Several
| OF the boys still were single while
others had families like myself.
AT 2 o'clock in the morning a mem.
! Der Of the party remembered the meet
inEs OF the poker club. to which VIC
al had belonged, that were held in
certain room in the village hotel.
which had not changed hands since /
| left the place 1t was decided that we
should pay d visit 10 our old host
| When We reached the hotel it was
| dark. The village was as quiet and
/ peaceful as a grave yard. The only
| sign of life outside the conversation
Of our party was the growing of the
! prize rooster in the coop at the rear
of the hotel. There was no night bell.
or any other kind of an Arrangement
| by which the proprietor could be
aroused, so we kicked the door until
we heard an upstairs window raise
Sure enough it was my old friend. u
knew him by his bald head. 1t was
smooth as an egg. He was inclined
| 70 be angry at first. but when told the
occasion for the call at such an I'M
seemly hour, he hustled down stairs
| in his night clothes, opened up the
We remained in the Office discussing
the olden days until some one report
cj that the sun was coming up. This
was the signal for the breaking up of
the celebration.
The next night we returned to the
hotel and visited the room in which I
spent many q night lingering the
pasteboards. We had q club that met
At least once a week. Saturday night
was the favorite date. We did not
play a strong game. but it was for
blood, and there was many a Sunday
that I was missing from my accus-
toned scat in the village church, of
which our family was a faithful at
tendant All the members Of that
club except one are living. He was
one Of the Jewels Of our crowd. and
as we stood gathered at the old table,
the same piece OF furniture that was
there a decade ago. l felt Il tear trici.le
down my cheek as / thought of the
passing Of one Of the trucst friends |
had ever known.
The boys were at the depot when /
left for home. and as the train was
pulling away one Of them shouted to
ne and asked ne II I didn't want -
20 back 10 the hotel and sit n at q
game of draw, IS they wanted TO give
me 4 chance TO earn my expenses.
Were it not that had to be home the