News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1905-12-20


l gave the gentleman his distinguished
name.
"You don't mean to say you've writ
ten for payment already?"
No. 1t was the last thing l had in
tended to admit But / had done it
The murder was out. There was nc
sense in further concealment. | had
written for my money because really
needed it, If he must know, 1 was
cursedly hard up. Rallies nodded az
though he knew already. / warmed
to my woes. 1t was no easy matter
to keep your end up as a raw free
lance of letters. For my part l was
afraid | wrote neither well enough nor
Ill enough for success. l suffered from
a. persistent Intellectual feeling after
style. Verse l could manage but it
did not pay. To personal paragraphs
and the baser journalism | could not
and l would not stoop.
Raflles nodded again, this time with
a smile that stayed in his eyes as he
! leaned back watching me. / knew
| that he was thinking of other things I
had stopped to, and l thought / knew
what he was going to say. He had
said it before so often. He was sure
to say it again. l had my answer
ready, but evidently he was tired Of
asking the same question. His lids
FELL, he took up the paper he had
dropped and l sculled the length of the
old red wall of Hampton Court before
he spoke again.
these? My dear Bunny, they're capt.
tai; not only qua verses, bet for crys-
talliziIg your subject and putting it in
a nutshell. Certainly you've taught me
more about it than l knew before. But
is it really worth 100000 single
Yearl?"
"A hundred, l believe. But that
wouldn't scan"
"a hundred thousand poundsw said
Raffles with his eyes shut. And again
l made certain what was coming but
again | was mistaken. eff it's worth
all that" he cried at last, there would
be no getting rid of it at all. It's not
like a diamond that you can suDdivide.
But l beg your pardon, Bunny. l was
forgetting"
And we said no more about the en-
pcror's gift, for pride thr.ves on an
empty pocket, and no privation woall
have drawn from re the p"opor2l
which | had expected Rallies to make
My expectation had been half a hone,
though | only knew it now. But
neither did we touch again on what
Rallies protested to have forgotten
my "apostasy, my lapse into virtue"
as he had been pleased to call il. We
were both little silent, a little con-
strained, each preoccupied with his
own thoughts. 1t was months since
we had met, and as | saw him off
toward II O'Clock that Sunday night |
fancied it was for more months that
we were saying goodby.
But as we waited for the train saw
those clear eyes peering at me under
the station lamps, and when l met
their glance Rallies shook his head
You don't look well on it, Bunny"
said be. Il never did believe in this
Thames valley. You want a change of
air."
l wished l might get it.
"What you really want is sea voy-
age"
And a winter at ST. Moritz, or do
you recommend Cannes or Cairo? It's
all very well, A. j., but you forget
what | told you about my funds"
Il forget nothing. l merely don't
want to hurt your feelings. Dut look
here-a sea voyage you shall have.
Well spend July in the Mediterra-
,nean."
But you're playing cricket
Hang the cricket
well, thought you meant it
"Of course | meant it. VIII you
Gomez
Like a shot-if you 60
And | shook his hand and wares
mine in farewell, with the perfectly
good humored conviction That | should
hear no more of the matter. 1t was a
passing thought, no more, no less.
soon wished it were more. That week
found me wishing myself cut Of Eng
land for good and all. | was making
nothing. / could but subsist on the
difference between the rent | paid for
my fiat and the rent at which | had
sublet it, furnished, for the season,
and the season was near it's end, and
creditors awaited me in town. Was it
possible to be entirely honest? | had
run no bills when l had money in my
pocket, and the more downright dis
honesty seemed to me the less ignoble.
But from Rallies of course l heard
nothing more. A week went by, and
half another week. Then late on the
second Wednesday night | found
telegram from him at my lodgings
after seeking him vainly in town and
dining with desperation at the solitary
club to which l still belonged.
Arrange to leave Waterloo by North
German Lloyd special" he wired, 1925
a. m. Monday next; will meet you
Southampton aboard Uhlan with tick
cts; am writing"
And write he did, light hearted
letter enough, but full of serious solicit
tude for me and for nv health and