Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1905-04-14

witness the rest OF the performance. l
did not see anything more of Mr. hou-
well that night, but | could not shSKe
off feeling of depression, and pre-
sentiment that this meeting boded me
some I'll.
1 waited at the stage door until my
companions were dressed. But instead
Of Immediately vending their way home
ward, they expressed an intention OF ad-
journing to a public house, and insisted
upon my accompanying them. | had
never been in such a place before, ana
the noise and smoke quite mazed me.
Mr.. Montgomery called for supper,
and threw down a coin.
Hello" cried Josiah, staring in blank
establishment; have you been robbing a
bank p
mo; l have only been bleeding a
friend" was the answer.
| soon began to very heartily wish
that | had gone home by myself. Mr..
Montgomery insisted upon drinking; and
that together with the atmosphere l was
inhaling, quickly affected my brain.
When we reached Rackstraw's build
ings they would not permit me to go
to my own lodgings. I must go into
Mrs. Jennings and spend half an hour
with them.
You don't smoke Silas?' he said to
me. "Oh, you should! it soothes the
brain, it lulls remorse Tobacco is the
modern Lethe; or, at all events, if it does
not obliterate old memories, it renders
you Indifferent to them, which is much
the same thing. l suppose you have no
phantoms to fumigate. You are still
wandering in the happy regions of limo
cence"-this with a sneer 81 had stray
ed very far wide of them long before
was your age. At twenty was a gay,
dashing spark. At three-and-twenty l
was forbidden my fathers house, thanks
to a woman-a prayerful woman, too,
that was always reading religious books,
and never happy out of chapel; wom-
an with a heart of flint All my sins
lie at her door; wild youth might have
been succeeded by a reputable manhood,
but for her"
While he spoke his face became con-
vulsed with. passion. As the paroxysm
increased, the foam dubbed from his
mouth, and he launched forth into the
most frightful imprecations.
Il say, old fellow, don't go on in this
awful manner" said Josiah, who, as well
as myself, looked rather alarmed at his
violence, Pom my life, l can't stand
any more of it, and so 1 told you last
time. Come, tell us of some adventures
OF your past life that are so jolly anus
ing. Silas, here, has never heard any
of them. You'd like to hear some,
wouldn't your" he added, winking hard
at me.
At that moment 1 should have much
preferred to go to bed. but l did not
dare to say so; expressing, instead, a
great desire to hear anything Mr.. Mont
gomery chose to relate.
Don't be frightened" he said, wipinp
the perspiration from his face, and
growing calm under this judicious fat
terry, Il am not likely to harm Won.
or anybody else except her But when
l think of all she has made me 90
through, and not only me, but Well.
II l were to think of that long, should
go mad in earnest"
lie went on smoking his pipe in ST.
lence for a time, seemingly lost in
thought.
wonder if l were to write my life.
Il could get any bookseller to publish
III 1t would indeed be a marvellous
story. But don't believe that half the
people would credit it. l could write
half dozen sensation novels without
nVenting a single incident; but. then
novel readers would cry, They are so
rar-fetched! A man who began life as
gentleman, and who, for a matter Of
twenty years, has passed through e,erv
phase of vagabondism, must have some
strange stories to tell"
"Of course he must" said Josiah
again winking at me. Il have often won.
Tered that you have not set about pub-
ishing your "reminiscences, or your auto
biography, or something of that sort. But
isn't too late, you know. But come.
low, give us one of your regular start
ers; we are all attention"