The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-09-23

i head
Don't ask me- he remarked brok
emily, as he ate the ice from the bot
I tom Of tail, cool glass, the move
ments Of paXley, and of young Jane
Chesterley Braden are quite beyont
j my authority But | tell you what,
J and the doctor rose and stared acros
the table at the rest impressiyely
Pax knows what he's about. Don
) meddle.' And he stalked away.
/ When payley came back, II was easy
to see that the vacation had done hin
not the least particle of good FL
was not only tired he was thin, anc
there was something fierce. and vel
pitifui about his eyes The boys got
over joking with him as they had
done, and nobody spoke Of his private
affairs, especially after little Cummlns
suggested that it was time the great
and only James Chesterley Braden
should be put on exhibition.
Paxey glared at him so darkly, and
turned the subject In such a queer,
unhappy sort of way, that after that
nobody mentioned the child again,
till Paxley himself began to do It
II was after Jenkins had been tell
ing Of some OF the Funny sayings OF
his little brood
Sim gets off a good thing OCCASION
ally row he's beginning to talk, said
| PaXley, aud every one felt better II
was so unusual not TO be able TO talk
about anything and everything with
! Paxley.
The next day he had some bright
saying to retail, that made the boys
laugh heartily and honestly-not the
conventional giggle that is generally
reserved for such accounts of juvenile
wit.
Paxley smiled In fact, Haines still
resentful, asserted that he smirked
like a self-satshed woman. But
things were easier at any r~<e, ana
from that time on, Paxley talked OF
the boy freely. and told a store OF
funny things that became famous
throughout the office.
The respect for "Paxley's kid grew
and clever little fellow everybody adj
mitted, and Cummins who Went ont
with Pax and the doctor one Sunday
night and saw the hoy in his crib gave
an enthusiastic account Of his beauty
The crash came one stormy Deem
her night. when PaXley had been pa I
rent n-law as the boys expressed il I
for about a year
a number Of his friends Hainss
one or two more from the Office and
others who were members of his club
were gathered again in the library a
they had been the summer before
As usual, Haines started the CONVEX
sation "Paxley's clean daffy over
that kid Of his isn't he? Can't hire
him TO so out this winter and he's
thin as a wire fence
The others grunted. Then little
Cummins, rather red and altogether
spoke.
Well sputtered Cummins, you
know that story he told about the
boys asking if the clouds were Gods
lust cloths?"
There was a grunt of assent Too
1recociou too precocious by far. ,
nuttered Jenkins, who had got night
'ff, and was enjoying the society Of
adults unmiXed with children
Il don't know about that. went on
'ummins, for I don't know anything
about children But | do know that
hats an old story read It mysel.
n a magazine last night, And the
magazine was dated more than year
60"
There was an odd, strained silence
Yes said another man 1--we
ad my suspicious myself told two
r three of PaXs stories at a dinner
lot long ago, and the people just
owled-saii they were every one Of &
hem gray-hlarded with age" &
I've done that too, remarked Il
LANES, but thought maybe two kids
o,id say the same funny things z
ley're capable Of anything. you 4
now Is
The doctor rose and walked undecid n
ily mp and down the room n few a
mes n
Then he stopped by the table. lean, a
lg forward, with his long fingers N
sting lightly on the polished wood q
Boys he said and there was some n
ling solemn in his voice which made 81
.e others lay down their cigars and
Ok eXpectantly at him. Boys. 7 am 81
ling to do something I've never done 4
.fore-lm going TO betray the conf
nee OF a friend" n
The men sat very silent gazing mn a
him
III YOU would stop and think tbe =
ctor went on slowly. as though .
oosiEg his words. Il would not have
tel. You would understand. Rut g
Il have not seen and you must-for
ur own good and Paxley's-and lit 4
Jim's 10 you remember when no B
" at HaiHes when he said ioklnglv p
didn't think much OF the bow The a
ange trip to New YORK; The anvil
T and the sorrow in his face for e
inths now And these stolen sfo- s
50 For they are stolen. every one b
IS stolen them for Jim He's been
rning them for months. THEY'VE h
70 his last weapons in the hardest b
BIT he's ever fought For he's been
.+frrr s-sfva- "a FL