Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1906-03-30


 tleman. anG l s&w bis eyebrows go un the moaent told him was the man. with tIp same old f8anL that you could cut with T r l'a- ka=fe. l dil my best ta get out vt t=sWare had q pal who was rel swel-but saw very niatrix that haa given I3ysplf away .5a g1ye up h@, ding He paid my pfiee as though he enjoyed doing it But ! felt linn following !ae wh2n l l.=affe tracks. thoush of course l didn't turn r5Gn2 to sec
 "Nsh1 nat:"
 M. deal. Bunny. it's the very worst Jhing you can ao. -l> la.4- ,ls ; 0Q iJJh uususrec1.H- tAe.5'lI h1t. the.i l..+'. tauee. and % lo:.c as t..z. a9ep t1c:. distance faa sand chance Once show that s#u klla.v ya.7ase being fo) lowed aAG it's t'i@I, al .i-dt for ali you,re Wortu. never e1en looked rouAe. and mind Foa never 4o ill the same hole 1 just hulEse#. IL L B..ac.:, fr;ass aHsl booked fo. t..l-54s s::c21. keH :i4s.ss.. il, ,.t the t1p ot 1:..' voice. aud as the train WAS leaving Sl3gna square out 1 h9ppcd and up all Il Ss stairs like q lalnpHglltar and roaud { the studio by the back streets Wel.. to be oH tie safe siae. iay low tAe!E all t15#, afternoon. hearing nothing i.- the lesSt suspicious a;i. ol.!E wishing l faa I window to lock through in stead ot that beastly >kNIight. How eyer, 11a coast seemed clear enough, an5 tIQ~ fir it was IT.. mere idea that he would follow he. Fhe2e was Notli ing t9 slow he had s al last Ha"c!s- ed out ill my pH9ael. =slno~t strafsflt into ol1 GaiEds arHs!H'
 W Lat an earth did Noa fa:
 ,4NafAet past him as though I had never set eJes on him il ny life, and d.93n't thelf: took q hansem in the kiEeas raad anl drove like the deuce to ClaBlaI& junction: rushed on to the nearest platform without ticket jumped into the first train 1 saw, gc out at Twickenham. walked full tilt back to Richmond. took the District to Charing Cross. and here 1 am. ready for q tub and change and the best dinner the club can give us. 1 came to you first because I thought YOU might be getting anxious. Come round with me and l won't keep you long"
 You're certain you've given him the slip: said as we put on our hats.
 Certain enough, but We can make assurance doubly sure," said Rallies and went to my window, where he stood for minute or two looking down into the street.
 All right:' I asked him.
 "All right" said he. and we went downstairs forthwith and so to the Albany arm in arm.
 But we were both rather silent on the way I. for my part. was wonder ing what lsatiies would do about the studio in Chelsea, whither at all events he had been successfully dogged. To me the point seemed one of immediate importance, but when l mentioned it he said there was time enough to think about that. His one other remark was made after we had nodded. in Bond street. to young blood of our ac- quaintance who happened to he get ting himself bad name.
 Poor Jack Rutter" said Rallies with q sigh. "Nothing's sadder than to see fellow going to the bad like that. He's about mad with drink and debt poor devil Did you see his eye? Odd that we should have met him to- night, by the way. It's old Baird who's said to have skinned him. By God but I'd like to skin old Baird,"
 And his tone took a sudden low fury, made the more noticeable by another long silence, which lasted, indeed, throughout an adnira ble dinner at the club and for some time after We had settled down in quiet corner of the smoking room with our coffee and cigars. Then at last saw Rallies look ing at me with his lazy smile and l knew that the morose fit was at an end.
 'I dare say you wonder what I've been thinking about all this time?" said he. i've been thinking what rot it is to go doing things by halves.'
 Well" said I, returning his smile, that's not a charge that you can bring against yourself, is it?''
 I'm not so sure." said Rallies, blow ing meditative puff. "As a matter of fact was thinking less of myself than of that poor devil of Jack Rut- ter There's a fellow who does things by halves. He's only half gone to the bad. and look at the difference be- tween him and us. He's under the thumb of a vllainous money lender; we are solvent ciIIzens. He's taken to drink; we're as sober as we are solvent. His pals are beginning to cut him; our difficulty is to keep the pal from the door. Enfin, he begs or borrows, which is stealing by halves, and we steal outright and are done with it. Obviously ours is the more honest course. Yet, I'm not sure. Run ny, but we're doing the thing r. halves ouraalvas"