Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-07-26

BEHIND.
n elbow without Decay. Il may not
have much body left to boast about.
but at least I've got a lost old soul
to call my own. That's why l want
a gentleman Of sorts about me. I've
been too dependent on that chap. He
won't eve let me smoke. and he's
been in the fiat all day to see l didn't.
You'll find the cigarettes behind the
Madonna of the Chair"
1t was a steel engraving of the great
Raphael, and the frame was tilted
from the wall. At a touch a packet
Of cigarettes tumbled down from be-
hind.
Thanks. And now a light"
l struck the match and held it, while
the invalid inhaled with normal lips,
and suddenly l sighed. was irresist-
IDLY reminded of my poor, dear old
Ratles. a smoke ring worthy Of the
great A. j. was floating upward from
the sick mans lips.
and now take one yourself. l have
smoked more poisonous cigarettes, but
even these are not Sullivans"
I cannot repeat what l said. have
no idea what l did. l only know-I
only knew-that it was A. J.. Raff1es
in the flesh!
Eyes, Bunny, it was the very devil
Of a swim, but l defy you to sink in
the Mediterranean. That sunset saved
me. The sea was on fire. l hardly
swan under water at all, but went all
l knew for the sun itself. When it set
I must have been a mile away; until
it did l was the invisible man. l fig
ured on that, and only hope it wasn't
set down as q case Of suicide. l shall
get outed quite soon enough, Bunny,
but I'd rather be dropped by the hang
man than throw my own wicket
away"
ooh, my dear old chap, to think of
having you by the hand again. l feel
as though we were both aboard that
German liner and all that's happened
since a nightmare. l thought that
time was the last!'
ut looked rather like it, Bunny. 1t
was taking all the risks and hitting at
everything. But the game came off,
and some day I'll tell you how"
"Oh, I'm in no hurry to hear. It's
enough for me to see you lying there.
l don't want to know how you came
there, or why, though 1 fear you must
be pretty bad. l must have q good
look at you before l let you speak an
other word"
raised one of the blinds, l sat upon
the bed and l had that look. 1t left
me all unable to conjecture his true
state of health, but quite certain in
my own mind that my dear Raftles
was not and never would be the man
that he had been. He had aged TWEEN
ty years; he looked fifty at the very
least. His hair was white; there was
no trick about that, and his face was
another white. The lines about the
corners Of the eyes and mouth were
both many and deep. On the other
hand, the eyes themselves were alight
and alert as ever; they were still keen
and gray and cleaning, like finely tenn
pered steel. Even the mouth, with a
cigarette to close it, was the mouth of
Rallies and nc ~other-strong and I'm
scrupulous as the man himself. 1t was
only the physical strength which ap-
peared to have departed, but that was
quite sufficient to make my heart bleed
for the dear rascal who had cost me
every tie l valued by the tie between
US two.
Think | look much older? he asked
at length.
"a bit" I admitted, but it Is chief,
ly your hair"
"Whercby hangs a tale for when
we've talked ourselves out. though |
have often thought it was that long
swim that started it. Still, the island
Of Eliza is q rummy show, ! car assure
you. And Naples is a RUNNER"
"You went there after ALP
"RatAer.. Itg the European paradise
for such rs our noble solves. But
there's no -. ." ,lInt'S II patch on little
London = ~ uoncDuCuctor Of heat: II
never nccl get too hot for Il fellow
here. If II docs IT'S his own fault
It's the KID e wicket you don't get
out on un!r a You rci yourself out. Sc
here ann u@lln end have been for III,