Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-12-05
MY DEAR OLD FRIEND.

when | caught sight OF a face that
seemed familiar to me.
It was that of a man of about my
own age, with bronzed features and
a somewhat attenUated figure.
AS l was trying to recall when and
where had seen him before our eyes
met, l Immediately perceived that our
recognition had been mutual, for he
came toward me with frank express
sion Of pleasure and held out his hand
saying:
"Halloa, old fellow, who'd have
thought of seeing you here?' I don't
know why he said this, and, of course,
| don't attempt to defend it; but it
is a style of address affected by some
men who are as profoundly aston
ished if they meet you in a restau-
rant as if they had run across you
In the mines Of Siberia. l felt little
bit annoyed at his want of original
ity, however, I smiled pleasantly, and
said, as / shook hands:
well, if you come to that, old fell
low, who'd have thought of seeing
you here?"
We stood opposite each other for
few seconds, / simpering somewhat
emptily at the nature of our greet
ing, and struggling to recall his name;
and he, with his head slightly on one
side, and an expression of courteous
ly suppressed amusement on his face,
as If my presence on the steps of
the postoffice was one Of those mex
plicable freaks of chance for which it
Is hopeless to seek to assign any rea-
sOnabIe law.
i gave him a few seconds to digest
his establishment, and then, feeling
that the silence was becoming a lit
tie embarrassing, said incOnsequently:
We'll, what have you been doing
all this timer"
Well" he replied, I've been in Aus
traIia."
''Oh. ah!" / calculated, as if it had
for a moment slipped my memory;
"why, YOU went there''-and l hest
tated, as though calculating within
myself the exact day Of his unknown
departure
Three years ago" ne put in short
", "and quite long enough it is,
too"
ran over in my mind my acquaint-
ances Of three years ago, but could
recall no trace of a recollection of
my companion; so, to gain time and
to gather fresh information, 1 asked:
And what sort of time have you
had?"
ooh, much about the same as be-
fore" he answered, with a slightly
puzzled air.
He had slipped his arm through
mine. as we walked up town with an
easy sense of good fellowship, and
said: "Of course you'll dine with me
this evening. Now don't say you are
engaged" het added as hesitated for
an instant between my desire to have
more of my companion and my dis
inlination to dine under false pre-
fences; you know they'll be awful
ly disappointed if they hear I have
met YOU and let you off without a
long talk, and I join them tOmor-
row"
/ felt constrained to consent against
my better judgment, and added, in
playfully solicitiOus manner:
And how are they all?"
ooh, they are all tip-top-all except
the Colonel" after pause and with
a slightly subdued air don't think
he has ever quite got over that af-
fair"
"Ah," 1 rejcined, shaking my head
Bympathetically, zone doesn't get
over that sort of thing in day, you
know, but the others?"
What Others" he said, bluntly.
/ hesitated and rejoined vaguely,
''Were there not some Others?"
He pondered heavily for a few sec
onds before replying: Yes, / believe
there were some others, but they
made no difference"
I was just murmuring, VERY likely
not" when he turned to me abruptly
and said: Il hope you don't think
he came badly ont Of that business?"
His hand seemed to relax its pres
sure on my arm as If he was prepar-
ing himself for some censure or act
Of GOODNESS on my part.
/ felt touched by this little PROOF OIL
his sensitiveness to my good opinion,
and pressed his fingers as / rejoined,
warmly: 4 never, never heard any
one speak otherwise than highly Of
his conduct in the matter"
He stopped and said, shortly:
''Why, who knows anything about
It? 1 thought you and 1 had it all
to ourselves"
yes, yes" l faltered, and added,
"'you know you have been away for
some time, old fellow"
It did not seem to fit in very we'll;
but he accepted it IS an argument,
and said:
There is something in that; but
don't let people talk about it. know
he relies upon you and me"
There was something so touching