Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-03-24


 ' thing approaching a chummy hou
 with a man I know and care for. Kent had not spoken since the.
 had felt their way out of the darl
 lower hall of the Farquhar building
 Up to this point the talk had beel
 pointedly reminiscent; of the men o
 their first university year, of mutua
 friends in the far-away Gods coun
 try" to eastward, of the Gastonian epic
 of s-l' things save only two-the ex He's cast for fortune in the unframed
 west, and one other.
 That brings us little nearer to tn,
 things that be-and to your prospects
 David," said the guest. How ars
 you fixed here?"
 Kent shrugged. [ "Gaston is dead, as you see; toe dead to bury"
 ] Why don't you get out of it, then?' T shall some day perhaps. Up to date there has been no place to go to, and no good way to arrive. Like some thousands of others, I've made an ass of myself here, Loring." By coming, you mean? Oh, don't know about that. You have had some hard knocks, take it, but if you are the same David Kent I used to know, they have made bigger man of you" Think so?"
 "I'd bet on it. We have had the Gaston epic done out for us in the newspapers. No man could live through such an experience as you must have had without growing a few inches. Hello! Whats this?' A turned corner had brought them in front of lighted building in Texas street with struggling crowd gath- cred about the porticoed entrance. As Loring spoke, there was rattle of snare drums followed by the dunn dunn of the bass, and a brass band ramped out the opening measures of a campaign march.s ....~.
 "It is rally" said Kent, when they had passed enough beyond the zone of brass-throated clamprings to make the reply audible. T told you that the Gaston wolf-pack had gone into politics. We are in the throes of a state election, and there is to be a po- litical speech-making at the opera house tonight, with Bucks in the title role. And there is fair measure of the deadness of the town! When you see people flock together like, that to hear brass band play, it means one of two things: that the town hasn't outgrown the country village stage, or else it has passed that and all other stages and is we'll on its way to the cemetery"
 That is one way of putting it,. To- ring rejoined. ''If things are as bad as that. it's time you were moving on, don't you think?"
 "I guess so," was the lack-luster re- sponse. "only I don't know where to go, or what to do when I get there"
 They were crossing the open square In front of the wide-eaved passenger station. A thunderous tremolo, dom- mating the distant band music, thrilled ,s the still air, and the extended arm of the station semaphore with its two dangling lanterns wagged twice.
 My train," said Loring, quickening his step. 2.
 "No," Kent corrected It is a spe- ,ial from the west, bringing a Bucks ,rowd to the political rally. Number Three isn't due for IS minutes yet, and he is always late"
 They mounted the steps of the sta- ion platform in good time to meet he three-car special as it came clat- ering in over the switches, and pres ntly found themselves in the thick of he crowd of debarking rallyers.
 It was mixed masculine multitude, airly typical of time. place and occa- ion; stalwart men of the soil for the ,reater part, bearded and bronzed and ough-clothed, with here and there a ange-rider in picturesque leathern traps, sagging pistols and wide- apped sombrero. Loring stood aside and put up his It was his first sight near t hand of the untrammeled west in urls naturalibus, and he was finding he spectacle both instructive and di- erting. Looking to Kent for fellow hip he saw that his companion was olding himself stifiy aloof; also, he that none of the boisterous artisans flung a word of recognition a Rents direction.
 Don't you know any of them?'. he sked.
 Rents reply was lost in the deep hested bull-bellow of a cattleman rom Rio Blanco. Hold on minute, boys, before you catter! Line up here and let's give lree cheers and a tail-twiste- for next overnor Bucks! Now. then-every- ody! Hip, hip"
 The ripping crash of the cheer trred Loring's eyeglasses from their old. and he replaced them with Q nile. Four times the ee--splitting lout went up. and as the echoes of ae tiger" trailed oil into silence the .entorian voice was lifted again. Good enough. Now, then; three rosns for the land syndicates, alien iortgagees. and the Western Pacific ailroad. by grabs! and to hell with mi" The responsive clamor was a thing , be aeutely remembered-sustained. vindictive; a nerve-wrench- lR nandannnirIrn of arnana rplnfnaa