Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-07-12
THE
GIFT OF THE
E
T II Is
No. 6 of the Series
CONTINUED

ANo. II WAS lue ldSt llltllS l HUI III
tended to admit. But l had done it.
The murder was out. There was 10
sense in further concealment. | had
written for my money because l really
needed it. If he must know, l was
cursedly hard up. Rattles nodded as
though he knew already. | warmed
to my woes. 1t was no easy matter
to keep Your end up as i raw free
lance of letters. For my part | was
afraid wrote neither we'll enough nor
i'll enough for success. | suffered from
q persistent Intellectual feeling after
style. Verse I could manage. but it
did not pay. To personal paragraphs
and the baser journalism I could not
and I would not stoop.
Rallies NODDED again, this time with
a smile that stayed in his eyes as be
leaned back watching me. | knew
that he was thinking Of other things l
had stopped to, and l thought l knew
what he was going to say. He had
said it before so often. He was sure
to say it again. I had my answer
ready, but evidently he was tired of
asking the anne question. His lids
fell, he took up the paper he had
dropped and l sculled the length of the
Old red wall Of Hampton Court before
he spoke again.
"And they gave you nothing for
these? My dear Bunny. they're CAPT
tai; not only qua verses, but for crys-
tallizing your subject and putting it in
a nutshell. Certainly you've taught me
more about it than l knew before. But
Is it really worth f5O,OOO-a single
pearl?"
"a hundred, l believe. But that
wouldn't scan"
"a hundred thousand pounds said
Rallies with his eyes shut. And again
I made certain what was coming, but
again I was mistaken. IF it's worth
all that" be cried at last, there would
be no getting rid of it at all. It's not
like a diamond that you can subdivide.
But beg your pardon, Bunny. l was
forgetting"
And we said no more about the en-
peror's gift, for pride thrives on an
empty pocket, and no %privation would
have drawn from me the proposal
which l had expected Rallies to make.
MY expectation had been half a hope,
though l only knew it now. But
neither did we touch again on what
Rafles professed to have forgotten
my "apostasy," my lapse into virtue y
as he had been pleased to call it. We
were both a little silent, a little con-
strained, each ~preoccupied with his
own thoughts. 1t was months since
I'VE had met, and as l saw him of
toward II o'clock that Sunday night
fancied it was for more months that
we were saying goodby.
But as we waited for the train l saw
those clear eyes peering at me under
the station lamps, and when l met
their glance Raf1es shook his head.
you don't look we'll on it, Bunny
said be. Il never did believe in this
Thames valley. You want a change of
air"
I wished l might get it.
what you really want is a sea voy.
age"
"And a winter at st. Moritz, or dc
you recommend Cannes or Cairo! It's
all very well, A. j., but you forge,
what l told you about my funds"
Il forget nothing. l merely don't
want to hurt your feelings. But IooB
here-a sea voyage you shall have
Well spend July in the Mediterra.
mean"
"But you're playing cricket
"Hang the cricket"
"Well, ! thought you meant it,
"Of course | meant it. Will yor
Gomez
Like a shot-if you go"
And l shook his hand and waved
mine in farewell, with the perfectly
good humored conviction that | should
hear no more Of the matter. II was
passing thought, no more. no less.
soon wished it were more. That wecl
found me wishing myself out Of Eng
land for good and all. l was maxim.
nothing. l could but subsist on The
difference between the rent | paid fol
my DAT and the rent at which | ha(
Bublet it, furnished, for the season
and the season was near it's end, an(
creditors awaited me in town. Was il
possible to be entirely honest! lal
u no bills when / had money in III;
pocket, and the more downright dis
honesty seemed to me the less ignob!e
But from Rallies of course Leart
nothing more. A week went by, anC
half another week. Then late on tLt
second Wednesday night / found ;
telegram from him at my lodging
after seeking him vaiuly in town anc
dining with desperation at the SOLITARY
club to which | still belonged.
Arrange 10 leave Waterloo by Nortl
German Lloyd special" he wired, 80;
q. IN. Monday next; will meet yov
southampton aboard ULlan with tick
cts; am writing"
And write he did, a light hearte,
letter enough. but full Of serions solici