The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1906-07-26

| panlcky exodus cOdld scarcely nav
been more headlong.
Kent stayed partly because a local
attorney for the railroad was as neces-
AIRY In CASTOR the bereaved as In Gas
ton the strenuous; partly. also. be-
cause he was a student OF his kind,
and the broken city gave him labor
atory opportunities for the study Of
human nature at its worst.
lie marked the raising OF the black
flag as the CASTOR castaways, getting
sorrily aioat one by one. cleared their
decks for action. Some Bluebeard ad-
miral there will always be for such
stressful occasions, and David Kent,
standing aside and growing cynical
day by day. laid even chances on Hawk,
the ex-district attorney, on Major
Guilford, and on one Jasper G. Bucks,
sometime mayor of CASTOR the rides
cent
Afterward he was to learn that he
had moderated the gifts OF the former
mayor. For when the famine time was
fully come, aBd there were no more
argosies drifting Gastonward for the
buccaneers to sack and scuttle, II was
Jasper G. Bucks who called a con-
ference of his fellow werwolves, set
forth his new cast for fortune. and
brought the junto, the child of sheer
desperation fercely at bay, into be-
ing
IL was in the autumn OF that first
cataclysmic year that Secretary Lor-
ing, travelling from Boston to the
state capital on a mission for the West
ern Pacific. stopped over a train with
Kent. After a rather dispiriting din
ner in the deserted Mid-Continent
cafe. and some blowing OF the field OF
recollection in Kent's rooms in the
Farquhar building. they took the de-
serted street in the golden twilight to
walk to the railway station.
1t was a decent thing for you to
do-stopping over a train with me,
Grantham." said the host. when the
five squares intervening had been half
measured. Il have had all kinds OF
time out here in this God-forsaken
desert, but never until to-day any
thing approaching a chummy hour
with a man | know and care for"
Kent had not spoken since they
had felt their way out Of the dark
lower hall Of the Farquhar building.
Up to this point the talk had been
politely reminiscent: of the men OF
their hrst university year. Of mutual
fr.eads in TIE far-away Gods coun-
try" 10 eastward. OF the Gastonian epic.
OF sll things save only two-the ex-
Has east for fortune In the untamed
west. and one other.
That brings us little nearer 10 the
things that be-and 20 your prospects.
David" said the guest How are
you fixed here?"
Kent shrugged.
Castor is dead. as you see too
de,4 10 bury"
why don't you get out AZ II. them"
Il shall some day perhaps. Up to
date there has been no place 10 go 10.
and no good way 70 arrive. Like
some thousands OF others. I've made an
aas Of myself here. Loring"
BY coming. you mean? Oh. I don't
know about that You have had some
hard knocks, take II. bit IL you are
the same David Kent | uled 10 know.
they have made a bigger man Of you"
Think so?"
'T'd bet on H. We have had the
Sastnn epic done out FOR us in the
sewspapers No man could live
through such an experience as you
must have had without growing a
few inches. Helloi What's this?"
A turned corner had brought them
IN front of a lighted building In Texas
street with a struggling crowd gath
cred about the porticoed entrance. AS
Loring spoke, there vas a rattle OF
snare drums followed by the dunn
dunn OF the bass. and a brass band
! ramped out the opening measures of
campaign march.
1T is a rally" said Kent, when they
had passed enough beyond the zone
Of brass-throated clamorings to make
the reply audible. 81 told you that
the CASTOR wolf-pack had gone into
politics. We are In the throes OF a
state election. and there is to be a po-
litical speech-makipg at the opera
house tonight, with Bucks in the title
role. And there is a fair measure OF
the deafness of the town! When you
see people flock together like that 10
hear a brass band play. II means one
OF two things: that the town hasn't
outgrown the country village stage,
or else 1t has passed that and all other
stages and is well on its way to the
cemetery"
THAT Is one way Of putting IT," Lo-
ring rejoined. 1T things are as bad
as that. it's time you were moving on.
dom. you think?'
Il guess So" was the lack-luster re-
Spouse. only | don't know where to
so. or what to do when | 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
on the still air, and the extended
arm Of the station semaphore with It's
two dangling lanterns wagged twice.
My train" said Lorlng, quickening
his step.