Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-10-26
Copyright. 1905 b. the obbs- MerrinC Coz N
ODE Deluge
~ By DAVID GRAHAM PHILLIPS IN
By DAVID GRAHAM PHILLIPS

IF / only knew that. Jim," said l,
'Id have been long & where you're
bound for. The trick is to get it back
ten for one. The more you advertise
yourself, the more suspicious Of you
people become. The more money |
throw away in advertising, the more
convinced people are that l can af-
ford it,"
But, as / was about to say in one of
the boxes l spied my friend Sammy.
He was looking better than ] had ever
seen him. Less heavy eyed, less pallid
and pasty. less like a man who had
been Sinking bed and keeping up on
cocktails and cold baths. He was at
the real of the box, talking with a lady
and gentleman. AS o 20 as / saw that
lady, l knew what it vas thai had
been hiding at the bottom of my mine
and ranking there.
Luckily | was alone: ever since that
lunch L had been cutting loose from
the old crowd-from all it's women, and
from all it's men except two or three
real friends who were good fellows
straight through, in spite of their hav-
ing made the mistake of crossing the
dead line between amateur sport" n
professional. / leaned over and tapped
Sammy on the shoulder.
He glanced round, and when he saw
me looked as if / were a policeman
who had caught him in the act.
"Howdy. Sam" said /. It's been so
long since I've seen you that / couldn't
resist the temptation to interrupt.
Hope your friends'll excuse me. HoWdy
do. Miss Ellersly?" And 1 put out my
hand.
She took it reluctantly. She was CIV
ing me a very unpleasant look-as if
she was seeing, not somebody, but
something she didn't care to see, or
were seeing nothing at all. I liked that
look; I liked the woman who had it
in her to give 1t. She made me feel
that she was difficult and therefore
worth while, n that's what all we
human beings are in business for-to
make each other feel that we're worth
while.
Just a moment" said Sam, red as a
cranberry and suffering. And he made
q motion to come out Of the box and
join me. At the same time Miss Anita
and the other fellow began to turn
away.
But | was not the man to be cheated
in hat fashion. / wanted to see her,
and I compelled her to see me and to
feel it. Don't let me take you from
friends" said / to Sammy. per
haps they'd like to come with you and
me down to look at my horse. / can
give you a good tin-he's bound to win.
had my boys out on the rails every
morning at the trials of all the other
possibilities. None of ems in it with
"Mowghli!" said the young lady-she
had begun to turn toward me as soon
as l spoke the magic word tip" There
may be men who can resist that word
at the race track, but there never
was a woman.
MY sister has to stay here" said
Sammy hurriedly. "Ill go with you
All this time he was looking as If he
We're doing something he ought to be
ashamed of. / thought then he was
ashamed because he, protesting to be
q gentleman, had been neglecting his
debt Of honor. I now know he was
because he was responsible for
his sisters being contaminated by con-
tract with such a man as I! I Who
hadn't a dollar that wasn't honestly
earned; I who had a fortune by my own
efforts, and was spending my millions
like a prince; I who had taste in art
and music and in architecture and fur
nishing and all the fine things of life.
Above all, I who had been his friend
and b~enefactor. He knew I was more
a gentleman than he could ever hope
to be, he with no ability at anything
but spending money; he a sponge and
q cadger, yes, and a welcher-for
wasn't he doing his best to WEIGH me?
But just because a lot of his friends,
Jealous Of my success and angry that
i refused to truckle to them and be
like them instead of like myself.
sneered at me-behind my back-this
poor spirited creature was daring to
pretend to himself that 1 wasn't At for
the society of his sister!
'Mowghli!" sail Miss Ellersly. What
a quaint name!"
my trainer gave it, said I. eve
got a second son of one of those broken
down English noblemen at the head of
my stables. He's trying to get money
enough together to be able to show nm
at Newport and take a shy at an heir
ess."
At this the fellow who was fourth in
our party, and who had been giving me-
a nasty, CLASSY stare, got as red as
vas Sammy. Then l noticed that he
was an Englishman. and 1 all but
chuckled with delight. However. /
said. NO offense intended" and
clapped him on the shoulder with a
friendly smile. He's a good fellow. nv
man Monsoon, and knows a lot about
horses"
Miss Ellersly bit her lip and colored
but / noticed also hat her eyes, were
dancing.
Sam introduced the Englishman to
me-Lord Somebody-or-other. I forget
what, as l never saw him again. 7
turned like a bulldog from a toy ter
rier and was at Miss Ellersly again.
Let me put a little something on
Mowghli for YOU" said I. You're
bound to win-and I'll see that Won
don't lose. / know how you ladies hate
to lose"
That was a bit stiff, as I know well
enough now. Indeed, my instinct would
have told me better then, il / hadn't
been so used to the sort of women that
jump at such an offer. and IL I hadn't
been casting about so desperately and
in such confusion for some way to
please her. AT any rate, l hardly de-
served her sudden frozen look. II beg
pardon" / stammered, and / think my
look at her must have been very hum
ble-for me.
The others in the box were staring
round at us. Come on cried Sam.
dragging at my arm, lets co."
Wont you Gomez" / said to his
sister. / shouldn't have been able 20
keep my state OF mind out of my voice.
If / had tried. And 1 didn't try.
Trust h right sort of woman to see
the right sort of thing In a man through
any and all kinds of barriers of caste
and manner Inc breeding. Her voice
was much softer as she said: at think
I must stay here. Thank you, just the
same"
AS soon as Sam and / were alone.
apologized. II hope you'll tell your