The San Francisco call., 1906-11-25

10 destruction Not q one. IT amt in
human nature. They're bound to enjoy
it,"
Got any friends that would tight for
your
Eskew walked straight into this
hideous trap. NO. There amt a
dozen men ever lived that hadi Caesar
was q popular man, but he didn't
have a soul to help him when the
crowd III on him. and I'll bet old Mark
Antony was mighty glad they got him
out in the yard before il happened
he wouldn't have lifted a finger with
oht gang behind him. Why, all Pc
ter himself could do was 10 cut off an
ear that wasn't no use to anybody.
What are you tryin' 10 get at?"
The Squire had him: and paused. and
stroked his chin 10 make the ruin COM
plete Then l reckon you'll have to
admit" he murmured. that. while l
ain't defendin' Joe Louden's character,
It was kind OF proper for him TO stand
By a felIer that wouldn't hear nothin'
against HIM and fought for him as
soon as he did hear it,
Eskew Arp rose from his chair and
left the hotel II was the only morning
in all the days Of the copclave when he
was the first to leave.
SQUIRE BuckaIew looked after the re-
treating figure. total triumph shining
expect" he explained. modestly.
20 the others-"I expect / don't think
any more Of Joe Louden than he does,
and I'll be glad when Canaan sees the
last OF him for good; but sometimes
the temptation to argue with Eskew
does lead me on to kind of git the bet
ter OF him."
When Happy Fear had suffered
with a -and-take simplicity of pa
tience-hls allotment of months In dur
ance. end was released and sent into
the streets and sunshine once more he
knew that his first duty lay in the
direction of a general apology 10 Joe.
But the young man was no longer at
Beaver Beach: the red-bearded pro-
prietor dwelt there alone. and receiv-
ing Happy with scorn and pity d.
rected him 70 retrace his footsteps 10
the town.
'Ye must have been IN the black
hole OF Incarceration, indeed, IL ye
haven't heard that A>r. Louden has his
law once on the square. and his Twin
room behind the office. It's in that
little brick buildin' straight acrost
from the Sheriffs door o the jail
we've been neighbors this long time.
a hard time the boy had persaudin'
any one to rent to him. but by payin'
double the price he got place at last.
He's a practicin' lawyer now, praise
the Lord. And all the boys and girls
OF our acquaintance go to him with
their troubles. Yen see him with a
murder case to try before long, as sure
as yc're not worth yer salt. But
expect ye can still call him by the
name of Joe. all the same
It was a bleak and neager little Of
fce into which Mr.. Fear ushered him
self TO offer his amends. The cracked
plaster of the walls was bare tsavs
for dust): there were no shelvesi the
fat brown volumes, most of them fairly
new. were piled in regular column:
upon q cheap pine table; there was bu
one windows snall-paned and shade
less; an inner door of this Asad cham
Der stood bali ajar. permitting th'
visitor unreEerved acquaintance will
the domestic economy OF the tenant
for Il disclosed a second room, smaller
than the ONCE, and dependent upon tht
window Of the latter for air and light
Behind q canvas camp cot, dimly visible
IN the obscurity of the inner apart
ment, stood q small gas stove, sur
mounted by a stewpan, from which
projected the handle of a big tin spoon
so that II needed no ghost from thu
dead TO whisper that Joseph Louden
attorney at law. did his own cooking
Indeed he looked IL.
Upon the threshold of the SecopC
room reposed small. worn, ligh'
brown scrub brush of a dog. so cos
mopolitan in ancestry that his species
was almost as undeterminable as th'
castiron dog of the Pike mansion. HI
greeted Mr.. Fear Hospitality, hav
ing been so lately an offcas
OF the streets himself that hi
adoption had taught him TO los
only his old tremors, not his hopeful
ness. At the same time joe ros,
quickly from the deal table. where h,
had been working with one hand il
his hair. the other splattering ink from
q bad pen.
Good for you. Happy he cried
cheerfully. Il hoped you'd come to Sc
me today. I'VE been thinking about
job for you
What kind Of a job?" asked TIL
visitor, as they shook hands. nee,
one bad enough. but you know ther
amt nobody in Canaan would gimm
one. joe"
Joe pushed him into one of the tw,
chairs which completed the furaitur
of his ONCE. yes. there is. I've go
an idea"
First" broke in Mr. Fear. fingcrini
his shapeless hat and fixing his eye
upon Il with embarrassment-"h frs
lemme say what ] come here to say
I--well--- His embarrassment In
creased and he paused, rubbing the ha
between his hands.
About this job Joe began. "w
can fix IL So"
No." said Happy. You lemme e,
OF. I didn't mean fer to cause you n
trouble when lit on that loud-moutf
Nashville; ! never thought they'd gi
me, or y I'd be dragged in. But 1 jes
couldn't stand him no longer. He hai
me all wore out-all evening lon,
a-hintin' and sniffin' and wearin' tina
kind OF a high-smilc cause they mad
so much fuss over YOU. And when w
got clear in town he come out with II
Said you was too quiet to suit him
said he couldn't see nothin' to you
Well I says TO myself, jest let hir
go on, jest one more,' ] says. then h
gifts it, And he did. Said yoa trompe
on his foot on purpose. said he knowe
it-when the Lord "a mightiest fool O.
; earth knows you never tromped on n
J one. Said you was one of the DO res
young sports lie ever see around a plac
: like the Beach. You see, he though
) YOU was jest one of them fool Blood:
that come around raisin a rumpu.
and didn't know you was our frien
and belonged out there. the same a
me or Mike hisself. Go on / says I
myself. Jest one more. He better z
: home to his mamma he says. he
: git in trouble IL he don't. Somebody 4