The Kemper herald. (Scooba, Miss.) 1875-1908, 1906-12-13
MY DEAR OLD FRIEND.

seemed familiar to me.
1t was that of a man of about my
own age, with. bronzed features and
q somewhat attenuated figure.
AS / was trying to recall when and
where l had seen him before u eyes
met, l Immediately perceived that our
recognition had been mutual, for he
came toward me with frank expires
sion of pleasure and held out his hand
saying:
"Halloa, old fellow, who'd have
thought of seeing you here?' I don't
know why he said this, and, of course,
l don't attempt to defend it; but it
is a style Of address affected by some
men who are as profoundly aston
ished if they meet you in a restau-
rant as if they had run across you
in the mines Of Siberia. / felt a little
bit annoyed at his want of original
ity, however, / smiled pleasantly, and
said, as I shook hands:
well, if you come to that, old fell
low, who'd have thought of seeing
you here?"
We stood opposite each other for a
emptily at the nature of j greet
ing, and struggling to recall his name;
and he, with his head slightly on one
side, and an expression of courteous
ly suppressed amusement on his face,
as if my presence d. the steps of
the postoffice vas one of those mex
plicable freaks of chance for which it
is hopeless to seek to assign any rea-
sonable law.
l gave him a few seconds to digest
his establishment, and then, feeling
that the silence was becoming a lit
tie embarrassing, I said inconsequently:
well, what have you been doing
all this time?"
Well" he replied, 1--WE been in Aus
tralia."
"Oh, ahi" I calculated, as If it had
for a moment slipped my memory;
"why, you went there"-and l hest
tated, as though calculating within
myself the exact day Of his unknown
departure
Three years ago." he put in short
ly, "and quite long enough 1t Is.
too"
/ a over in my mind my acquaint-
ances of three years ago, but could
recall no trace of a recollection of
my companion; so, to gain time and
to gather fresh information, l asked:
"And what sort of q time have you
had?"
ooh, much about the same as be-
FORE" he answered, with a slightly
puzzled air.
He had slipped his arm through
mine, as we walked up town with ar
easy sense of good fellowship, and
said: "Of course you'll dine with me
this evening. Now don't say yo1 are
an instant between my desire to have
more of my companion and my dis
inlination to dine under false pre-
fences; "you know they'll be awful
ly disappointed if they hear I have
met you and let you off without a
long talk, and I join them tomor-
row.
/ felt constrained to consent against
my better judgment, and added, in a
playfully solicitious manner:
"And, how are they all?"
ooh, they are all tip-top-all except
the Colonel" after a pause and with
a slightly subdued arr don't think
he has ever quite got over that af-
fair
"Ah," I rejoined, shaking my head
sympathetically, zone doesn't get
over that sort of thing in a day, you
know, but the others?"
what Others" he said, bluntly.
I hesitated and rejoined vaguely,
"Were there not some others?"
He pondered heavily for a few Sec
onds before replying: Eyes, l believe
there were some others, but they
made no difference"
l was just murmuring, Every likely
not" when he turned to me abruptly
and said: 81 hope you don't think
he came badly olt of that ~business?"
His hand seemed to relax it's pres
sure on my arm as if he was prepar-
ing himself for some censure or act
of GOODNESS on my part.
l felt touched by this little proof OF
his sensitiveness to my good opinion,
and pressed his fingers as / rejoined,
warmly: "I never, never heard any
n speak otherwise than highly OF
his conduct in the matter"
He stopped and said, shortly:
why, who knows anything about
it? I thought you and / had it all
to ourselves"
Eyes, yes," | faltered, and added,
"you know you have been away for
some time, old fellow"
1t did not seem to fit in very well;
but he accepted it as an argument,
and said:
There is something in that; but
don't let people talk about it.. / know
he relies upon you and me-"
There was something so touching
in the reliance of this unknown, that
a glow of sympathetic affection
warmed my heart, and | resolved on
the spot that his confidence should
not be misplaced. Come what d light,
the secret of that old mans life
should be betrayed by me. 9th
ers might make it a subject Of club
gossip or tea-table tittle-tattl !, but
no word of mine should add OF e drop
to the cup Of bitterness that had been
placed at his lips. There are pas