Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1907-07-26
APTER XvIII.-Continued.

ain Soic- Ut IL III bhC Dohh civ
send me check"
Not on your life" replied Healey
with a laugh. 1.-THE suckers we
trimmed gave checks, and | turned
'em into cash as soon as the banks
opened. | wasn't any too spry. either
Two of the damned sneaks consulted
lawyers as soon as they sobered off
and tried to stop payment on theiI
checks They're threatening proceed
ings You must take the dough away
with you, and don't want receipt
Trimming suckers. eh?" said 1, not
able to decide what to do.
Their fathers stole it from the pub
lie" he explained. They're drunken
little snobs, not fit to have money
I'm doing a public service by relieving
them of it, If I'd a got more, I'd feel
that much more"-he vented his light,
cool, sarcastic laugh-'more patri-
otto"
81 can't take it," said I, feeling that,
In my present condition, to take it
would be very near to betraying the
confidence of my old friend.
''They lost it in straight game, I"
he fastened to assure me. Il haven't
had brace box or crooked wheel for
four years" This with sober face
and a twinkle in his eye. "But even
If / had helped chance to do the good
work of teaching them to take care
of their money, you'd not refuse me.
Up town and down town, and all over
the place, what's business, when you
come to look at it sensibly, but trad
ing stolen goods? Do you know man
ten or twenty thousand a year-good
clean money by good clean work?"
"Oh, for that matter, your moneys
as clean as anybody's," said l. But
you know I'm Spectator, Joe.
have my downs-and this happens to
be stormy time for me. If take
your money, mayn't be able to &C
count for it or even to pay dividends
on it for-maybe year or So"
It's all right, old man. III never
give it thought till you remind me
OF it. Use it as you'd use your own.
I've got TO put it behind somebody's
luck-why not yours?"
He finished doing up the package,
then he seated himself, and we both
looked at it through the smoke of our
cigars.
It's just as easy to deal in big sums
as in little, in large matters as in
small, isn't it, Joe," said l, 'once one
gets in the way of it?"
DO you remember-away back
there-the morning." he asked mus
ingly-"the last morning-you and l
got up from the straw in the stables
over at Jerome Park-the stables
they let us sleep in?"
And went out in the dawn to roost
on the rails and spy on the speed
trials of old Revells horses?"
Exactly" said Joe, and we looked
at each other and laughed. I'VE in
rags-gosh, how chilly it was that
morning. Do you remember what we
talked about?"
NO" said l, though I did
Il was proposing to turn a crooked
trick-and you wouldn't have it. You
persuaded me to keep straight, Matt. |
I've never forgotten it. You kept me
straight-showed me what a fool a
man was to load himself down with |
petty larceny record. You made
man of me, Matt And then those good |
looks of yours caught the eye of that
bookmaker's girl, and he gave you
job at writing shetland you worked |
me in with you"
So long ago it seemed, yet near and |
real, too, as | sat there, conscious of |
every sound and motion, even of the
fantastic shapes taken by our up
curling smoke How far | was from /
the rail bird" of those happy-go- /
lucky years, when a meal meant quite |
as much to me as does a million now
how far from all that yet how near,
90. For was l not still facing life
with the same careless courage, for
getting each yesterday in the eager
excitement of each new day wit. its
lew deal? We went on in our remin-
SCIENCES for while; then, as Jos had
/ little work to do, l drifted OUT into
he house, took bite of supper with
'oung Melville, had little go at the
iger, and toward five in the clear
Tune morning emerged into the broad
lay of the streets, with the precious
,undle under my arms and a five hun
lred dollar bill in my waistcoat
'ocket
Give my win to me in a single
Ill.," 1 said to the banker. "and blow
ourself off with the change"
Joe walked down the street with
ne-for companionship and a little
ir before turning in, he said, but
imagine desire to keep his eye on
is treasure while longer had some
hing to do with his taking that early
Forming stroll. We passed several of
hose forlorn figures that hurry
trough the slowly streets !
, bed or to work. Finally, there
anne by an old. old woman-a scrub
oman, guess, on her way home
-om cleaning some ONCE building. !
eside her was a thin little boy, hop
Ing along on q erutch. | stopped