The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-11-26
CHAPTER I.

was young and exuborantly enthusias.
iir. but for the additional reason that
II presented features which oven now.
when my hair Ii turning grny, Invest
II with fascination (for mel peculiar.
" its own.
,lhe frst alleged culprit In whose be.
half ever appeared as AN advocate
was a yalucd-in fact, my dearest
personal friend. Let mo conceal bis
Identity BY giving him name m ar.
ferent from hIa own as anything that
can imagine; lot mo call him Jack
Scarborough.
Jack and had many points OF sym
paihy, yet there was between ~ sur.
icient diversity Of opinion and taste
: 10 prevent that monotonous agreement
which 10 often renders nominal friend.
Ahip wcarisome II not positively bane.
fhl In my younger days | was fondcr
OF gayety than could be expected OF
mn old man who walks with d cane.
Perhaps was at times even inclined
toward recklcssncsa. Jack was far
from being pharlsaicali yet his sounder
common sense not lnfreanently acted
as a corrective 10 my caprice by rous.
ing my better Judgment. Dear old
Jackl How ! wiah-~ But perhaps !
had better tell tho story In my own
prosaic way.
have said that our tastes were not
In absolute accord. Ny friend was In.
terested In several branches Of re-
search which seemed 10 me 10 be an
utter wearlness not only to tho desh,
but 10 the intellect as well. On the
other hand. could never induce him
% listen to the simplest legal argu.
mont without yawnlng, Chief among
his various hobbies was numlsmatics.
Now. although from my youth up
have ever taken u deep (esen II not nl-
ways ali abiding, interest In coins, II
has ccntcrcd chiefly In those current In
my own day and generation for
instance. the American double eagle.
Scarborough liked these well enough,
too. yet In his eyes they We're but M
dross In comparison with the antiques
which gladden. the heart and tighten
tho pocket Of the collector. believe
TINT no would have chcerfully parted
with his Inst gold coin of United States
iiiniaRe at any time for q bit OF cop
per sufficiently we'll authenticated as n
specimen OF II rare and extinct issue.
To me this appeared the very acme OF
folly. yet my love for my friend forced
me. so TO speak, to simulate an Inter
est Ia his collection or fcign cnthusi.
asm over somc newly acquired addi-
ton thereto, species OF hypocrisy
which reconciled TO my conscience
by the plea that Il was certainly not
harmful. II not positively amlable.
Hut n our tastes lacked homogene-
ity, our financial circumstances pre-
sentcd contrast no lcss pronounced
Jack, although not positively rich. was
at least well 10 do. while | found II
no easy task TO sustain myself In do.
cont form until I should secure ell
ents whose appreciation Of real worth
might MI my purse, Yet we shared
a suit Of living rooms In common and
had few. II any. secrets from each
other.
Thus matters stood with us until
one June. now long ago, The weather
! was pretcrnaturally and unbearably
hot. The grass In the parks was
scorched to n yellow almost golden.
The roses dropped and withered and
dropped their petals before the pas.
slonate kiss Of a sun whose breath Ind
proved their undolng Even the tire
some little sparrows ceased TO chatter
or to quarrel and sat upon the |
branches llfelcss and respondent, seek
Ing shelter beneath the dust laden
leaves which were beginning to fade
and curl as though shriveling under
the blast OF q simeon. New York was
swcitering under a temperature which
would have been insufferahle even in
July, and the summer exodus had be- !
gun earlier than usual.
"Oid map," said Scarborough as he
came Into our sitting room a little |
after 0 o'clock one particularly stihing |
evening this Is a little more than
the average human organism can
stand. What do you say to move
toward some latitude farther tnorth2 |
i've just heard Of the very place, up |
in the Berkshire hills In Massachu-
setts. Let's pack up and be or early |
In the morning pure air, cool nights,
fresh milk and all that sort of thing, |
you know. Come, man, don't sit there
staring at the moon, but get up as J
much enthusiasm as you can and
make up your mind to start"
II am afraid It's out Of the question
for me, Jack" | answered. "You J
know that Pettibone versus Alllson'E-
"To hades with Pettlbone, and Alli-
son, TOO, for that matterl Why can't
you show an occasional glimmer OF !
common sense? ia real good lazy rest
will help your mind as much as your
body. As for me, shall not be good
Tor anything until get away from
this Black Hole, They say there are
some tolerable trout streams and that
the woods are charming. Then, y,
dare say. there are bucolic beauties
to whom you might make yourself
agreeable In that stolld sort Of way
you are 80 fond OF affecting Come,