Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1907-07-12

thing doing down town to-day, eh?y
A sharpness in his voice and in his
eyes. too, made me put my mind on
| should have seen before-that he
was moody and slightly distant.
Seen Tom Langdon this after
noon?" | asked carelessly
He colored "Yes--had lunch with
him. was his answer
! smiled-for his benefit. "Ahar
thought l. $50 Tom Langdon has
been fool enough to take this paroquet
into his confidence" Then | said to
him: rs Tom making the rounds,
warning the rats to leave the sinking
ship?"
What do you mean. Matt?" he de-
manded, as If had accused him.
looked steadily at him, and imag-
inc my unshaven jaw did not make
my aspect alluring.
What did Tom say about me?"
inquired.
"Oh, almost nothing. We we're talk
ing chiefly of-of club matters he
answered, in a fair imitation of his
usual offhand manner.
When does my name come up
there?" | said.
He flushed and shifted. Il was just
about to tell you." he stammered. But
perhaps you know"
Know what?"
"That-Hasn't Tom told you? He
has withdrawn-and-y have to
get another second-if you think
that is-unless you'll suppose you'd
have told me, if you'd changed your
mind?'
Since had become so deeply inter-
ested in Anita, my ambition-ambi-
tion!-to join the Travellers had all
but dropped out of my mind.
Il had forgotten about it," said I.
But, now that you remind me.
want my name withdrawn. 1t was a
passing fancy. 1t was part and parcel
of lot of damn foolishness I've been
INDUCING in for the last few months.
But I've come to my senses-and it's
me to the wild, where l belong. Sam
my, from this time on"
He looked tremendously relieved,
and a little puzzled, too. l thought
was reading him like an Illuminated
sign. He's eager to keep friends
with me-" thought I. until he's abso-
lutely sure there's nothing more in it
for him and his people" And that
guess was pretty good one. 1t is not
to the discredit of my shrewdness
that | didn't see 1t was not hope, but
fear. that made him try to placate me.
then what the Langdons had done. But
Sammy was saying, in his friendli
est tone:
Whats the matter. old man?
You're sour tonight"
Never in a better humor," | as
sured him. and as | spoke the words
they came true. What had been say
ing about the Travellers and all it rep
resented-all the snobbery, and smirk
ing, and rotten pretense-my final and
absolute remuneration of it all-acted
on me as I've seen religion act on
the fellows that used to go up to the
mourners' bench at the revivals-
felt as if had suddenly emerged from
the parlor of dive and its stencil of
sickening perfumes, into the pure air
of Gods heaven.
l signed the bill, and we went afoot
up the avenue. Sam, as / saw with a
good deal of amusement, was trying
to devise some subtle, tactful way OF
attaching his poor, clumsy little sue
tion-pump to the well of my secret
thoughts.
What is it Sammy" said at last
What do you want to know that
you're afraid to ask me?"
Nothing" he said hastily. I'm
only a bit worried about-about you
and textile. tt,"-this in the tone
of deep emotion we reserve for the
attempt to lure friends into confiding
that about themselves which will give
US the opportunity to pity them, and,
if necessary, to sheer on from them
Matt. l do hope you haven't been
hard hit?"
Not yet" said | easily. DRY your
tears and put away your black clothes.
Your friend, Tom Langdon, was a lit
tie premature"
I'm afraid I've given you false
impression" Sam continued, with an
overeagerness to convince me that did
not attract my attention at the time.
Tom merely said. L hear Blackjack
is loaded up with textile shorts
that was ALL A careless remark. l
really didn't think of it again until l
saw you looking so black and glum-"