The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-05-24
THE Q 5 MAN

0us vyvaAas 6 a&stn eaass lato Nes
yogS restaurant ASH ast deN 90
peAi5s 34efagr man
~IAal,nu the u,.wcluler said.
"M holloway Z .aid the other
Il thooent VOC VEN dead
$50 / ann. ~ far A. . re coaeern
ed, Who'd nave thought you'd turn
up here
Yes, what Luck, thought New
York Was big enough 10 turn around
in without stumbling over some con
founded old acq%uaintance.'
odd acquaintance we'll. that's pref.
ty cool However. I Shant bother You,
You needn't he afraid OF me, I'm not
going back out there. and If 0 ever
do I'll trouble you to keep q still
tongue. You needn't say You saw me.
Understand
"Oh. yes" said the other man. But
I don't bank much on going back my
self. I'm about sick Of his country. |
don't blame You for wanting to keep
out. Bur. l say, that was q funny
thing. your dropping out the way Wy
did. Everybody thinks you're dead or
loco and shut up somewhere. They
had no end of Il tine looking for you
dragged the river
Il was down in Mexico. How long
ago did you leave Calf Beg your
pardon. withdraw the question IN
less 1t happens to be-
'Oh. ii doesn't matter. l left eight
months ago. I'm only here for-for Il
few days-just passing through
Yes: Let's see; it's two. three
years since came away. Do you
know what this reminds me of? Two
nurrying shapes. don't you know, in
No Mans Land met each other face to
face-very awkward sometimes-and
bade each other stand"
Sounds like footpads," suggested
the nervous man.
mo; it's poetry. Well. they asked
each others name
Here the two men looked at one an
other. and the nervous man broke into
a giggle.
Exactly. We won't do that" he
emptied his glass and set it down.
"They call this stuff California claret.''
he said. Look here, don't you war.t
some news?"
"News?' The quiet man blinked I'M
certainly for a moment and then said:
Eyes, I suppose so. What is it?'
well, l meant You know Sharp
less is mayor now. We got him in
last year, and it was the biggest fight
the town ever saw. Jim Luke got the
city attorneyship. He's In the new
city hall, with velvet carpets and hand
painted spittoons. Oh, the boys are all
right. And you wouldn't know the
place-brick blocks going up every
where and cable cars on Main street"
The quiet man began to eat his
sparrow and stringy salad. II sup
pose so," he said.
"And, say Well, of course it's none
of my business. suppose you hear
from out there anyway"
mot a word" said the quiet man.
"But go ahead II you've got anything
to tell.'
"Well, it's only about-corfound it,
your wife. Say. Dalton, why in thun-
der-it's none Of my business, but it's
pretty hard on her."
She must think I'm dead. am
dead"
We'll. she doesn't. She's still look
ing for you. When they didn't find
you in the river, you know, she had
detectives. They combed San Fran
cisco for you"
The quiet man moved uneasily. DE
tectives cost money!" he said.
"They do. She's teaching now in the
public schools. The boys put that
through. She gets $95 a month, and
that about feeds the five young ones"
II left her enough. l left her half
the money 1 had. II 1 could have
fixed it SO, she could have got my life
Insurance."
well, why didn't you? There was
the river. Excuse me, old man, but is
this any better?"
"Oh, yes" said Dalton dreamily. ~
have a quiet life-all day in the library
if I like. You've no idea what a rack
ct five children can make in a small
dO0SC. Anu luSu OuI llCIC i never
could get the books l wanted-the Lat
inists of the fourth century, for in
stance. And then, you know, a woman
"a who's fond Of you. 1t ex-
plains why the philosophers We're
monks. But I'm getting pretty close
to BEDROCK" he added, frowning. 81
don't like to eat in these places. And
to see you here"
Yes, l know" said Holloway hastily.
"but I've got just enough to take me
where I'm going. l pulled out with
about 5000. though the boys wouldn't
believe you if you told 'em. l suppose
they think I'm living in cotton-Monte
Carlo Or
"Six hundred! Why. you used to
have your fist in deep. What's the
m~atter-lost your pull?"
"Nellie's got Tiny wife, you know
that 10, all l could pull out. Say, Dali
ton, l don't mind telling you'll don't
suppose you'd give me away, and IL
you did 1.-The police
THE law can't touch me-" said Dali