The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1909-08-20


dhY was. furthermore. possessed 81
polished bald spot. eifdied With ton
sure o. siivered NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
which lent some faciiti0us dIsiinciion
20 e personsIitg Otherwise e0mmoa-
place
his manner might BE- best Described
as uneasy. with assurance az thou9a
- frequently found e necessary 20
make up for BE unimDressive stature
b assuming an unnatural habit q 80
thority.
80 you knew ! was en- American
hfr. Calendar suggested KIrkwood.
saw your name on the register We
both ban from the same neck Of The
woods. Jon know
II didn't know q, and
''Yes; I'm from Frisco too"
= "And. I'm sOrFy."
1fr. Calendar passed eve rae dngeFs
nsTvousiy over hls musfache. glanced
aiertly up &C RlrkwOod, as n momen-
tarlly inclined 20 question his tone.
then again stared glumly into the
Ore. FOR KlFkwOod had maintained en-
attitude purposefuIly colOriess Not 20
put too nns a point upon II, be believed
that his caller was lying. The mans
appearance, bis mannerisms, bis voice
and enunclation. while they might
have been American, seemed all IN
Californian. TO one born and bred IN
that state, as KirkwoOd had been, her
sons are Enthusiastically hall marked.
Now. 90 man lies without motive.
This one chose to reaflrm. with q show
Of deep feeling: "Yes, I'm from FrlscO
too. We're companions In misfortune"
Il hope not altogether" said Kirk.
wood politely.
Mr.. Calendar drew his own infer
ences from the response and mustered
up q show Of cheeFfulness. Then
you're not completely wiped Out7"
''To the contrary. was hoping yOu
were less unhappy"
cob, then you areT'
RlrkwOOd lifted the cable message
from the mantel. II have Just heard
from my partner at home" be said,
with a faint smile. and quoted "'Ev-
erythlng gone No Insurance.
Mr. Calendar pursed his plump lips,
whistiing lnaudibly. ''Too bad, too
badF' be murmured sympatheticaIly.
Were all hard hit more or less." he
lapsed into detected apathy. from
which KirkwoOd, growing at length
impatient, found Il necessary to rouse
him.
"You wished to see me about some
thing else, I'm sure"
Mr. Calendar started from bis rev
erie. "Ehf was dreaming. beg
pardon. II seems hard 20 realize. Mr..
Kirkwood, that this awful catastrophe
has overtaken our beloved metropolis"
The canting phrases wearied Kirk
wood Abruptly he cut In "WouId
q sovereign help you out, Mr.. CaIen-
OAR? don't mind telling you that's
about the limit Of my present re-
sources"
sPard6n me-" Mt Calendars noon
Ike cOuntcnance darkened he as
sumed a transparent dignity. You
misconstrue my motive, sir"
'aThen I'm sorry"
81 am not here TO borrow. On the
0A4IN AAilAs NAAAN " uNANANnA y hAaNNf-
cred your name upon the register
downstairs, q good old Frisco name,
II you VIII permit me 10 say so.
thought TO myself that here was q
chance 20 help a fellow cOuntrymanT
Calendar paused luterrogatively Kirk
wood remained Interested. bat silent
"If a passage across would help you.
IL think II might be arranged. STAN.
mered Calendar, III Of ease.
''It might" admitted Kirkwood spec
ulatively.
II could Ok II so that you could 60
over-Grst class. Of eourse-and pay
your way. 90 20 speak. by rendering
"a. me and my partner, a trihing serv-
ice"
"AhF'
elm fact" continued Calendar, warm
ing up to his theme. ''there might be
something more 10 II for you than the
passage if--if you're the right man.
the man I'm looking for"
"That. Of course. h the question"
"Ehr Calendar pulled Up suddenly
IN q full winged flight o. enthusiasm.
KirkwooG eyed him steadily Il
said that u = q question. Mr. calen-
Oar. whether OF not ! am the man
you're looking for. Between yOu aud
me and the dredOgs, I don't believe