The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-02-23
TAKING NO CHANCES.

mlllar lace belonged 10 man car
rying a dress suit case 1t was old
Bun" Lawrence-good old scout
whom Hopkins had chummed with
in his "rah rah" days.
Hey, there!" he shouted.
Bun" looked around and recog.
nized him.
We'll, I'm a son of gun, he
says. IF it amt old Hop How
are you, anyhow
Never mind about me-" says
Hopkins. I'm finer than frog hair
But here you are as natural as a
life size photograph, and sober, too
Well, well. | surely am glad to
see you. How longs it been? Yes,
it's four years since that time we
met in Chicago, amt it? Gee, time
does hump along. Don't it, Ell?
Well, you come out to the house to.
night and we'll have good session
and talk over old times
Out to the house?" repeated
Bun" "You aren't married, are
yuh?"
Yep says Hopkins. I'm just
that. To a peach of a girl, too.
Didn't l write you about it? oh,
yes. that's right. | haven't written
to you since you didn't answer my
last letter. Well, anyway. my
wifell be tickled to meet you. She's
heard me tell a lot of things that
you and l did together when we
were in college-and lot of things
we probably didn't do-huh? You
know, she thinks I was the original
or rather aboriginal Indian
Yes" says Bun" you must
have exaggerated leetle bit Ii
you've got wiley to thinkin' you
were such an Indian. You were a
good scout, Of course, but then you!
always had wild idea when you
were in college that man ought
to study part of the time"
Hopkins became suddenly
thoughtful. Say" says he, "of
course you don't want to make any
break out at the house tonight. !
don't suppose it would make any
difference to my wife how decent j.,
was when l was in college, but
then she might think it was funny
that l would deliberately lie to
her. You'll be careful?''
"Oh, sure" agreed Bun. y
Better let me know, though, just
what line of talk you've been hand
ing to your wife, SOS to know just
where to keep off"
They were nearing the point
where Hopkins usually caught his
car now, and he was looking more
and more troubled.
THE fact is he began, you'll
have to be mighty careful. You
see, I've been giving the little girl
to understand that besides being
right smart of an Indian, was
pretty heavy with all the goods in
college-with all the ladies. in fact.
I've got a lot of sofa cushions and
things that I've told her different
girls gave me, and few photo
graphs that | get out occasionally
and spin yarns about what good
fellows of girls they were, how
they used to send me things when
| was sick in my room. and all that
sort of thing. She gets mad as
hops, you know, and threatens to
tear up the photographs, but of
course it tickles her to think that
she managed to win little Willie
after so many of the college girls
were just crazy about him. You
can see for yourself I'd about lose
my home if she got any hint that
any of it was just CUFF"
ooh, depend on me-" assured
Bun" 'Ill make it good and
strong"
You want to be careful
though" insisted Hopkins. THAT
is, you don't want to make it toe
strong. She might begin to suspect
And, let's see. I've always had you
in pretty nearly everything that
I've told her | did. We really ough,
to have more time to go over some
| of these things. A mans an In
fernal fool to hand his wife a lot OF
darn lies about himself. especially
this devil of fellow stuff, ain''
he?"
Hopkins hesitated, and then, tax
ing Bun" by the arm, resumed
alphabetically, Don't know about
this, old fellow" he said. "Mebby
you'd better not come out. | know
you wouldn't give me away pur
posely for anything. but then she
might ask you something and we
might get all balled up in spite OF
ourselves. Honestly, I hate to
think of you being in town and not
being out to take dinner with us,
but Id be on edge all evening for
fear you'd accidentally bawl me
out. I'd stay downtown with you
for dinner. but I'd have hard time
squaring myself If l stayed away
now, after the wife's got dinner
ready. Say, it's darn shame,
though, that I'll see so little Of you.