St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-08-20
"A iodger left, But why. what did

he dol?
Look at that town." Mrs. Browne
waved q despising hand. There's a
few white people up on the hill. but
much they know or care about par
eel Of sailors, just strange young
men, with mothers = their own at
home, and sweefhearts."
YES, noticed he wore ring.
Mrs. Browne had much to tell.
Eyes. and you will notice how bad ne
feels when he looks at 1t. too. And
a gayer boy than he was. three days
ago! But what do people expect!
Keep 'em afoat three months, turn
'em loose ashore In biack-and-tan
town like this, with money in their
pockets, and not a thing for them to
do! Not a home for the boys to go IN,
not white woman to throw them
word. What do they expect? she
broke of impatiently.
"And what happened 2" She
seemed to await my question.
What happened, miss? Why, the
only thing! There's no decent amuse-
ment here for one white lad. not at
the best of times, let alone a hundred
and more. There's just two things
they can do. and getting DRINKS not
the worst"
Beyond, in the avenue of palms, !
could dimly see Frank Liston pacing
to and fro, with bent head, detected
shoulders and the invincibly springy
step of youth
"And he could have lodged arrest,
if he'd been willing to quit like the
others" Mrs. Browne continued.
They'd have never caught him. Easy
enough for a sailor to swing out OF
any window In this town. But he saw
the girl was dying"
"The girl?" But this time I was to
learn without further question.
Eyes, miss. OF course he never
should have been there. You and
know that They were all. or most Of
them, in one of those coon joints. ]
don't know just how 1t began. but a
girls black fellow got In. fighting
drunk, of course. with machete.
Slashed an artery, and she was bleed.
ing badly. The other boys lit out. Nc
one wants to be mixed up in those
rows. BY the time the police got in,
there was no one but her and Frank
He waited to try and stop the flow.
And that's how he's here now, under
surveillance. No friends to go bail
for him, till the trial. Say, you dom,
mind. do your" she asked abruptly
"But maybe we'd best not tell your
aunt"
With this I heartily agreed. "And
the other lady left?" ]. marvelled.
Perhaps being mother is just
why" suggested, watching the lone
~ young figure ON its disconsolate
promenade.
Presently the police officers again
interviewed Frank Liston, and Mrs
Browne further volunteered that they
required him to keep early hours. moi
that he's getting. much sleep, these
nights. He's so afraid his people will
catch wind of it, and the girl at home
He comes from New Hampshire, .
country lad, and she's a schoolmarm.
Certainly If creaking couch be
a sign of troubled slumbers, Frank
Liston spent a night the wakefulness
Of which passed over the partition
between our rooms. He tossed and
tossed, and all the while a. sense o.
guilt, of adding to his troubles, lay
upon me, ridieulously, Enthusiastically
but with a shiver OF growing respon
sibility.
At daybreak he was up, softly
dressing. could swear that he wrote
q letter. Then came queer sound, Z
click, another. ] could not place tina
| sound, it worried me.
Sudden light flooded my room, thu
| dawnless tropic sunrise. Slipping OF
| a dressing-gown passed out through
| open doors into the quiet garden
Strange dollhouse plants bloomed like
weeds, strange fragrances waited il
| over the harbor. Far to the right
| long rollers of surf broke on rock.
promontory, sending up fountains O
cleaning spray. Circling gulls hoveret
above the anchored shipping. On thu
sea wall solitary man seemed bus.
with some planks, heavy stone
| Frank Liston! He balanced stou
board over the water, staying 1t,
earthward end with stone after stone
then coming back, he picked up ,
small object from the gras. 1t gilt
tered in the sun.
| Quickly I moved towards him. @Yo,
are making nice diving board, MI
Liston, but are there no sharks?"
! "None get in over that reef you SCI
/ yonder, where the water is ligh
blue" Following his pointing finger
saw strip OF turquoise lyinl
athwart the lapis-colored harbor. TIC
day he was paler, more nervous.
What paper do you write for?" b
suddenly asked.
81? None at all" began. TT
my aunt" Certainly there was some
thing sinister hidden in his clenche,
fist. There was no way out, mus
see. Little as / might wish 1t, my re
sponsibility had grown real, and yer,
pressing.
Lend me that pistol!" looket
straight at him. Those gulls are
good mark.
His lips frightened, but seeing m,
extended hand, he reached me
small revolver, clean and new. With
out another word / joined him on tn
wall, and before he could stay me
had dropped it In the deep blue water
why did you do that?" He eturne
on me angrily. You're here for copy
You've got me- Think of your head
lines. I'd have been worth more t
you so -. J. than I'm wort
to anyone aIivei"