Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-10-29
q &
Horde
Author of The Spoilers' and
The Barrier
HARPER L BRorHHRs

SHORTY DeIore noon. IN inc course or
his dissatisfied meanderings. he found
his friend in the Office. lost I'm somber
thought II was the first time in many
weeks that be had seen this mood In
Boyd. and after a fruitless effort TO
make him talk he fell into his old
habit Of imaginary reading. droning
away 10 himself as II from a printed
page:
Your stay among US has not been
very pleasant has itT Mr.. Emerson
inquired.
not so that you could notice IT,
replied our hero. j don't like fish. and
I never did
That Is the result OF prejudice;
the fish is n noble ANIMAL Mr.. Emer-
son declared
Hes not an animal nj all our hero
gently corrected. He's a biped-a reg
uiar wild biped. without either love OF
home or affection for his children. The
salmon Is OF low order Of intelligence
and has a Queen Anne slant to his
roof No person with a retreatinC fore
head Ike that knows very much. The
only other member Of the animal king
dom that IS as foolish as the salmon is
Alton Clyde. The fish has got a shade
the best OF "a over him. but as for
friendship and the reutlor emotions
why, the salmon hasn't got them at
all The only thing he's cot Is a million
eggs and sense OF direction. II he
had n spark OF intelligence he'd lay
one egg a year, Ike q hen, and thus
live for a million years. But does
he7 Not on your Saronyi He's
spendthrlft and turns his eggs loose a
hatful nc a time He's worse than
shotgun. And then. too. he's as clan
nish ms a Harvard graduate and don't
associate with nobody out OF his own
set No. sir Give me a warm bloodcd
animal that suckles its young. I'll take
a farmer every time
These are points 7 had never con-
sidered.' said Mr.. Emerson. but every
business has It's drawbacks. you'll
agree. II I have failed as n host. what
can 7 do 20 entertain you while you
grace our midstT
"'You can DO most anything re-
marked his handsome companion.
You can climb tree OF do anything
except dsh all the time
But &c Is a dark night without. and
I fear some mischief is afoot'
True. But yonder beautcheous
cer"-
Reused by the familiarity OF these
lines. Emerson looked up from his pre-
occupation and smiled az Fraser's seri-
Gus pantomime.
what about that beautcheous ger
and the mischief that is afootp"
"Oh. heard all about your trouble.
! just left the pesthouse."
The whatT'
The pesthouse-Clyde's Joint. Amt
he a calamity"
"In what wayT'
"Weu. I Ike silence and Quietude.
I'm a fool about my quiet. but Clyde
He paused as II in search for suit
able expression. well. whenever I
try 10 say anything he interrupts me-"
After another pause he went on: Hes
dead sore on this place. too. and
whines around like a litter OF pups. He
says he was misled into coming up
here and has a bunch he's going 20
lose his bank roll"
Last nights episode frightened him.
dare say"
Yes. Ever since he got that wallop
on the burr In Seattle a guinea pig
could lick him hand 20 hand. You'd
think that ten thou he put up was all
the wealth OF the mixers"
The wealth OF whatY'
"Inkersi That's a tribe OF rich Nex-
leans However. I suppose I'd hang
TO my coin the same way he does II 1
had a mayonnnise head Ike his. He's
an awful shine as business man"
$50 he's hOmesick. chr
"Surel offered 10 sell me bis stock"
Fraser threw back his head and gave
vent 20 one OF his rare laughs. Amt
that n raveg'
Here he comes now" Boyd an
uounced. with a glance out the win
dow. and the next instant Alton Clyde
entered. a picture OF detection.
Gee! This IS fierce. isn't itY' the
clubman began. finging himself into
the nearest chair. They tell me it's
all Of finally. what are you going
to dOY'
Put up what FISH can with a short
crew." said Boyd
"We'n lose a lot OF money"
Probably"
Clyde's tone was querulous "a he
continued:
I'm sorry I ever went into this
thing. You bet II / had known as
much In Chicago as l know now /
would have hung on TO my money and
stayed at home"
you knew as much as we did"
Boyd declared CURLY.
"Oh. it's ali right for you TO talk.
You haven't risked any coin in the
deal, but I'm a rotten business man,
and I'll never make my ante back
again II I lose 81"
Don't whine about f." said Boyd
stiffiy. you can at least be game
and lose Ike a man"
Then we are going 10 lose, chr
queried Clyde in a scared voice. 'T
thought maybe you had a plan. Look
here" he began an instant later,
Cherry pulled us out once before.
hu Ia J.