Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1911-05-25
BBeBRONzR
1EToTo ~ ~A
ByLOUIS JOSEPH VANCE
AUTHOR OF THE BRASS BOWL" ETC. j
AUTHOR OF THE BRASS BOWL" ETC.
ILLUSTRATIONS by NANY WNNllT[5RS


you, and"
But Mr.. Rutton?"
''Is q party I've never card Of,
you'll excuse my sayin' so. no more'l
ave of urself. SIR"
WELL" began Amber; but paused
his face hardening as he looked thu
man up and down, nodding slowly.
"Per'aps," continued Mr.. Doggott
unabashed. you mistyke me for my
brother, Emery Doggott. E was ONE
In England, larst card Of I'm. We
look deal alike. I've been told"
you would be-" admitted Amber
drily; and, shutting his teeth upon his
inherent contempt for q liar. he
swung away, acknowledging with q
curt nod the civil Good AFTERNOON
sir" that followed him.
The man had disappeared by the
time Amber regained his kit-bag and
gun-case: standing over which he
surveyed his surroundings with some
annoyance, discovering that he now
shared the station with none but the
ticket agent A stumbling and dis
consulate youth, clad in a three-days'
growth of beard, a checked jumper
and khaki trousers, this person
lounged negligently in the doorway of
the waiting room and, caressing his
rusty chin with nicotine-dyed fingers,
regarded the stranger In Nokomis
with an air Of subtle yet vaguely mel
ancholy superiority.
IF ye're lookin' for tn hotel" he
volunteered Unexpectedly. there amt
none" and effected a mastery retreat
into the ticket booth.
Amused, the despised outlander
picked up his luggage and followed
amiably. I'm not looking for the
hotel that amt" he said, planting
himself in front of the grating; "but
I expected to be met by some one
from Tanglewood-"
"Thet's the Quain place, daown by
tn ba-ay," interpolated the youth from
unplumbed depths of mournful abb
straction.
1T is. ! wired yesterday"
"Yeour names Amber, amt it,
Yes. i"
well, Quain didn't get yeour mes.
sage till this mornin'. sent a kid
daown with 1t 'baout ten o'clock"
But why the-but l wired yester-
day afternoon"
Il knaow ye did," assented the
youth wearily. 1T come through
raound closin' time and they want
nobody baound that way, so l held 1t
over"
This craze for being Characters
tic" observed Mr.. Amber obscurely.
rs the only thing that really stands
in the way Of Nokomis becoming a
thriving metropolis. Do you agree
with me? No matter" He smiled en-.
gagingly; a seasoned traveller this,
who could recognize the fu'ility Of
pickering over the irreparable. More
over. he had to remind himself in all
the blame was, in part at
least, his own; for he had thought.
lessly worded his telegram, will be
with you tomorrow afternoon" and 1t
was wholly like Quain that he should
have accepted the statement at its
face value, regardless of the date line.
81 can leave my things here for a
little while, presumed" Amber sug.
yested after a pause.
The ticket agent stared stubbornly
INTO the infinite. making no sign till a
coin rang on the window-ledge; when
he started, eyed the offering with fugi. |
i've mistrust, and gloomily possessed |
himself of It. I'LL look after them"
ie said. BE ye thinkin' of walkin'?"
YES" said Amber over his shout.
Ter. He was already moving toward
he door.
"Knaow yeour wa-ay?
I've been here before, thank you"
Crossing the tracks, he addressed
himself to the southwark stretching
highway. Walking briskly at first, he
oon left behind the railway station
With its few parasitic cottages, a dip
n the land hid them, and he had
hereafter for all company his
thoughts, the desultory road, a vast
md looming sky. and bare fields
edged with impoverished forest.
Amber had professed acquaintance
With his way; It seemed rather to be
FOR when he chose to for.
AXE the main Travelled road he did so
,oldly, striking OF upon q wagon
rack which. leading across the fields,
elved presently into the heart Of the
crest
The hush Of the forest world bore
eavily upon his senses; the slight
nd Stealthy rustlings In the brush,
be clear dense ringing Of some re-
note AZ, an attenuated clamor Of
awning from some far Crows con-
ress, but served to accentuate its IN.
uence.
Then into the silence crept a sound
D rouse him from his formless rev.
RE. At FIRST a mere pulsing in the
fitness, barely to be distinguished
-om the song Of the surf; but pres.
ntly q pounding, ever louder and
lore insistent. He paused, attentive;
/