Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1911-01-27
Again. for Mans sake. Tom cou]

Again, for Mans sake, Tom could do
no less. 1t was the final plunge. The
boy was come of abstinent stock, which
was possibly the reason why the smell
of the raw corn liquor with which the
cabin reeked gripped him so fiercely.
be that as it may, he could make but
feeble resistance when the tipsy
mountaineer pressed him to drink; and
the slight barrier went down altogether
when he saw the appealing look in
Mans eyes. Straightway he OWNED
that there would be consequences for
her when he was gone If the maudlin
demon should be aroused in her father.
80 he put the tin cup to his lips and
coughed and strangled over a single
swallow of the fiery, nauseating stuff;
ala this for the girls sake, and then
rose and fed away from the mountain
with his heart ablaze and a fearful
ciamor as of the judgment trumpet
sounding In his ears.
Inc next morning he came hollow
eyed TO his breakfast, and when the
chance offered. besought his father to
give MIN one of the many boys jobs in
the iron plant during the summer va
catlon-asked and obtained And nei-
tner the hotel on the mountain top nor
the novel cabin under the second cliff
saw MIN more the long summer
through.
CHAPTER X.
IL was just before the Christmas hol-
ldays. In his fourth year of the sectar-
ian scnool, that Tom Gordon was ex-
peled. Writing to the Reverend Silas
at the moment of Toms dismissal, the
principal could voice only his regret
ana disappointment. 1t was a most sin
guar case During his first and second
years Inomas had set high mark and
nad attained to 1T. On the spiritual side
ne mad been somewhat non committal,
70 DC sure, but to offset this. he had
oeepiy interested in the preparatory
theological studies, or at least he had
appeared to be.
But on his return from his first
summer spent at home there was
marked change in him, due, so thought
Doctor IolilVar, to his association with
the rougher class of workmen in tha
IRON mills. 1t was as II he had. sud-
denly grown older and and harder. and
the discipline of the school. admira bile
as the Reverend Silas knew it to be.
was not severe enough to reform him.
1T grteves me more than I can tell
--~S 1850 DacthCAs W Oc ODllEGQ TO
confess that we can do nothing more
for him here" was the concluding par
agraph of the principals letter. "and
to add that his continued presence
with us Is menace to the morals of
the school. When say that the Of
Tense for which he is expelled is by no
means the first. and that 1t is the dou-
BILE one OF gambling and Keeping in
toxicating liquors in his room, you will
understand that the good repute Of
Beersheba was at stake, and there was
no other course open to u.s.
Thomas Jefferson turned his back on
three and a half years of Beersheba.
with hot tears in his eyes and an angry
word on his lips. The Pintsch lights
were burning brightly in the Pullman.
and these-and the tears-blinded him.
Some Of the. sections in the middle Of
the car were made down for the night.
and while he was stumbling In the
wake of the porter over the shoes and
the handbags left In the aisle, the
train started.
Lower ten, sah," said the black boy.
and went about his business In the lin
en- locker. But Tom stood balancing
himself with the swaying of the car
and staring helplessly at the occupant
of lower twelve, a young girl in a gray
travelling coat and hat. sitting with her
face to the window.
why. you-somebody!" she exclaim-
ed. turning to surprise him in the &C.
of glowering down on her. do you
know, ! thought there might be just
one chance in thousand that you'd 10
home for Christmas. so made the por-
ter tell me when we were coming to
Beersheba. Why don't you sit down 2"
Tom edged into the opposite seat ana
shook hands with her, all In miserable.
comfortless silence. eThen he blurted
out:
III I'd had any idea you were on this
train, I'd have walked"
Ardea laughed. and for all his mis-
cry he could not help remarking how
much sweeter the low voice was grow :
ing, and how much clearer the blue OF
| her eyes was under, the forced light OF
| the gas-globes.
"You are just the same rude boy
aren't you?" she said. leniently. ''Are
| there no girls in Beersheba to teach
you how to be nicer"
81 didn't mean 1t that way" he has
tened to say. I'm always saying the
wrong thing to you. But II you only
| knew. you wouldn't speak to me: much
l'less let me sit here and talk to YOU"
III only knew what? Perhaps yor
would better tell me and let me judge
for myself, she suggested; and out O
the past came a flick of the memor,
whip to make him feel again that sh,
was immeasurably his senior.
Pm expelled" he said. bluntly.
"Oh." For full minute. as it seem
ed to him. she looked steadfastly on
of the window at the wall of blacknes
fitting past. and the steady drummin,
of the wheels grated on his nerves an,
got into his blood. When it was abou
to become unbearable she turned ant
gave him her hand again. I'm just a.
, sorry as I can bel" she declared, ant
I the slate-blue eyes confirmed IT.
1T was this way: three of the boy,
i came to my room to play cards-bs
cause their rooms were watched.
, didn't want TO play-oh, I'm none tos
5 good; in answer to somethin;
in her eyes that made him eager to tel
her the exact truth-'Tve done it lot:
OF times. But that night I'd beer
; thinking-well, I just didn't want to
that's all. Then they said was afraid
; and OF course that settled it."
OF course" she agreed. Loyalty.