Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-09-29

- "SHru INTO Whs~.
my men were finishing up a ~, !.
handsome desks. He was red az =. p
most frantic in manner. a.
"Oid man. I'm afraid thew.
me" He looked unnatural ana *
gard. i did not break In. for 4. aas
the man with the talk. ..Tbsv..a
the trail Of my old life"
A week later the big eras,
Potter's rival had heard the 80
fight stories from the men NIT
whipped. 1t was nice reysnya
two of them did a remarksbsw
job. My old friend heard II q, -
kept it out of the Citizen. ~
The bounding grew even NOR. -
cessfui every day that passed 49,
worse. 1t was all true-terrfblv
1t was the day before the n-,rs.-
had been given consent to lezy. -.
shop early. 1t was a last try n -, -
the tide that was slowly norrs, AZ
down the character and possibls -
cess of Dick Potter.
I went to the usually ou,e+ 49,.
1t was laxative and boisterous
AS / reached there Dick met M.
Tell Bill to hold the Citizen an n.
press. Tell him / want to mat.
statement and will pay him twice NJ.
price. Run, Jimr'
1t may sound high flown and all ,,..
but it's dead true. say to You tba,
Dick Potter's face, when / saw ~
five hours later, showed mora ssor-
than I think you could crowd IN :,
faces like mine.
He had never lacked any luxurv !,
life but love. Now the thing he wan,
ed most and needed most had hae,
bounded out of his life. I have a.,
reckless men with money-you have
too-but not one was like Dick.
I looked at the man five minu,,s
before he said a word. and could ma,
urge him. Besides knew sbou,
what was coming.
..Jim," he said slowly and with I'm,
pauses between some of the vords
II can tell what the longest walk IN
the world is-it's to be within the
gates of heaven and then to urn
around and walk back"
He dropped his head In his hands,
and for just little minute his voice
broke. Gradually he got the old con
troll and looked up.
"Jfm," he went on slowly. atomor
row the Citizen is going to print my
withdrawal and a complete story o.
my old life. 1 say all my old life.
wrote it, and it's all there" The hin,
OF q smile touched his lips. II told
twice what that scorpion told EN-. |
wanted TO beat him some way, and
knew more than he did," / took
chair and slid it over near his. But
wanted her to know 1t from my own
lips-as a man would act-and told
her everything I knew about Dick Pot.
ter. 1t was pretty nasty in parts, and
it took nearly four hours. Then re-
leased Der from her promise to me. and
1 tried the longest walk in the world
1t starts at old man Winters front
gate and ends"-he looked about bis
new, handsome quarters-"here."
I was saying something-oh, some
small thing about a beginning all over
or something like that. don't thtnk
he heard a word His telephone bel
rang, and he didn't rise to answer. s.
] slid out into the other room and toa
down the receiver.
1t was Lucy Belle. 1 knew the voir
I called to Dick, but he didn't move
Then I made some silly excuse and
ran to Potter. told him 1t was Lucy 7
Belle and what it might mean, but be
wouldn't move. He said be couldn't
stand anything more. rushed back
to the telephone and told Miss Lucy
be was sick.
But she knew Dick, and she begsea
me to get him to talk to her, just f0i
q moment. By that time / had gcl
TO be so much OF liar that thought
could stand another little disgrace, ana
[ told Dick she was sick and needed
him for something.
It worked. Dick was there In DO
lime He wanted to help.
was rambling through some OF Us
new books when he came back to ne
Honestly / thought he had gone naa
His white face was flaming red. hs
were alert. and his eye
placed. He couldn't talk nearly ias'
enough.
"'Dick. Dick she says. i want
help you f1ght-all the way up:
;ays. She's thought 1t all tnrousA
md she believes in me. And she say
he needs me. She says IT takes an,,
,ody TO be a politician, but heroes 's4
he truth. She
The poor fellow, in half sooOn.
renzy. broke off TO straighten nimss
or a journey back TO her home
lelped a bit myself, and you'd nav
bought he was n fire horse. "a,
ever seen a man in so big rush
ny whole life. In five minutes
ooked pretty decent. and be caus
old of my hand with half via -
( laugh. At the door be looked pa'
or a second. -.
Jim" he said. hardly taking W.
or the words-".Jim. l was Wivp
he longest walk in the world IS