Evening star., 1914-10-04

the station, because I've got an engage
ment myself at two-fifteen; but I'll land you
at the hotel in jiffy."
needed no second bidding, and in mo-
ment we were bounding along at breakneck
speed in the direction of the city. We COW
cred the distance that had consumed forty
minutes before the lecture in twelve minutes,
and all seemed well-only it was not well ;
for arriving at the hotel, found myself still
fifteen minutes distant from the railway sta
ton, and not taxi or other kind of cab to
be had. What was more, the electric roads
were blocked by fire or something farther
up the street. l was as badly off as ever
and then entered the Good Samaritan!
As l stood there in front of the hotel
making sundry observations, most of them
unprintable, concerning the quality of my
luck, a man of fine appearance came out of
the hotel and stepped quickly across the
sidewalk to large touring car that stood
door, and after seating himself in the ton
neau leaned forward to give his instructions
to his chauffeur, when l was seized with the
inspiration that here indeed was truly my
White Hope Again took my chances I
sprang forward, laid my hand gently on his
arm, and blurted out:
Excuse me, Sir, but my name is Bangs
John Kendrick Bangs. 1 am out here
lecturing, and if don't catch that two-forty-
five train for Salt Lake City shall lose half
a dozen engagements If you have ever
read any of my books and liked them, Sir,
you will be willing to do me service. If
you've read 'em and not liked them, you'll
be glad to get me out of town. Won't you
be Good Samaritan and give me lift to
the station1 You're my only hobel"
@Sure thing!" he answered without an in
stant's hesitation, opening the door. @Get
in-and, James," he added, turning to the
chauffeur, @the San Pedro station, and never
mind the speed limit"
clambered into the car as quickly as 1
could, and the car fairly leaped forward.
@It's mighty good of you," said breath
lessly as we sped along
Don't mention it, Mr.. Bangs said my
host. 3Glad to be of service to you. / read
your House -Boat-on-the-Sty once with
a great deal of pleasure; but there's one
thing about you that 1 like damn sight
better than 1 do your humor"
@What's that?' l asked.
Your ne,pe, Sir" he replied, handing out
a cigar.
We caught the train with eight minutes
to spare, and as it drew out of the station l
realized possibly for the first time in my life
that in my particular line of business neyre
is vastly better asset than neyres, and
have faithfully cultivated the one and reso-
lutely refused to admit the existence of the
other ever since, to my very great advan-
tage.
1t may not be without interest to record
here that in spite of all my trials and tribu-
1ations at Los Angeles the Salt Lake City
engagement was lost. Our engine broke
down in the wilds of Nevada, and we did
not reach Salt Lake until long after mid
night the following NIGHT Nevertheless I
kept my hand in; for in response to the re-
quest of some of my fellow passengers de-
livered my lecture that night in the obser-
walton car of the stalled train in the Nevada
hills, to an audience made up of fifteen fel-
low travellers, the train crew, and half
dozen Pullman porters.
l hesitate to think of what might have
been my fate had employed similar tactics
to get me out of such troubles in New York
or Boston, or some other of our Eastern
cities. The chances are that my name would