Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-04-21
Seven
TO
Baldpate
By
EARL DERR BIGGERS
Copyright. 1913. by the Bobbs.herrin
Company
tcoNTINU1p.l

AL uOuE pdSccO. III. 0oA duLiAISC0
when pressed that a good cigar sooth'
ed the soul and accepted another from
Magee's stock. The professor contin.
ued to talk. Obviously it was his ia.
vorite diversion. He seemed to be
quoting from addresses. Mr.. Magee
pictured him on a Chautauqua plat.
form. the white pitcher by his side.
AS he talked Mr.. Magee studied that
portion Of his delicate. scholarly face
that the beard left exposed to the
world. What part had Thaddeus Boil
ton, holder of the Crandall chair of
comparative literature, in this network
Of odd alarms? Why was he at Bald
pate. and why was he so little moved
by the rapid changes in the makeup
IF the inn colony. changes that left
Mr.. Magee gasping? He took them as
calmly as he would take his grapefruit
ut the breakfast table. Only tina,
morning Mr.. Magee, by way Of expert
ment, had fastened upon him the sus
picion of murder, and the old man had
not tlickered an eyelash.
Mr.. Max inserted loud yawn into
the professors discourse.
"Once l played chess with a Ger
man." he said, "and another time
went to u lecture on purifying poll
tics, but l never struck anything Sc
monotonous as this job l got now.
was just thinking as set here how II
all comes Of people being suspicious
of one another. Now, I've always
held that the world would be u better
place If there wasn't no suspicion In
1t. Nine times out Of ten the suspi'
cion amt got leg to stand on, II sus'
picion can be said to have Leg"
Evidently MIR. Max desired the floor
graciously Professor Bolton conceded
1t to him.
Speaking Of suspicion" continued
the drab little man on the threshold
turning his cigar thoughtfully be-
tween his thin lips, reminds me of q
case told me by Pueblo Sam few
years ago. In some ways it's real fun
ny, and In others It's sad as hades
Pueblo Sam was called in them terms
because he'd never been west Of Sixth
avenue. He was q swell, refined gen
tleman who lived by his wits. and he
had considerable
"a confidence man." suggested Ma
gee.
Something along that order" admit,
ted Mr.. Max. "but Il good sport among
his friends. you understand. Well, this
case Of suspicion Sam tells me about
happened something like this: One
scOrching hot day in summer Sam gets
aboard the Coney boat. his idea being
to put all business cares away for an
hour or two aud just float calm and
peaceful down the bay and cool Off.
So lie grabs out Il camp chair and hus'
ties through the crowd up to the top
deck. beside the pilots hangout, and
sits down to get acquainted with rthe
breeze, If such there was.
well, he'd been sitting there about
ten minutes. Sam tells me, when along
came about the easiest picking that
ever got loose from the old home
stead
81 beg your pardon" protested Pro.
fessor Bolton.
''The ready money. the loosened kale,
the posies in the garden waiting to be
plucked," elucidated Mr.. Max. "This
guy. Sam says. was such a perfect rube
he just naturally looked past him to
see If there was trail of wisps of hay
on the floOr. For awhile Sam sits there
with a crouch as he thought how hard
1t was to put business aside and get q
little rest now and then and debating
whether, being on vacation. as II
was, he'd exert himself enough to
stretch forth his hand and take what.
ever money the guy had. While he
was arguing the matter with himself
the jay settled the question by coming
over and sitting down near him.
Hes in the city. he tells Sam, to
enjoy the moving pictures Of the
streets. and otherwise forget the trees
back home that grow the cherries In
the bottom Of the cocktail glasses.
And believe me- he says to Sam. there
amt none Of those confidence men go
ing to get me. I'm too wise he says.
"T'll bet money you are Sam tells
him laughing all over at the fish that
was fighting to get into the net.
"'Yes, Stree says the last Of the Mo.
hicans, they can't fool me. can tell
them as fur away as l can see 'em
and my eyesight's perfect. One OF
'em comes up to me In City Hall park
and tries to sell me some mining stock
1 guess he amt recovered yet from
what I said to him. l tell you, they
can't fool Mark Dennen,' says the guy
"Sam told me that at them words he
just leaned back in his seat and stared
at the Jay and whistled under his
breath. Years ago, it seemed, Sam
had lived in the town Of Readsboro
Vt, and ran up and down the streets
with one suspender and stone bruise
and the kid that had run with him waf
Mark Dennen. And Sam says he look
ed at this guy from the woods that
was running round crying to high
heaven he needed a guardian, and he
sees that sure enough 1t was the tow
head Mark Dennen and-Sam told me
something seemed to bust inside him
and he wanted to stretch out his arms
and hug this guy.
"Mark Dennen,' shouts Sam, as
live. OF Readsboro. vt. The kid
used to play with under the arc lights
don't you remember meT
"But Sam says the guy just looked
him straight in the eye and shut hi'
jaw and says, 4 suppose you'll be ask
ing after my brother George ne1tT
".You ain't got any brother George
you idiot! laughs Sam. He told ms
he was thinking how he'd treat his
old friend Mark to dinner that woult
60 down in history in Readsboro
Mark, you old rascal he says, don
you remember me? Don't you remem
ber little Sam Burns that used to pla!
andy over with you and that stole you
girl in 1892? Don't you remember tn
old days In ReadsboroT He was al
het up by this time, Sam tells me, ant
all the old memories came creeping
back, and he kept thinking he neve
was so glad to run across anybody II
his life. You remember little San