Evening star., 1914-11-22

the peaks which he had often watched and loved
forty years before. @I've made money; but I've
paid the price-God knows l have! And it's not
valuable, after ALL If could square some of the old
accounts with it, of those debts of friendship,
some of those
His voice broke queerly, and trailed away into
whisper, and his audience, understanding somewhat
but wondering, had the delicacy to speak of cheerful
things, and let him The spell seemed not to
have left him when he boarded the special rig that had
come to return him to the world of finance; for
after the driver had lifted his rens to start the great
fnancier leaned out and said:
@Joe, pray God that nothing ever induces you to
leave here But anything goes wrong, remember
me- won't you? Somehow, old pardner, don't think
I'm coming back here; but-but-"
He Strengthened suddenly in his seat looked out at
the hills behind Caballeros and said in husky voice to
the driver @Go ahead"
That was all. He neither changed position
looked back the rig whirled him from sight, and
Honest Joe, looking fondly at his wife, said:
"Wel well! Nav, what do you think of that? Poor
old Toluse! He may be rich in the pocket; but
how, Nav, think he's got starved hearth
For long time that evening Honest Joe sat and
stared at the sunset the DUSK and the stars, wishing
that he could share with that lonely old comrade of
his youth some of the cententment that melowed his
life and thanked Heaven that he had never been
drawn out into the whirlpool of world that seemed
to have engulfed so many Others
II not have all the money might have, with
my ability for such things he mumbled to huge old
tree in which he conded rare OCCASIONS @but now
that I'm seventy years old money don't look quite
desirable it did when I younger. Maybe it
don't to Touse either"
@Joe! Oh, Joe! If you'd quit mumblin to yourself
out there and in and go to bed you'd show heap
more sense It's most ten o'clock, and that's time
for any decent, hard -workn' to be up gentle
but complaining voice warned him from the interior of
the cabin, and with guilty haste at the thought of
being I'D at such late hour he knocked the ashes
from his pipe and tiptoed heavily to his couch
I1NHERALDED, unsupported, the Goddess Of Change
~ came one night in the fall year LATER with fire
brand in her hand and when Honest Joe, dazed, sat
up in bed and looked at the light his wall and then
at the little small paned window, and rushed out the
old moss-covered roof of the store just falling in
and shower of sparks shot upward from funeral
pyre long-dead youth. Mary Ann, after wringng
her hands, and crying little in silence brought out
red blanket and threw it him as he sat- bewdered,
almost uncomprehending, and detected on a nearby
boulder. Mary Ann also courageously rallied him to
help beat little starts of twinng flame that threat
ened to make their way the pine needles and forests
that stood, if appalled, in circle round the little
fat in the valley.
3There! There No in grievin over it. Paw she said
SOFTLY laying her smudged wrnkled, old hand gently
his bowed head as he leaned the table the 4ont
room after it was all over. at amt made any money
for most fifteen years. and besides got the annuity
He lifted his head and looked at her with something
in his eyes that she had rarely seen
in all their lives, a look of terrible
suffering and said almost broken
w. at amt the money, Nav. It's -
-it's-why, it's just like seein' xef*
ones best friend buried out of GESf
sight! It's funeral! lists"
and did not fipish for, seeing the