The Colorado statesman., 1915-01-30

Get out of town! What for? He was
working now. He was doing no wrong.
And he had no other place to go to,
nor money to go with.
But, inspector, I've found work.
and you needn't expect any more
trouble from me. /"
The inspector wheeled round from
the desk to which he had turned.
Now, don't sit there arguing with
me. You heard what | said, and you
know what l mean. You don't belong
here. You're an undesirable. Now,
get out, and remember what l said"
In the street again everyone seemed
to be watching him. His step lost its
spring.
A man brushed against him, and
said:
Il beg your pardon"
1t sounded like mockery.
He was an desirable-ordered to
leave town or go to jail. The old fear
of the prison came on him, and he
shuddered.
Il will never sleep in prison cell
again"
It droned through his mind persist
emily.
Must it be retracted? Yes, unless he
could leave town. How could he leave
town, and where could he go to?
He found himself at the upholster-
ing shop, and sudden hope burned
within him.
His employer had trusted him, and
| wnnI6 IN l.,
might have some weight with the in.
spector. But the girl behind the cash.
ier's window said his employer would
not be back again that afternoon.
Cummings-undesirab wandered
out into the shop.
A comfortable looking man was ex-
amining the couch he had fixed few
hours before. His hands, inspired
then by the vision of a new purpose,
had worked as never before, and the
handsome piece stood there now,
monument to his skill.
"ls that for sale?" the man asked.
Cummings hesitated a moment
only moment-just long enough to
remember he was an undesirable and
must leave town.
YES" he answered. "It's a beauty.
too"
Whats the price?"
Cummings thought again-thought
as he had one night six months before,
when the inspector told him he lied.
We'll, party left it here with us to
sell, and told us to get what we could
cash. Well let you have it for fifty
dollars. That's a bargain, too, be-
cause it's solid mahogany and
trimmed with real Spanish leather"
moment later he excused himself
to make out the bill, and he stepped
out of the front door with enough
money in his pocket to take him very
far away from town.
| He was a thief now, and he started
when the cashier called after him:
will you be back again-Mr. Cum
mings?"
He mumbled assent, and hurried
down the street. He felt of the money
$50 in bills-and thought where he
should go.
Chicago was nearest, but they'd look
for him there first. No5 Northwest
Canada was better than that
"Yes, I'll be back-Mr. Cummings"
he muttered, and his lips cu-led in a
sinister smile.
Then they closed.
Mr.. Cummings!
Some day people will call me Mr..
Cummings, and there will be Difference
in the address,"
He turned the sentence over in his
mind. 1t had been a determination
not a threat. 1t was to have been his
slogan. Some day he would command
the worlds respect, and would be
known as Mr.. Cummings.
That's what he had meant.
Someone had called him Mr. Cum.
mings-but why? In ignorance of his
past, for conventionality, or out of re-
spect?
The cashier had heard him tell of
his past. 1t was not in ignorance of
that
There had been no one else present
when she spoke to him. She need not
have used his name even for conven-
| tionality.
Two of three reasons failed to hold.
The third remained.
He entered drug store and bought
paper and envelopes. A few doors
farther on his last three dollars went
for cheap pistol and some cartridges.
For the next hour he wrote steadily
in the writing room of big hotel.
, When he finished, two letters lay be-
fore him, and he read them over
Crude, unscholarly they were, but
they proved satisfactory to him.
To the longer of the two, pregnant
with the scorn of brave man for
cowardice, despairing as the last
| groWlS of q bayed wolf he signed "ITn-