The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1915-12-02
CHAPTER I.
Az Chaudlere's.


II was az Chaudiere's that Griswold
had eaten his first breakfast In the
Crescent city. and Il was at Chau'
diere's again that he was sharing a
farewell supper with cambridge OF the
L%ouisianiar. Six weeks lay between
hat and this forty-odd days OF dis.
enlargement and failure superadded
upon other similar days and weeks
and months
Without meaning to, cambridge had
been strewing the path with fresh
thorns for the defeated one. He had
just been billeted TO write up the ba.
ana trade for his paper. Boyishly ju.
bilant over the assignment, he had
dragged the New Yorker around 10
Chaudiere's 10 n small parting feast.
Not that II had required much per.
suasion. Griswold had tasted for %
hours. and II cambridge we're not a
friend In n purist's definition OF the
term. he was at least a friendly &C.
Q%uaintance.
The burden ~ the table talk fell
upon cambridge and II occurred to
'Ht hbcN NuhN uS fufsA WIS lfHS Auhh
usually responsive, a fault not TO be
lightly condoned under the joyous cir.
cumstances. Wherefore he protested.
What's the matter with you to.
night. Kenneth. old man? You're more
than commonly grumpy. It seems to
me; and that's needless
Griswold looked up with n smile
that was almost %ill.natured. and quot.
ed c~ynically: Unto everyone that
hath shall be given. and he shall have
abundance; but from him that hath
not, shall be taken away even that
which he hath"
Bainbridge's laugh was tolerant
enough to take the edge from his re.
tort.
That's a pretty thing TO fling at a
man who never knitted you or pistoled
you or tried TO poison you! An limo
cent ~bystander might say you envied
me-"
Il do" reioined Griswold gravely,
II envy any man who can carr enough
money TO pay for three meals a day
and a place TO sleep in"
"oh, cats foot!r-anybody can 10
that" asserted B%nbridge. with the
air OF one to whom the struggle for
existence has been a mere athletes
practice run.
Il know; that is your theory. But
the facts disprove Il. ! cant. for one
Griswold was a fair man. with red.
dish hair and beard and the quick and
sensitive skin OF the type. a red flush
OF anger crept up under the closely
cropped beard, and his eyes were
bright.
cambridge scored openly; but he
was good.natured enough to make
amends when he saw that Griswold
was moved.
81 take II all back" he said. Il sup.
pose the ook-chicken has come home
again TO roost, and a returned manu-.
script accounts for anything. But.
seriously, Kenneth, you ought 10 get
down TO bedrock facts. Nobody but
a crazy phenomenon can find a pub.
Usher for his first book, nowadays.
unless he has had some sort o. an
introduction H. the magazines or the
newspapers. You haven't had that;
so far as J KIN ", you haven't tried
st."
"Oh, yes, ! have--tried and failed
]. isn't In me TO do the salable thing
and there isn't a magazine editor in
the country who doesn't know II by
this time. | tell you Balnbridge. .he
conditions are all wrong when n rcr
with a vital message 10 his kind can
get TO deliver Il TO the people who
want 70 hear H."
cambridge ordered the small cot
fees and found his cigar case.
THAT is about what | suspected
he commented impatiently. "Yol
couldn't keep your peculiar views
muZzled even when you were writlnl
a bit Of a pot boiler on sugar plant
ing. You drop your fool socialist,
fad and write a book that a reputabl,
publisher can bring out without com
hitting commercial suicide, and you'll
stand some show"
Call II what you please: name
don't change facts. Listen"-Griswolt
leaned upon the table; his eyes grew
hard and the blue in them became me
talllc-"For more than a month
have tramped the streets OF thl
cursed city begging-yes. that Is tn
w~ord-begging for work OF any kin,
that would suffice to keep body an,
soul together. and for more than bal
Of that time I have lived on one mea
q day. That Is what we have com
TO: we OF the submerged majority
And that isn't all. The wage worke
himself, when he is fortunate enoug
Z find a chance 10 earn his crust. |
but n serf: a chattel among the othe
possessions OF some fellow man VIII
has acquired him in the plutocrati
redistribution OF the earth and tn
fullness thereof"
cambridge glanced at his watch.
Il must be going" he said. 9TH
A~delantado drops down the river .
eleven. How are you fixed for IN
- - 49,