Middletown transcript., 1916-06-10
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One day in midsummer Alan. to his
disgust, was summoned peremptorily
by McDale & McDaIe. Half an hours
consultation was all they required and
Alan was pleased 20 find as he left
their offices that he still had plenty
of time to catch the early train back to
Red Hill. There were only two after
noon trains for that difficult goal.
AS he strolled up the avenue he was
arrested by the sight OF tail figure
standing on tie curb watching the
swirl Of the traffic The figure was
dressed In a heavy whipcord suit and
StetsOn hat, u1comprOmisingly
domed in the very form in which 1t
had been blocked by the makers. A
street gamln yelled. Hi! fellers, look
what's got away from Buffalo Bill!
Kemp gazed sad-eyed but unmoved
over his dropping mustaches, doubt
less mourning the passing of the shoot
ing iron and the consequent unanswer-
able affrOnts of a fostered civilization
Alan elbowed his way across the
by the arm. Kemp whirled around as
If to meet attack, but smiled when he
saw Alan's face. Il was jest calcu-
latin on roundin' you up" he drawled.
"Where did you come from? Where
are you off TOT" cried Alan, and without
waiting for an answer he hailed a cab.
hustled Kemp into it and ordered 1t
to his club. He forgot his early train.
In the club lobbS i.emp surrendered
his hat reluctantly to the ready attend
ant and followed Alan across soft car
pets to a quiet corner where two enOr-
nous chairs seemed to be making con-
fdences to each other. One could
imagine them aggrieved at being inter
rupted and sat upon.
well, Kemp" said Alan. "T'm glad
to see you. What's yOurs?"
RYE nd a chaser" said Kemp.
Same for me, waiter" ordered
Alan. "Now, Kemp, tell me all about
it."
81 just blowed in from Lieber's. Mr..
Wayne, and I'm headed west"
"How's Lieber and where's Gerry?
Did Lieber get my cable?"
Kemp looked sadly out through the
window. "Lieber's dead"
''Dead2 Lieber dead"
Kemp nodded. II found him with
everything fixed for kickin' the bucket.
He knew what was the matter, but he
didn't tell me what 1t was. Said 1t
had been comm on him for some while
an thet the want no hep for IT. But
he got your cable, Mr.. Wayne, and he
wanted should tell you that what you
done want wasted. He said there
want nOthin' thet could hep him
through the way that cable did. He
said It was the passpo't he'd been
waitin' for an thet you want to think
1t come too late, because he reckOned
he was goin' to use 1t. Said it kinder
cleared his trail for him. Them was
all the things he said should tell
you"
Kemp stopped talking and downed
his drink. Alan sat silent and thought
full. Lieber was gone and made a gap
In his life that he never knew had been
filed. He wanted to know more. He
turned to Kemp. "Well2"
You remember the joa tree at Lie
ber's. Mr.. Wayne? One O. the lone
soonest trees on earth. | reckon, except
when the Booganviller comes out an
then it's happy mountain O. red and
pu'ple that kind o. lights I'D the hull
desert"
Alan nodded.
"Well. then. you remember the big
bowlder of graywacke under the tree.
That's Lieber's headstone. He had a
mason up from the coast and he made
us carry him out under the tree to
watch the man work. He give him a
model cut into boa'd to copy I'm.
I'm some reader. but them words beat
me every time. corralled 'em on a
bit O. paper. though. an here they be-"
Kemp drew a slip of paper from the
same old wallet that t1used "The
Purple City" He handed 1t to Alan.
"Wish you'd put me on" he said. "AlI
know Is it amt American an 1t
amt Mex.
The words on the slip looked as If
they had been printed by a child with
painstaking care. Alan stared as he
saw them. "QuI de nous ma pas eu
sa terre promise, son jour d'extase, ct
ga fin en- exil?" he read slowly to him
self. and then. with his eyes far away.
translated for Kemp. "'Who Of Us has
not had his promised land, his day of
ecstasy and his end In exileT"
Kemp nodded end held out his hand
for the slip Of paper. He put II back
in his wallet and said. II suppose the
feller thet wrote that was thinkin'
mostly of a mans mind, but when 1t
comes to facts them words don't at