The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1916-05-04
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One day in midsummer Alan, to his
disgust, was summoned peremptorily
by McDale & McDale. Half an hours
consultation was all they required and
Alan was pleased to 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 a tall figure
standing on the curb watching the
swirl of the traffic. The figure was
dressed in a heavy whipcord suit and
a Stetson hat, uncompromisingly
domed in the very form in which it
had been blocked by the makers. A
street gamin 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 fostered civilization
Alan elbowed his way across the
stream of pedestrians and clutched him
by the arm. Kemp whrled around as
if to meet attack, but smiled when he
saw Alan's face. 81 was jest Calcu-
latin on roundin' you up," he drawled.
where did you come from? Where
are you off to" cried Alan, and without
waiting for an answer he hailed cab,
hustled Kemp into 1t and ordered 1t
to his club. He forgot his early train.
In the club lobby Kemp surrendered
his hat reluctantly to the ready attend
ant and followed Alan across soft car
pets to quiet corner where two enor-
nous chairs seemed to be making con-
fidences to each other. One could
imagine them aggrieved at being inter-
rupted and sat upon.
We'll, Kemp" said Alan, "I'm glad
to see you. What's yoursY
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"
Dead? Lieber dead?'
Kemp nodded. 81 found him with
everything fixed for kickin' the bucket.
He knew what was the matter, but he
| didn't tell me what it was. Said it
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 passpot he'd been
waitin' for an thet you want to think
! it come too late, because he reckoned
he was goin' to use it, 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
ful. Lieber was gone and made a gap
! in his life that he never knew had been
filled, He wanted to know more. He
turned to Kemp. "Well?"
"You remember the joa tree at Lie.
ber's, Mr.. Wayne? One O. the lone,
soonest trees on earth, l reckon, except
when the Booganviller comes out an
then it's happy mountain O. red and
purple that kind O. lights up the hull
desert"
Alan nodded.
well, then, You remember the bic
hOwlder of graywacke under the tree
| That's Lieber's headstone He had q
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 a boa'd to copy I'm
I'm some reader, but them words beat
me every time. l corralled em on a
bit O. paper. though. an here they be-
Kemp drew slip of paper from the
same old wallet that housed "The
Purple City" He handed it to Alan
"Wish you'd put me Or" he said. "AIl
! know is it amt American an il
amt Mex"
The words on the slip looked as if
they had been printed by child with
painstaking care. Alan stared as he
saw them. "Qui de nous ma pas eu
sa terre promise, son jour d'extase, eft
sa 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 and held out his hand
for the slip OF paper. de put it back
in his wallet and said, Il suppose the
feler thet wrote that was thinkin'
! mostly of a mans mind, but when II
comes to facts the n words don't 6t