The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-07-08
R0LHnD ASHFORD PHILLIPS

s& - -
guess you'll have to do the same thing to-
night, Mary"
He stood very quiet while she knotted it
and fufed the ends. Then she stepped
back and surveyed him from head to foot.
A wave of color crept into her white cheeks,
duIled the pools of shadows and smoothed
away all the tiny wrinkles.
"There now! My, but you do look nice,
Jerryl" Her eyes swan radiantly. "You're
a different man. I wish you could dress
like this more often" she caught herself
and her cheeks blanched.
9 Not that, DEAR" she broke out, fright
ened, "not thati I didn't mean it that
way. Of course you couldn't afford to
dress like this every night. Only meant
that you look so nice-and-" her words
faltered and died away. He went over, put
both arms about her and kissed her tenderly
upon the lips.
'"I understand, DEAR" he struggled, wink
ing hard. "Of course, I understand. 1t
does seem nice and pleasant to dress up once
in a while" He hesitated. CHOW don't
let me forget handkerchief"
II put one in the drawer of the bureau"
she said.
He turned and walked over. Fumbling
for the bit Of linen his cropping fingers came
in contact with something hard and cold.
He unconsciously caught at his breath.
The binding recollection of Livingston's
words crushed to his brain.
The one of us aOho isn't successful at
forty
Mary was not looking. With a sudden
little movement he gripped the revolver
and slipped it into his hip-pocket.
TWICE hewalked pastthe door of the big
= hotel before he finally gained courage to
enter the lobby. Carriages and taxicabs
were spinning up to the curb and disgorging
their jovial, prosperous-looking men. The
lobby was fairly crammed with them. Gil
man went in and slipped quickly to the
cloak-room, where he left his hat.
Men passed and repassed him, laughing,
Joking, slapping one another on the back.
But all of the faces were strange to him.
At the end of the hall the maze of lights and
the constant tinkle of dishes gave promise
of the feast to come. Somewhere beyond
that came the first strains of the hidden
orchestra. He ventured into the banquet
room with hot lump in his throat, peering
here and there, hopefully, yet with strange
sense of dread as each new face came into
his horizon. More than once he recoiled
from an imaginary thump between his
stopped shoulders.
The long table, glittering with glass and
shaded candles, smothered with riot of
flowers, was rapidly filing up. Gilman
shrank into the nearest chair and stared
absently at the slim-necked wine-glass be-
side his plate. No one spoke to him. Every
one else seemed bursting with exuberant
conversation. As the meal progressed he
grew bit Drawer and lifted his eyes, search
ing the line of faces.
A tall, ruddy-cheeked individual oppo-
site him, Keeling with too much wine, looked
a whole lot ike the old coach of the football
squad. But he was not certain. Another
one he thought might be old Skibby, who
had the best batting eye of the entire nine.
The dream-pictures came and went, like so
much smoke. Now sharp pair of eyes
brought back perfect flood of memories,
now a shouted name recalled long forgot
ten instances; sometimes a voice which he
picked out from the rest of the babble sent
his heart throbbing furiously. Once, with
a queer tingle of suspense, he thoughts he
heard his own name mentioned.
Before long the dinner was over and the
dexterous waiter removed the dishes and
set deni-tasse before him. Cigars and
cigarettes were lavishly passed from hand
to hand-fairly poured on the white spread.
Jerry's thin hand went out and accepted
one of the latter. He lighted it and drew
in deep breath. God, but that cigarette
tasted good! He used to smoke that brand
before the rut swallowed him.
Three or four of the fellows around him
drew together and began humming frag-
ments of an old song. Somehow they could
not strike the right pitch nor recollect the
rhyme. One of them suddenly turned to
him.
"Do you remember how it went9 That
old song about the sugar and the rum"
Gilman's heart leaped to sufocation
eyes, IL think remember" he choked
wait :. here it isl" The words slipped
from between his dry lips and the song
/. started. OF an instant it swept the length
:, of the whole table; the room fairly rocked
ST wish had a barrel Of rum
e And sugar three hundred pounds;
n The college bell to mix It in
And the clapper to stir it round"
And so it continued. Chairs were kickeC