The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1919-04-29


cid Barnes, siippiGS his bIg JACK
4r,r,, his shoulders and letting it Glide
n1aor that Teller in the taproon
.,,.;n-q Well. he is one of the lead
,c,ors in New YorIz-in the world
~ fhat matter. He's been talkin
.,b,77l Broadway for nearly week
now. steady
..,fav inquire what he is doing uI
here, in The Wilds:
.s+ nrescnt he amt doing anything
.--ol,r,+ talk. Last week he was treddin'
~, boo-(Is. as he puts il himself. Bust
;sr Tn the 7ue Showed last Satur-
,so,7 night in HornvilEe, eighteen mile
',,ortr, IF here, and Immediately after
.t1,n performance him and his whole
,cnuu., started TO walk back to New
Work a good four hundred mile. They
,.tsrred out the back way Of the opery
hnust and nobody missed 'em till next
.,rrnin' except the sheriff, and he
hadn't miss 'em till they'd got over
Iba county line into our bailiwlck
r.ur Of 'em are still atoppin' here
;osf because l amt got the eheart to
snrn EN- out ner the spare money to
s,uy 'eln tickets to New York. Here
.ou,es one of 'ern now. Mr.. Dilling-
tord will YOU show this gentleman to
lc,,c eleven and carry his baggage up
Tor him? And maybe he'll want; a
uitcber of warm water to wash and
shave in He turned 80 the new guest
snd smiled alphabetically. s'We're
sa;4ta short o help .isIst now. Mr.
IN consented to-
NV word!" @aSped Mr.. Dilifngford.
.ssarinc al the register. Someone
from little I'D New York? My word
Mir vo51- Won't ycu have a-er-
1sstle something tn drink with me be
fore yetl--
He wants something to eat" inter-
rupted Mr.. Jones sharply. '"reli Mr..
bacon to step up to his room and
take the order"
All right old cllap-nothing easier"
said NJ. Dillingford genially. ''Just
climb UP the elevator. Mr.. Barnes. We
do this to get up an appetite. When
did YOU leave New York;
Taking M lighted kerosene lamp
land the heavy pack, Mr.. Clarence Dill
lingford led the way up the stairs.
He was q chubby individual of indef1-
mite age Al Il glance YOU would have
said he was under tWenty-one; sec
ond look would have convinced you
that he was nearer fOrty-One.
Depositing Barnes pack on chair
in the little bedroom at the end Of
the hail upstairs he favored the guest
with perfectly unabashed grin.
"I'm not doing this to oblige old
man Jones. you know. l won't attempt
to deceive you. I'm working out a
daily board bill. Chuck three times
day and a bed to sleep in-that's what
I'm doing it for. so don't get it into
your head that | applied for the job.
Let me look at YOU. l want to get
good square peep at man who has
She means to go somewhere and vet is
boob enough to come to this gosh
awful place Of his own free Will and
accord. Darn it, you look intelligent
don't get you ut ALL What's the mat
ter? Are you fugitive from justice?'
Barnes laughed aloud. There was
no withstanding the fellows Sprightly
inpndence.
4 happen to enjoy walking" said
IF l enjoyed it as much as you do
I'd be limping into Harlem by this
hme." said Mr.. Dillingford sadly. ''But
Fou see Pm an actor. I'm too proud
TO walk
IHe cracked bell on the office desk
interrupted him, somewhat peremp-
sorliy. Mr.. Dillingford'S face assumed
an expression of profound dignity. He
lowered his voice as he gave vent to
The following:
mat man Jones is the meanest hui
man being God ever let Yes, sir,
somlng, sr!' He started for the open
moor with surprising alacrity.
Barnes surveyed the little bedcham-
per, 1t was just what he had expected
1t would be. The walls were covered
WIN garish paper selected by one
fho had an eye but not taste for
e'iof-bright pink flowers that looked
more or less like chunks of shattered
"a'tFmeion split promiScuo,lSly over
background Of pearl gray The bed
N'Nao. bureau and waShstand We're Of
.thSNely modern. Everything was as
rIeah as 4 PIN. however, and the bed
'Ne' comfortable. He stepped to the
N''ai'' hany-paned window and looked
o"' I'M" the night The storm was at
N "tIsht. in all his life he never had
'"i" Such Il CHATTER of rain. nor a
"n' mat Sirieked so appallingIy.
h!> thoughts went quite naturally
me woman who was out there in
''' 'Alck Of it. He wondered how she
"'S 'afIng and lamen,ed that she was
o' III MS place ROW and he in hers.
"". vas She doing up in this God
'"i >dktn c0llntiyE Wh.t WOE tho ,op,o