The Washington herald., 1920-09-20
4 BLACKJACK BARGALNER

dnu snaklng. 10, you Enoul'
Even a Ch-Chinaman protects the
G-graves of his ancestors-go|
The squirrel hunter slouched
out OF the door to his carryail'
While he was climbing over the
wheel Goree was collecting, with
feverish celerity, the MONEY that
had fallen from his hand to the
floor. AS the vehicle slowly turn
ed about, the sheep. with a coat
of newly grown wool. was hurry
ing in indecent haste. along the
path to the courthouse.
At three o'clock in the morning
they brought him back to his Of
fice. shorn and unconscious. The
sheriff, the sportive deputy, the
county clerk, and the gay attorney
carried him, the chalk faced man
from the valley" acting as escort.
"On the table" said one Of them
and they deposited him there
among the litter OF his unproht-
able books and papers.
Vance thinks a lot OF q pair of
deuccs when he's liquoredr up,
sighed the sheriff refiectively.
TOO much" said the gay at
torney. "a man has no business
~ WIZ As iAIeh
as he does. wonder how much
he dropped tonight"
Close to two hundred. What !
wonder is whar' he got it. Vance
amt had a cent fur over a month.
know"
Struck a client, maybe. We'll.
let's get home before daylight.
He'll be all right when he wakes
up. except for a sort of beehive
about the cranium."
The gang slipped away through
the early morning twilight. The
next eye to gaze upon the miser-
able Goree was the orb of day.
He peered through the uncurtain-
ed window. first deluging the
sleeper in a flood of faint gold.
but soon pouring upon the mot
tied red of his flesh a searching.
white. summer heat. Goree stirred
half unconsciously. among the
tables debris. and turned his face
from the window. His move
ment dislodSed a heavy law book,
which crashed upon the floor.
Opening his eyes. he saw. bend
ing over him. man in a black
freCk coat. Looking higher. he
discovered a well-worn silk hat
and beneath II the kindly. smooth
face of Col. Abner Coltrane.
4 little uncertain of the out
come. the colonel waited for the
other to make some sign OF rec
ognition. Not in twenty years
had male members of these two
families faced each other in peace
Gorce's eyelids puckered as he
strained his blurred sight toward
this visitor. and then he smiled
serenely.
Have you brought Stella and
Lucy over to play" he said calm
ly.
DO you know me. Yancey:'
asked Coltrsne.
of course I do. You brought
me whip with a whistle in the
end"
So he had-twenty-four years
ago: when Yanccy's father was
his best friend.
Goree's eyes wandered about
the room. The colonel understood.
Lie still. and I'll ring you some" E"
said he. There was a pump in the
yard at the rear. and Gorec closed
his eyes. listening with rapture
to the click of the handle. and
the bubbling OF the falling stream
Coltrane brought a pitcher of the
cool water. and held it for him
to drink. Presently Goree sat up
"a most forlorn object, his sum
mer suit of fax soiled and crum-
pied. his disCreditable head tous-
led and unsteady. He tried to
wave one of his hands toward the
colonel ---v.
"Ex-excuse = everything. will
YOU" he said Il must have drunk
too much whisky last night. and
gone to he'd on the table" His
brows knitted into puzzled
frown.
asked Coltrane kindly.
NO. ! went nowhere. haven't
had a dollar to spend in the last
two months. Struck the demijohn
TOO often. ! reckon. as usual"
Col. Coitrane touched him on
the, shoulder.
"A little while ago Yancey.T he
began. you asked me if l had
brought Stella and Lucy over to
play. You weren't quite awake
then. and must have been dream
ing you were a boy again. You
are awake now. and I want you
TO listen TO me. I have come from
Stella and Lucy to their old play
mate. and TO my old friends son.
They know that | am going to
bring you home with me. and you
Will find them as ready with a
welcome as they were in the old
days. I want you to come to my
house and stay until you are your
self again, and as much longer as
YOU will. We heard of your being
down in the world. and in the
midst of temptation. and we
agreed that you should come over
and play at our house once more.
Will you come. my boy? viii you
drop our old family trouble and
come with me-"
Trouble" said Goree. opening
his eyes wide. There was never
any trouble between us that 7
know Of. I'm sure we've always
been the best friends But. good
Lord. Colonel, how could I 80 to
YOUR home as | ana drunken
wretch. miserable. degraded
spendthrift and gambler
He lurched from the table into
his armchair. and began to weep
maudlin tears. mingled with gen