The Hayti herald. (Hayti, Mo.) 1908-1922, 1920-05-20

| ism newly tuned to health; and Lev.
| ington fell asleep.
He took his neXt.mornings walk
| along the Swaying aiSles. from coach
| to coach. He abandoned caution, and
felt again sense Of well-being. The
breakfast coffee had been good. The
| train was long and fast. He liked to
stretch his legs. His spirit rose
While awaiting his turn in the bar
ber's chair, he saw a familiar figure
swing into the smoking compartment.
| Con felt the subconsciOusness jerk at
| his nerves. The man was short and
stOcky, with a very large cigar dis
| figuring his mouth. in brown-check-
| ed suit of clothes that gave youth to
| his appearance despite the gray bris-
ties that were cropped above his ears.
! beneath the rim of a brown derby.
"Jee, If it amt Con Lexington
said the flaShy person, throwing out a
stubby but newly manicurcd right
| hand.
| How are you. Stuh?"
"Never finer. son. It's great to see
you. Where you been keepn' your
self? They tell me you are hittin' the
strait and narrow; how about it?"
"Who told you that?" returned Lev
ingtOn, with laugh.
Don't we all know it?" exclaimed
Stubby Taggart. "Ain't saw you at
the club since Christmas"
WAS down Cincinnati way" said
Con, aware Of another backward rub
on his nerves. I'm no good in' cold
weather"
But you sure do eat up them
nights in spring-ain't saw you do it,
Connie when the weather is woody
and soft, and the winter linin' goes
off your faster, and you feel Il drought
comm on that'll last you till snow
fles again.
Stubby cackled with head thrown
back until the derby was in danger.
The other men in the compartment
found 1t difficult to be as bored as they
wished to appear.
81 guess they had a spell of hot
weather down in Cincinnati. didn't
they?" and Stub set himself off in
another fit of laughter. Lexington
nodded, grinning Then Taggart
lowered his voice discreetly and
whispered in his young friends ear:
"On the level. now, how the - did
you keep from gettin' ride in the
blue buggy? They tell me you had
everything your own way, with a gat
in both mitS."
81 don't remember the Details" ans
wered Con, as he shifted the cOnversa-
ton. "What have you been doing,
Stubby? You look prosperous. Don't
tell me you've gone to work"
A hurt expression covered the red,
puffy face, but a smile was in 1t.
Work? Work? Amt I always been
the little hummin' bee for work?"
81 thought perhaps you had a tree
full by this time"
mot at the present price o. liquor.
And say, were gon' through q dry
state in a few minutes. I'm in one
already. You don't happen to have a
drink anywheres on you?"
SO they chatted, and the past was
shifting before the young man, lurid
and restless as lava lake by night
They talked of the club mcmbers-of
Spike Taylor and Jim and Posy Mason
those high-strung, wayward children
who keep Mother Law awake Of
nights and perhaps never come home
to her at ALL
At Vancouver he found there was
not sailing that day. At four the
following afternoon Lexington went
down to his ship. the Ensurta Queen,
not of regular line to the Orient.
He remained in the cabin while she
cleared
: At dinner the next day there was
animated conversation, but Con was
not listening. He was watching the
steward choose chair for Cecil We'd
gers Chinese cook, Chez Ming.
The wrinklcd Celestial looked blank
ly around the dining-room. allowed his
7, narrow eyes to rest on Lexington a
: moment, looked at him and through
, him and then on to finish the survey,
4 without the least flicker of recogni-
2 tiOn.