The Washington herald., 1920-08-10
Squaring the Circle
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.
BY O. HENRY.

CONTINUED FRoM PAGE ONE.
away to hotel commensurate to
his boots and carpet-sack.
On the next morning the last of
the Folwells made his sortie into
the city that sheltered the last
Hardness. The Colt was thrust
beneath his coat and secured by
a narrow leather belt; the hunt
ing-knife hung between his shoul-
der-blades, with the haft an inch
below his coat collar. He knew
this much-that Cal Harkness
drove an express wagon some-
where in that town, and that he,
Sam Folwell, had come to Kill
him. And as he stepped upon the
sidewalk the red came into his
eye and the feud-hate into his
heart.
The clamor of the central ave-
nues drew him hitherward.' He
had half expected to see Cal COM
ing dowE the street in his shirt
sleeves, with jug and whip in
his hand, just as he would have
seen him in Frankfort oH Laurel
City. But an hour went<oy and
Cal did not appear. Perhaps ne
was waiting in ambush, to shoot
him from a door or a window.
Sam kept a sharp eye on doors
and windows for a while.
About noon the city tired of
playing with its mouse and sud
denly squeezed him with its
straight lines.
great. rectangular arteries of the
city cross. He looked four ways,
and saw the world hurled from its
orbit and reduced by spirit level
and tape to an edged and cornered
plane All life moved on tracks,
in grooves, according to system.
within boundaries, by rote. The
toot of life was the cube root; the
measure of existence was square
measure. People streamed by in
straight rows; the horrible din
and crash stupefied him.
Sam leaned against the sharp
corner of a stone building. Those
faces passed him by thousands,
and none were turned toward him.
A sudden foolish fear that he
had died and was a spirit and
that they could not see him, seiz-
ed him. And then the city smote
him with loneliness.
A fat man dropped out of the
stream and stood a few feet dis
tant. waiting for his car. Sam
crept to his side and shouted
above the tumult into his ear:
The Rankinses' hogs weighed
the mast in their neighborhood
was a fine chance better than
what it was down"
The fat man moved away un-
ostenta tiously. and bought roast
ed chestnuts to cover his alarm.
Sam felt the need of a drop of
mountain dew. Across the street
men passed in and out through
swinging doors. Brief glimpses
could be had of a glistening bar
and its bedeckings. The feudist
crossed and essayed to enter.
Again had Art eliminated the IA
miliar circle. Sans hand found
no door-knob-it slid, in vain.
over a rectangular brass plate
and polished oak with nothing
even as large as a pins head upon
which his fingers might close.
Abashed, Redeemed, heartbroken,
he walked away from the bootless
Gust club tickIed him in the ribs
Take a walk for yourself" said
the policeman. You've been loaf
ing around here long enough"
At the next corner shrill whis-
tie sounded in Sans ear. He
wheeled around and saw a black
browed villain scowling at him
over peanuts heaped on a steam
ing machine. He started across
the street An immense engine.
without mules, with the
voice of bull and the smell of a
smoky lamp. whizzed past, graz
ing his knee. A cab-driver
bumped him with a hub and ex-
planned to him that kind words
were invented to be used on other .
occasions. A motorman changed !
his bell wildly and. for once in |
his life, Corroborated a cab-driver. |
A large lady in a changeable silk |
waist dug an elbow into his back, |
and newsy pensively pelted him |
with banana rinds, murmuring. "I /
hates to do it-but if anybody /.
seen me let it pass"
Cal Harkness, his days work .
over and his express wagon sta
bled. turned the sharp edge Of the /
that, by the cheek of
architects, is modelled upon a
safety razor. Out of the mass of .
people his eye picked up.
three yards away, the surviving