San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-07


Pacific, with few brief stops a,
obvious ports. But Camberwell asked
nothing better; he was on the rain
bow route at last.
The morning of his arrival, he
adorned himself in his new silk suit
and his new sun-hat, and his buckskin
shoes and his washable tie, and the
cummerbund he had bought from the
barber and the pugree the steward
had sold him. and with his cane in
one hand and his little guide-book in
the other, he stood armed to sally
forth like a modern conQuistador the
moment the gangway should be
| lowered.
Mister. I'm going to do this town,
and I'm going to do it good." Thus
he, exulting, informed the second Of
ficer as the vessel nosed a way toward
her anchorage. ..
Mr.. Dawson turned wooden.
bluntly-moustached visage, and began
to inspect the phenomenon slowly and
casually. beginning at his feet. He
had a crisp retort ready when his
glance came as high as Camberwell's
own.
Now Camberwell was just a we'll
made youngster of his sort, fresh and
jump. with some of his boyishness
Numbered into shining assurance by
premature business training. But he
did have rather remarkable eyes.
/ Perhaps his dreams had something to
do with them. They were easily his
best feature-wide and seeing" eyes.
unwavering, clear and clean-the kind
of eyes that older folk linger on 10
retrieve some CLINT of their own youth
They surprised Dawson. When he
met them full he forgot what he had
meant 10 say and changed involun-
. tarily TO an answering grin.
How much of it are you going to
> do"
All of it, asserted Camberwell.
You've got only until tomorrow
morning."
Il know. But Il fellow who's been
! waiting for thing twenty-four years
: can sample whole lot in twenty-four
: hours. That's me-
: Dawson considered him.
And what do you think you're
after sir?'
, Truth said Camberwcll promptly
as if nothing could be simpler. Il
. want the essence of this strange place
$ and these strange people. / want to
Understand it. l want to grab it for
). myself. l want BY gum :"
: They were fairly in the roadstead
: now. where the city lay left and right
: With its tumble of minarets and pa.
godas, of spires and domes and various
II as its faiths, it swan over its own re
Election in the flood of the morning
= detached. suspended like n mirage-f
=, vision OF incredible cnchantment that
20 burst upon Camberwell all Mt once.
% Look" he cried. That's it-that's
o what came for / want to get that
: "Yes?' said Dawson. encouraging
0 by George. know it was bound
to be splendid. But this-just look al
j the color, Mister Nate
Yes" agreed Dawson, not unappre.
o ciative himself. Yes. When that
: chap upstairs begins splashing his
! lights all over the shop he does gel
: some queer effects no mistake
Though you'd have to keep looking a
!, goodish while TO learn the half of his
: combination"
i Maybe" said Camberwell "But
r d'you know he breathed in hushed
enthusiasm, Il believe its got some
one combinations What? If mar
5 were only keen enough to catch it
: and wouldn't it be great if he could
Z Something vital and vivid to knock
you on the spot so you'd say right
off-'There. that means the East
And I'm going TO try. I'm sure coins
/, to try. I'll pass up no chance trying
= to get at it. Look now How it seems
You never saw n combination r.
d beat that in your born days."
6 Dawson was doing some thinking.
c It'll seem something else in fivS
z minutes he observed. Sec here. sir
ii / couldn't go about to warn you a
l. all-you being a passenger. wouldn'
presume" There spoke the profes
L sional stiffly. ''And Of course you r,
1t keyed IN for your first Oriental por
+ natural too. But after all, y'knov
its not Thousand and Second Ara
= bian night. After all, its only hug,
=. great city and not over sanitary
70 neither" He hesitated, until Cam
\ berwell drew him with an amiabl'
70 nod. Fr.r
NJ a city like any other city, really,
it he went on. ''Colors? My word, We
y. every blooming color. Twenty diff
8. ferent races in heap. But as for tn
= truth of en-" He shook his head
s wise head, tinged with crap. "Yol
couldn't ever dig it up. And if yo-
II did you wouldn't much care for it
= and likely it'd turn out to be lie
w anyhow.
n, You see, sir. the nearest you or m
M can come to these people is-they' r
NJ people. The good ones good enough
al and most of 'em very well in thei
NJ way-and few of 'em rotten bad,
- mean. The same as London. o
he Frisco, or Naples, or anywhere o
lc- earth. But these are rather worse
N they've had more practice. And for
~ stranger in a strange place, as 70
ne put it yourself. what he's got TO n
NV member; there's some regions an
IL some kinds of truth he wants TO leav
Ia strictly on one side. They may
nc pretty, but they amt healthy"
ch Thus spoke the cynic when one
ne well warmed out of his cynicism. a
II for the sake of the wide, unwary ey,
of youth. And he had the usual +,
re- ward. Youth jovially slapped him O
ne the back.
pc Zine stuff, OF man. Now do n
III last favor before j start. and i
Is forgive you the rest. Those regions
Si that address you've got in mind
-, whereabouts. hey?" just poll