Arizona state miner., 1926-08-21
The Water Bearer

the line at having her son appear at
the fashionable resorts where she was
stopping. That was a tacit under
standing between them. Doubtless
the widow objected to having, a twen-
ty-six-year-old child inject himself
into her realm of arrested maturity
She had deliberately set back hel
clock of life. The presence of Ted cor
rected Time with too obvious a Ihand
Caleb reached the apartment a little
after noon and found his friend still
in bed. Baxter surveyed him with a
grin that turned into yawp.
"Nice time for you to be coming
home" he challenged. where's your
New England conscience? Stopping
out all night! Give an account of
yourself, you reprobate. Never preach
to me again. You're degenerating, CAL
my son. Have a gin fizz? / was out
1 to the Beach last night. With a peach.
With two peaches in fact, and an
other cabalieIO. The party gathers
again this evening and I'm fiat. What
time is it? l think I'll get up. Wen
| iie.' Z AOAiNI OL Cl1C NIuO IVA 10 III CONFb IL
The man I've wanted you to meet.
| One of the Big Siege Guns of the
| coast"
Baxter regaled Caleb with an ac-
count of the trip Of the night before
along the beach, visiting every boule-
ward resort. The peach" it appeared,
was blond stenographer who was a
thoroughbred sport and a winner"
BY which Caleb tacitly understood
that the young lady had acquiesced
in every suggestion of Baxter's with
out demur. Caleb broke the tale to
make his own change of clothes, to
shave and take his bath. Baxter or
dered luncheon at the club over the
telephone, to be ready in half an hour,
then switched to the garage for his
car to be brought round in twenty
minutes.
While they waited he rounded on
Caleb and demanded a statement of
what he had been up to.
Caleb told his story. He saw no
reason why he should conceal any
thing and yet he had some reluctance
to describe his visit at Eel Nido in de-
tail. He did not fancy that Baxter
would see-or would have seen-the
place and it's people in the same light
that he did. His reservations betrayed
him. Baxter seized upon the mention
Of the girl with whoop and quizzed
him to the limit.
You sly fox" he cried. ga beauty
with chestnut tresses, riding like q
centaur after borzois, chasing a coyote
and catching Caleb Warner! She
has you on the hip, Caleb. Romance
has blOssomed in your sterile Massa-
chusetts soul. Sir Galahad and the
Princess of the Hidden Valley! It's
a moving picture.
give heard of the Clintons," he rat
tied on. "Seen the girl, too, at the
dog show, though / don't remember
the chestnut locks. Next time you go
a-dshing, my wandering gallant, 7 go
with you.''
Here's your car" said Caleb dryly,
looking out of the window.
Baxter gave him a bantering look
and dropped the subject.
The club known as The Altruists Is
situated downtown, an institution
grown from an early membership of
writer's and artists, with two big
rooms and free-and-easy privileges, to
aff1uence and influence.
1t was full Of good-natured men
sharing a camaraderie that was new
to Caleb's conception of club life. And
with them all Baxter was hail-fellow-
well-met. A dining-room steward
sought him out and informed him that
lunch would be on the table in ten
minutes.
"We'll look around a bit" said Bax-
ter. ''And / must get you card.
Later We'll have you up for member
ship" He led the way to a great room
with a gilded ceiling and many tables
and cozy corners beneath it. The walls
were covered with cartoons drawn by
the artists of the club, commemorate
ing past and current events, caricatur-
ing the bright lights among them
Baxter nodded to every one in the
room, it seemed, and it was we'll filed.
There was a general air. of badinage,
the members reminded Caleb. Of grown,
up boys in recess from school,. +. u
They worked their way through to
lounge for cigarettes and. Baxtet
pointed out celebrities. s-r
AS they settled themselves at thA
places reserved for them, Baxter indi-
Gated a group Of men at round table
not far from them.