"
He paused. He had been gazing straight ahead to disguise his effort.
Now he turned and looked into the face of his friend, and thrust his
hat back on his head.
"It's been tough, Bud. So tough I don't know how I got through. Guess
I shouldn't have without you. You see, Bud, you never said a thing,
and--and that saved me. Guess I'm sort of tired now. Tired of
thinking, tired of--everything. But it's over, and now I sort of feel
I've got to get busy, or I'll forget how to play the man. I don't
guess I'll ever hope to forget. No, I don't want to forget. I
couldn't, just as I couldn't forget that there's some one in the world
took ten thousand dollars as the price of Ronny's poor foolish life.
Oh, it's pretty bad," he sighed wearily. "But--I've closed the book,
Bud, and please God I'll never open it again."
CHAPTER IX
FOUR YEARS LATER
Nan Tristram smiled to herself as she sat in the comfortable rocker
before the open French window which gave on to the wide wooden balcony
beyond. The view she had was one of considerable charm, for Aston's
Hotel was situated facing one end of Maple Avenue, looking straight
down its length, which was at once the principal and most beautiful
thoroughfare in the picturesque western city of Calthorpe.
Pages:
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173