| OCR Text |
Show fCtClNu it,u HAST. I vraa wnlkiiic alone at midnight, rlilvory midiilKht, when I met him. I don t like to meet ttranire uelniit nt laid-nlKhu laid-nlKhu It ralaca Kouao pliuplea on my toul Uut t makelt a raello nlwayi to let nn that t am not frlKhf-iin.1, for In lay loni( and varied tnteKonrao with apookannl irnbllnt and ithoula I have found that whan they cannot frighten mo they uaiully tnko fright Iheuirelvu. There I", after all, a itood deal of linuian nature about ichoata. He worn a long, white liearl nn Mi face and bore an old. al.arp k ythe on hh khonlder. That u in about all In) had on Tin re w at aniuvthing familiar about hit ajtiearnnce, t,, but 1 have n poor mem oryfor name and forget where I hae m t folka, I could not cl tealfy li.ni ul brat. "Happy New Year," anld I, by way ol aaouiniinfriiiiidl) ipirltand teatlugbli attitude. Same to yon," ald lie. He aeemed to be well dllpoee.1. "Iloten't I met you koiaewlisro b fori " 1 aakeil. honldn t wonder. I've been going up and down thU earth for a good while Oricoii)cnr I ootne artuud theae pit tf and do bii'inraa Inn amall way Ma b' youiu keen ma now nud then on Ken Yunr a card," "Ah," I eicUIuied, "are you tho ol 1 g, nth mtn that iick up the lant llgnrt or the dale line Mid guea nohblili or the eilga of the card with It while K llttld tot of a naked buy rune and pula a new one In II" placer "I'm that aaine nl 1 codger," "A il jeur neuw" rime" Sure enougii, PathrTinn. I on-ilit U) have koowil )ou at lUhr 1 in inn n-teW acpainuil with aov, nil iumi-ii-m of your family. I know Hi funi-rati" funi-rati" "Whor "Ui-Ul OU Tlmo, yon know." "Ah, jea." Well, we rhattod on lJatavinlly mongli outil I aiko.1 the old gentleman why lie made it n point vrry car to onme arotin 1 an 1 carry off the llrrarea no lht wo bu 1 to net up new onee and -molt our letti r liiKida until wo becamo ncooaloiue-l to tlie change "I admit," aald lie, "thoro Ii a good dual of iioukiibo about It. I preailiua poiii lo m imld live mi Ion and lie ua liappy if tluro were no rtrh thing nr a clianv of oara. I aniipoae you don't cara n nap whether thla Ii ISM or ItJOD. and to tell you tho huneat trnth I am convince I It Ha very f -ollali tliini; to nhifi about an much, hut I mutt carry out my loii tri't aillli-xpert tuaprlnn HOW 3 ear 011 the world el ery now atii thou 04 lou j nil live" "hatcontraot,M "Wiiy, me ret ilntlon." " hat rtaidntlonr' "Did you never b mr of my retolatlonl ?i 11. then, 1 w ill tll yo,u," mid lie loano.1 upon hla n-ytlio. "Yoitaoe, yotiiiooplomAkoNewYear'a reaoliiUona, but they dou't nuiount to anything You aw ear of? drinking mil thin get m full na tlcki beroni ttlxlit You bn air 11IT amoiug and Ujtin agiltl lieriruthe weeklaotiu You reiolie 1 1 kiep dliri-M, but -,ou glie up bofort .Janiury It gone. Now with 1110 it U dilTereut. When 1 mike n roaolutlou I atkk to It. A long, long tlmo uo I ntido a romilutlon that 1 would koop tha put choclc ull of mtitutea an 1 houn nn I daya and yeara, an 1 I havo bi n tolng ihii.i in en r kluco. It ki t-pi in prttty biu , no 1 I dou t mln 1 coulltiinu, to you tho f ict that If I In 1 it tn do orer niiin I woullu't mike anch rea lu tion, but theio li no help for it now, and I Uiull hare to go on form er. I auptKiiw " I iiluir Titni) gavo hla m j tho a awidh, anl g ithurlug up 11 handful of intnutoi tlung them Into the put an I rvtmm J: "You havo no Idol how I luiio to biimp to keep tho hint full. I no aoonei drop a joir. or 11 mouth, or n week into it than I dltcorcr that there It room for "Whit become of all theao eira you frt 1 to tin paitf" 1 aakeil. "Tlnt'a Its what bcuiuici or them' II they dll an)lx)dy the leait good 1 shouldn't mind dolni thit work, but limy don't, they ara 11 du I waito. True, they iccl nn 1 amuln tliu piit, but what U the uw of doin-r that? If neonlo knew enoiuh to inako uae nf the putt and le im something from it tlire mljlit be aomo eiuiu for uialntaliiln it, lint they dont, to ull thla work of initio li In aiu." "Why don't joti nutt Hf Why don't ) ou let tho put rip an 1 turn ) our ntieu lion to making moio irweut? 'Until what wo lico.1. I'oople woul 1 think a good-deal more of 011 If )ou motiI I qnft uirr) lug aw ay tliu pretcut and duinpliig it Into the pint " ") they wool 1, nn 1 1 ahoul 1 like 1 1 iiccommoiliito Hum, but my prldo koen iuo ut thla ork." "I'lldi" "n, lam probably the only perton oinarth nho lua coitkiatuutl) nnlnn fait, rlugly fulfllled hit t,nv Ye ira r lull in, nn 1 1 inn proud of the dlitluctlou Hit" lie lowered Ilia video nod hiolin einieitly tome "If I In I It tn dnuirilu I alionl 1 bo 1 ery mro nut to make a iNuw Y irare-nlullou" Tin 11 li 1 li ft mo to red t upon what I riinM lti r tli in tli nay uf p o tion 1 on t i lint uuy nf the brand uuw uir. Ud.roit rreeru a. I |
