heckers had seen fit to relate
to him. But Checkers had never intimated that he was hopelessly
dependent. He had spoken vaguely of relatives; of drawing a draft on
Uncle Giles; of telegraphing to Chicago for money; it lent him
respectability.

It must be remembered that at this time Checkers had not been through
the most trying part of the experiences of which he had spoken while
dining with me at Kinsley's that night. And while by no means Arthur's
equal in the social scale, he was still very far from being the
hardened tout, whom two years later, I met at the race-track, Derby Day.

Nevertheless, he himself felt a difference intuitively, and though he
had exercised to the full his talent for making himself companionable,
it had proved a very difficult task to fully break through Arthur's
reserve. This sudden show of sentiment, therefore, upon Arthur's part,
affected and pleased him; and reaching up to the hand on his shoulder,
he grasped it warmly. "I 'll go you," he said. And the two friends
smiled into each other's eyes.

V

A very few days sufficed to make Checkers feel thoroughly at home in
his new surroundings. The Kendall house was a roomy, frame structure
set upon one of the highest of the Ozark Mountains, to which the road
from Clarksville was a gradual, and almost constant ascent. From his
window Checkers could see for miles down into the valley, across the
dense growth of mountain-pines, the many shaded green and yellow
squares of fields and farm lands beyond, and away in the distance the
Arkansas River glistening in the sun like a silver snake.

Immediately surrounding the house were the orchards, their trees almost
breaking with the wealth of their red and yellow fruit.

Checkers had found ready favor with Mr. Kendall by evincing an
enthusiastic interest, confessing at the same time an ignorance which
allowed the old gentleman full opportunity for enlarging upon his
favorite hobbies. Aunt Deb's smiles were as quickly won by a deft word
in praise of the table.

Just how Arthur had explained the presence of his friend to the
household, Checkers did not know. But it was evident, as he remarked
to himself, that "the explanation went," and he bothered himself about
it no further.

At the store it was found that Checkers' talents were those of a
salesman par excellence.

He quickly learned the run of the goods, and his chief delight, to use
his own words, was "to jolly the jays into b