morning? I
was rawhiding myself to beat the everlasting band at the prospect of
having to make this long, tiresome day jump alone, and it's done me a
heap of good to talk you to frazzles. And that reminds me: you haven't
told me yet where you are heading for."

I had not; and what was more, I did not mean to. There were distant
relatives on my mother's side of the family living somewhere in central
Missouri, and I spoke of them.

"Sedalla, you say?" he commented. "Well, if that's the how of it, I
may see you again in a day or so, and here's hoping. I have a horrible
suspicion that our St. Louis general agent wants me to chase out with
him and dig up some of his dead-alive country dealers. We sell a raft
of wagons in Missouri."

It was just here that it occurred to me that Barton was carrying it off
pretty toppingly for a mere traveling salesman; also that he dressed
better, smoked better cigars, and seemed a good bit freer with his
money than such a job warranted.

"You were selling Whiteley Wagons by yourself, when I dropped out," I
said. "Have I been doing you an injustice by not allowing for a
promotion in the three years and a half?"

"You sure have!" he laughed. "In the reorganization a year ago they
made me sales manager. Oh, yes, Bert; I've blossomed out some since
you knew me. I've actually got a little chunk of stock in the concern.
You never would have thought it of old Hod Barton, would you? Look at
this."

He reached into a pocket and pulled out a money roll, riffling the ends
of the bills between thumb and forefinger to let me see that the
denominations were all comfortably large. There was something
instantly suggestive in the bit of braggadocio; a feeling that I had
seen somebody do that same thing in exactly that same way once before.
But before I could follow up the impression he was making me an offer
which put everything but his free-hearted generosity out of my mind.

"You haven't said a word, Bert, and if it's none of my business, you
can tell me so--but if a couple of these yellow-backs would come in
handy to you just now, they're yours and you can toss 'em back to me
any old time when you're good and ready."

I shook my head and thanked him out of a full heart. The purchase of
the Denver ticket hadn't left me much of a balance out of the black
pocketbook's holdings, but I couldn't borrow of Barton; that was out of
the question.

Shortly after this we had another meal toget