acquainted in Valparaiso as I am in
Vermont, and I've run around Cairo, Egypt, until I know it better than
Cairo, Illinois. It's the only way to see the world. You travel by sea
from port to port, from country to country, from ocean to ocean, amid
ever-changing scenery and climatic conditions, to see and study the----"

And Eddie forgot that it was Wednesday night, which was the prescription
clerk's night off; forgot that the boss was awaiting his return that he
might go home to his own supper; forgot his mother, and her little treat
of green corn out of the garden; forgot everything in the wonder of this
man's tales of people and scenes such as he never dreamed could exist
outside of a Jack London story. Now and then Eddie interrupted with a,
"Yes, but----" that grew more and more infrequent, until finally they
ceased altogether. Eddie's man-size job had come.

When we heard the news we all dropped in at the drug store to joke with
him about it. We had a good deal to say about rolling gaits, and
bell-shaped trousers, and anchors and sea serpents tattooed on the arm.
One of the boys scored a hit by slapping his dime down on the soda
fountain marble and bellowing for rum and salt horse. Some one started
to tease the little Morehouse girl about sailors having sweethearts in
every port, but when they saw the look in her eyes they changed their
mind, and stopped. It's funny how a girl of twenty is a woman, when a
man of twenty is a boy.

Eddie dished out the last of his chocolate ice cream sodas and cherry
phosphates and root beers, while the girls laughingly begged him to bring
them back kimonos from China, and scarves from the Orient, and Eddie
promised, laughing, too, but with a far-off, eager look in his eyes.

When the time came for him to go there was quite a little bodyguard of us
ready to escort him down to the depot. We picked up two or three more
outside O'Rourke's pool room, and a couple more from the benches outside
the hotel. Eddie walked ahead with his mother. I have said that Mrs.
Houghton was a sensible woman. She was never more so than now. Any
other mother would have gone into hysterics and begged the recruiting
officer to let her boy off. But she knew better. Still, I think Eddie
felt some uncomfortable pangs when he looked at her set face. On the way
to the depot we had to pass the Agassiz School, where Josie Morehouse was
substituting second reader for the Wilson girl, who was sick. S