From Europe, Asia, Africa—from the courts of kings and the gossip of queens, from a hundred adventures, from a hundred glittering memories Jaffrey Bretton traded gift for gift.
"I saw the World's Series," he confided. "I saw Frank Baker make his two home-runs."
"N—o?" shivered the Outlaw. Very slowly he removed the pipe from his mouth. For an instant only, a muscle twitched like a sob in his grizzled throat. As though suddenly consumed with bashfulness, he began to shuffle his bare toes in the sand. "Got—got the same President as usual?" he ventured at last.
"As far as I know," said Bretton. "I was in Washington three weeks ago."
"Orange crop good up-state?" persisted the listless voice. 138
"Good enough, I guess," acquiesced Bretton.
"Anything—special—in the papers these days about Alabamy?" mumbled the pipe-clenched lips.
"Alabama's still on the map," admitted Bretton.
"Puff—puff—puff," mused the Outlaw. Then very limply he struggled to his feet. "Say, Martha wants you," he said.
"Martha?" puzzled Jaffrey Bretton. "Wants me? . . . What for?"