The Rescuer

ANOTHER DAY OF SOBRIETY.
Colin McIntyre slid into his usual booth at Mag-
gie s Diner. Less than a week back in his home-
town， and already he d fallen into the old routine.
Sobriety， Idaho， was that kind of town. No wonder
he d left--and no wonder he kept asking himself
~vhy he d returned.
Denise brought his coffee without having to be
asked--straight black， no cream， no sugar.
\"Pancake special this morning，\" she said.
\"Fine，\" Colin told her.
She walked away， slapping a towel at the
crumbs on the next table. Colin drank his coffee
and looked out the window. A few summer tourists
wandered along the street， pausing now and then
at the redbrick storefronts. In the distance rose the
mountains of the Idaho Panhandle， blanketed
thickly with pine. Admittedly the view was majes-
tic-but the whole time Colin was growing up he d
wanted to get beyond those mountains. He d been
restless. Unfortunately， when he d finally left town