THE HUNDREDTH MAN.
(Flora Ilainos Apponyi In The Current
"Now we hero, my friend," said John Proc
tor, bli honest eye looking gravely into tbo
tramp's face as ho balanced a (time on the tip
of Ilia finger, Tin not going to road you a
homily on Uie aubjo -t of liibor, btit I vant to
present for your consideration a little matter
of statistics. You know, ai well oi I, that
the territory in (warming with men of your
class. No less than six, legglng for money,
bare stopped me on the street to-day: while
down there at the yard" indicating with hU
band a row of tiill lumlier piles surrounding
a small building in the distance "we haven
bad throe applications for work ill a mouth,'
"Try me."
"Do you imagine you would work if you
bad tho chance f I have bud a little expert'
encewitu fellow of your sort You bave
such rcmarkuhle apjxtites." Ho addressed
bim generic-ally, an the representative of
a race. "You work half an hour, then come
around with the plea that you can't labor on
an empty stomach, draw an advance of half
a dollar on your wagon, and that is the last
we ever see of you."
The man retorted so sharply that one could
almost bave fancied the poor romnunt of
spirit still abiding in him stirred to some
thing resembling wrath.
"That's always the way," he muttered.
"8ay we won't work; then won't give us a
show. I know we're a pretty low-down lot,
but some of us start out square enough. If
a man once gats down, there's no getting up
again."
There was something almost pathetic in bis
Very sulle nness as be shuffled away, his rags
flapping in the breeze, and Ill-mated shoes
clattering an accompaniment to bis gait.
"Come back here, will you I"
John Trcxitor's voice was stern and docislve.
The tramp halted, hesitated, looked away,
then shuffled back again.
"Come down to the yard this afternoon and
I'll give you a job. but take the bulf dollar
and get tilled up first"
He had exchanged tho dime for a larger
coin and held it in his outstretched imlni
The man did not immediately extend bis
hand to take it In tho moment or two that
dunned the young lumlxrmnn thought that
he detected a truce of something allied to
if went ful pHilo in his bearing. Hut tho illu
sion vanished as a grimy hnnd cloned greedily
li) Kin the silver, Riid the fellow diiiapx?arod
without even troubling himself to muko any
formal expression of his gratitude
John Tractor looked after him with a qulz
ricul smile. Five minutes Inter ho knew his
own name would lie the toast of u drunken
crowd of loafers In the suloon nround tho cor
ner. It wkb not bis Hint experience of the
kind To lie miro it wouldn't help to advance
a certain Quixotic reputation which hail at
tached itself to Mm since bis flirt advent
in t!il little now Mexican town. Hut he had
steadily adhered to his croed: Granted that
ninuty-nine out of a hundred of this (lotting
population were t hieves and incudicnntH, he
won wont tosay hu preferred tots) vicfmlzed
by tho ninety and ulnu, rather thau uiisstkut
hundredth mint
Arrived at the jiark, a strip of land run
rlng through tho heart of the place, tlm titlo
to which wus in disjiuto between tho railroad
comjiauy, a handful of determined sqnuttcrs,
and the government, John brought down tha
wire fence this noon with ouo vigorous kick.
Kicking down this wire fence was one
of the legilimnto post ilium 'of the in
habitant, who eoulil not nir.ird to make ado
tour of a milo or more to nuch their places
of business, nor yet ha::urd garments by
fouling it, Those enoronchniontM on thopnrt
of the citizens hud onco been resisted with
wailiko OemonntiiilloiiH, but now ns i'roefor
ftepxd tliroiii.li the gup, a patient looking,
roinuKhoiildcieil little mnu udvaneod, trun
dling a wheelbarrow 1-ub n with a huge coil
of buib wire., and, politely grueling tlio tres
jiusser, set aiumt repairing tint fence, 1'ur
bons was in tlio employ of the road uud
scrupulously olieyod his Instructions but a
gleam of humor in his eyo told that ho syiu
ust liishHl with tho tiiitisgivttor,
As John Tractor took his way down
through tho park in the direction of bis of
fice, lie seemed to throw off the unpleasant
rellections which bud Uxn annoying hlni,
with one shrug of It's powurful shoulders,
Theyounj mun'seyi . fell cheerily upon the
somewhat imnngri' ui iirray of buildings
which constituted I o town. lie gloried in
the homely littio toihYex, sqtuttliijr over the
pround in various d.ioc; Ion. Hud not every
font of lumber l.i en supplied from his own
yard, and did lint thw nvnluucho of trade
liieuie-Annlel Noielug could be mean or
jKKr which brought tiio: wonry years of
waiting to nu end. llo was a jira.
tical man, little given to cntluhuu.ni
of any sort, but for her sake he looked
with glowing vision utiou tho turreted uioim-
tain to in the diitnuoe, with their purple
uiniioniiaiiu guuioil ngnt. Jliv sho would
rejoice over them, thut quiet little denizen of
western pmliim who had lived aiming tho
monotonous levels of central Illinois all her
life.
Tim fhourht lent cheerful energy to his
voice tisiio entered tho yard and gnve some
directions to Maxon, his linrd w-ork.-d Uiok
keeierand general fnctntum. 1'i-octor was
dimply engrossed Iti pinking out an order for
Kivoml car-loads of finishing liinitior, when a
shadow il.ultriii'd tlm disir, and tlio tramp
stood Is'fom liini, llo could not repress au
exolamntion of snrprius The viignhoud ol
served It, uud his lace lowered Hi ho assorted
Llnwlf deliuntly.
"Yes I've emo," he mid. ' What are you
Koing to give me to do" ,
John Tractor put on his liat and went with
bim into the yard, where an empty our was
waiting to be filled on au onler from a neigh
boring town. He showed (human a suuill
slip of isipvr tacked uui the end, and was
Unit to explain where be would Hud the ma
terial designated, when the fellow threw olt
bis cont and deftly attacked a pile of seant
ling, which chanced to bo ttio first item on
the list
"Hulloa!" said Tnx-tor, gazing nt Mm In
turprta "You seem to know something
Unit thU budutwi."
"A litllo," i-eturiH-d the ninn shortly.
Tho young lumberman took his wuy to the
oflU. A lit Hi) Intir the rud.ly wigeof
Wuxiui Uk kd in at the door as ho ivuu ued
from dinner.
"l!i, by the way. Maxon, I baveanewnian
at work out iu the yard. You inlht kti
an eye on him.'
"Now, J!r. lVoctor!" cxclalnuxl Maxon. in
lioiiele protect, "l it auoUwr of them fl
lot" "Well, y hi he declared be wan willing
to work, and it socuu miiy fuir to give a man
a chance."
Tho broad-shouldered young proprietor
Was avowMlly in tho defensive.
Si fur ns I'm cimivniod, of course Its
nothing to me," observed SI axon, deje.-te.lly.
Hut it p, nie out to have v..u made a
Ia11.4hing-.t1, all over town, it's a itliame
-well, it's no uw UlUng. Yes, vou may
le iMl u me to keep an cy on him, sir
Those ft-Uowt will Uw walchhig. I say,
though. Sir. lVnctor. l.vm't you got tuk-hty
cloneuptotliaihundwir
Half an hour Uter Slsxon looked In again,
bi. f. lu up with a mischievous snide.
IWt you want totakealw-k at your
new Laud now, Mr. IWtorl lUt is Jut
V,. ; - Z ? 7 1 'cUow "'th bl2 diammid bla.ing in his shirt
Itsthe5,0WfromJuni-e(boi)()maD(U miull(J Uvf u v KUeimM
i t n'oment to spare." f hb chalj
ill!
sto
like the rest of them; sitting on a lumber
pile all doubled up with a pain in"
A flying Hpanixh conversation look
checked further Intelligence and Mnxon
dodgod around the oornor to escape
other mlwi!'. At 0 o'clock, when
the hands came up to receive pay for their
day's lolsir, John J'roctor saw his protege
standing off a little d Stance. The man made
no demand for wages, and bis employer took
no notice of bim. As the men filed out, the
express agent of the I'lumbago City train,
a peMonal friend of Trot-tor's ciime running
Into the o.'Ilco with a jmekage In his band
"Here, iToctor, run thcra over quickly and
sign this rei-eipt.
it Kigiior. I haven
The lumberman Lustily counted the nob,
signed bis name to the receipt in a bold,
(lushing hand, and the agetit hurried off. Left
aiuno, I roctor drew from bis pocket a long,
Huwia-lcuthcr jxicknt-book and laid the note
carefully inside. As he thrust this into bis
breast pocket, bo chanced to g'auce toward the
window, and encountered the hungry eyes of
the trump sharply following bis movements
from without As the man saw that he was
detected, be paused, soemod about to speak,
then changed bis ndnd and sauiv
tered carelessly away, A vague anxiety
assailed John Trot-tor. It was long
after banking hours; there was no help for it,
he must be custodian of bis treasure, until
morning.
He sat up late that night The payment
of this sum Was all that was iiccemary to
make tho eastern trip a definite and tangible
matter. There was a pile of correspondence
to be turned off and a letter to be dispatched
to that little woman in IIlluoli, tolling her to
discharge her music pupils and make ready
for bis coming. When he hod finished his
letters he sat quietly for awbllo in bis big
arm chair, It was very lata whon be rose,
and, locking doors and windows, proceeded
to the little inner room where be slept He
drew off bis coat, and, folding it carefully,
placed it beneath bis pillow. Tln-n bo ex
amined the barrels of an English bull-dog
ilstol, which bung uimn a book beside bis
lied. r.eusKured by tills precaution ho sank
Into a heavy sleep.
Heveral hours Uiforu a man bad crawled
ujiou a low pile of plunk, flanked by two other
of towering height As ho stretched himself
at length, with a bundle of shakes for a pil
kiw, be philosophically reflected that such a
bed was not to I dipi.-d. He was not ill-
qwilillod to judge, for his exiiericni-e had
been wido and ilivei-.ihe 1, and ho hud
learned to weigh tho mit dellc-ito Mlnt.i of
vuruim-e with tho l.no discrimination of a
connoisseur. He hnd traveled hnlf way ncniss
the continent without once knowing tho shel
ter of a civilized roof. Ho had tented beneath
tlio frngnmt shade of orange groves in south
ciin California, and, in waving Holds of golden
grain, i-ed, wuiielerriblo July nlgliU on
the Colorado desert, wh'ro the mor-
u ry marks 110 degivesat midnight, pnivh
g for liter and choking with the hot dust
f the urid w u to, waking at daybreak to lind
the delusive inlragn mocking him in the dis
tance. Ho bud sunk down exhausted on tho
iiirren iilnteuus of Arizona and roused to find
himself ktahhml In a thoiwind places by the
miuuUi cactus needle, cast upon lilm by tho
lualicious brci'ze: ever luml on by tho swei
fiu-e of a child wlio hud smiled furowoll
Ihnmgh a mist of tears.
Tho quiet of tho place, the g"iitly stirring
air, odorous with tho fragrance of the pino
wooils, the sleepy twinkle of the stars over
head, and the weariness of mtiKclca unacciiH
lined to lalxir, soon lullul him Into slumU-r,
A little later, two glowing trks of tlio
Kvmid to glido down tho rnili-ond track,
olo around tho olllee and disaiiis-aml
ithln tho long drying-shed at iu rear.
During their pi-ogrei thivo simrk of Ilia
nccusioiinlly dc.-rileil miigniUceut curves in
air, 'ii tho necontimtiou of certain rhyth-
iniciil iitterauees in tho corrupted Hjiaui-.li of
the Mexicuu tongue. Iho lowest Slexieau
K'i'ii, whu all his life goc half clothed, half
d end unsheltered, handle his cigin-or
iiiutlo with tho line pomposity and curo-
ss" grace of tho proudest hidalgo,
iToini Ttvctor awoko that night to find hlm-
If ii'suil.-d by a fx mightier than his feeble
naginution hud pictuiviL Ho tried to rise
ut found hiuiseli' uiiublo to move, op-.in aid
y a leri'it le sense oi suuocution troni itense
Uiiihm of sinolio whi;h llllel tho air
through which vast sheets of ilnmo durUsl
their forked tongues toward him. Suddenly
io wall of llnnie uud Mnuko wits tun-tod, und
tho face of tiio tramp bent over him. Ho
as roughly shaken, pulled mf tho lied, half
drugged, half curnoil through tho lit'.lo pri-
uto ollli-o and into tho larger room Uvyond,
hero tho lire had Ugun its work of dovustn-
,011. Ihen vol-.-e and memory came buck
nud Ui shouted: "My notes! In my coat
Ks kct under tho pillow let mo go!"
I-or answer ho was violently propollivl for
n rd into tlut arms of some men, eagerly
rowiiing through tlio Hunting doorway.
o struggled to free himself fiMin their vise-
like grasp. Ilo fought with them, cursei
tliciu, nud finally broke down and cried likj
a child, Muxou's iioi-co tones lwullcd him
to himself.
"Why, mnu, do you think wo would let you
go into that ilery fiirnui-jj a;iinf Seii
Tliei-o gin-s the iisif now."
With a gentle waving motion, the roof
seemed to slowly vibrato to nud fro, then
sank dow n w ith a sudden crash, and a flying-
column or sparks oolelimtod its downfall,
With hulf-duxrd S 'I'.mw John Tnx'torstanxl
iiUmt him, und his giito wundeitxl to tho sky
nnoo, wtieivuu angry crimson clow had
blntd-d out the stars and rested upon the dis
tant mountain chains weirdly ivlleetingfivm
their beamed fronts and craggy peaks tho
glm-e of the unrighteous flumes. Would she
udmiiv them now I
Suivly it was a spwtado to enchant tho eyo
oi an unptvjmiiciHt sxH-tn:or,w hose whole pos
sessions were not U-iug snerilk-ed to the effect,
llo turned collix-ttslly to thoMvno Nfoiv him.
lucre was still something to be done, Tho
crenm of tlie stc-k had Uvn dost roved, but
uiilesNsomepilesof lutuU'i-totlierightof tho
building were sp.edily removed, iho tiro
would conuuimleate wilh tlie whole outside
slock, stretched for several hundred yards
along ; tho'ralli-oad truck. He tuiiMxl to tho
crowd of moil who stood inactive, gaiuig
u I in tlio scene:
Come on and help us save the lumUr!"
. A couple of down men canio promptly for
ward. The luniUrman mw, to his surprise,
that tho volunteers were almost exclusively
cotnixwod of the sivcnlled pivfessioiml men of
the town. Tlie l.x-al ollloiiiU of the railroad,
a diipr, well disid si-t of fellows, com
monly viewed with contemptuous ey by
tlio hard-working xn tion of tho population,
presented tbeuiM-lvos almost to a luan.
Tiio tall form of Judge Chcosemun, a
tiff and somewat orutix-rntio legal
luminary, loomed up iu their miiUt.
A ipilct-hxiking little real estatv aj-nt lenxl
oin a pile of shingles and Iwgnu to fling the
liiui-hos down to a Centum chemist U-low.
Tlio two rival cxlitors (for lh 1,-ast of ew
Slexlcan vUhigea usually boasts its miniature
nevpnix.rdou), who hnd exchanged shots on
liold avenue the previous day, glared cordi
ally at . h oilier along flM ' lengtlis of the
timU-rs they undertook to transport to a
place of safety. Tlie laboring xpultion
otTered sran-ily a representative, tave in Uie
pei4isof a few contractors and niecluuiios,
who had learned to know and like tho pleas
ant young luu.U-nimn.
The men woi keJUe heroes, Taclr energy
never waned until a faint light in theeut
began to rival the red glare wlilch the
flames, through the medium of the high, rare
atmosphere, cost over tlie desert plains for
miles around, on 1 every pleoa of lumber was
removed to a safe distnnoe.
Worn and wearied, John Tractor sat down
to rest upon the wheel of his own copying
press. A gradual change had taken place
in the ranks nf the loungers. Many of the
spectotors of the night hod gone home to re
freih themmilvo with a nap, and the re
mainder were reinforced by a straggling
corps of men who bad slept through all the
turmoil and excitement One of these, a stor
ing bis experience, as all xsiplo ravel in
tailing their individual imprussions on
occasion of a file.
"You see I was sleeping like a log when
Lizzie caught hold of my shoulder and sho
says: 'Hub, Bob, wake up, I tell you. The
sky Is all afire and there must be an ecliie
I reached up to soe if my pocketbook was
safe"
The words brought back to John Tractor a
sense of tho lout he bad sustained. At that
moment Sfaxon strolled up, flushed with ex
ertion. He bad just administered a sound
kicking to a couple of young Mexicans,
whom be had detected making off with a
keg of building hardware.
"ilaxnn," he snid, abruptly, "did that fel
low who got me out lost night come out safely
hlinsolfr
"Now 1 think of it," returned Maxon, "he
went back a minute; but be got out all right
Just as the roof fell in. I thought at the
moment a piece of falling timber hit bim, but
be soruujlilod off fast enough."
A dread suspicion asbailod John Tractor's
honest heart, but be repelled It sturdily. Yet
all day long as he wandered dreamily alxiut,
answering a thousand idle questions,
or nsuing from the ruins various
memontoi-s of the wreck, there would
constantly Intrudo upon him the
memory of two greedy, devouring eyes,
peeruig through a window, a strungo retreat
into a burning building, and disappearance
into tin shadows. When night camo it was
necessary for soma one to stay and guard tho
runiH, lor if tho wind should rise, somn
smouldering piles of lumber might 1m fnnno I
into a bluzo, and the remainder of the stock
swept away. Mnxon, weary and hollow-
eyed, offered his Hervlcus.
":ot a bit of it, Maxon. Go homo to your
wlfnund bnoies, I have engaged a mini."
Tractor did not add that tho wutchman ho
had engaged w-as no other than himself, but
when tl.e rest had gone home, he remained
there alone. Keparated as It wus from the
nutof tlio town, by night tho ploco was a
dreary solitude. Once the call ofa mocking
bird thrilled in tho distance. A fiery sirk
miles away over tho level plain, developed
into tho headlight of the locomotive of tho
evening train, which thundered past ou it
way to thod''K)t UIow. Tl:u mixin came up
uud threw into weird relief tho blackened
ruins.
John Tractor, who had boon slowly pacing
to and fro, sot down upon a bunch of shingles
and buried his face in his hands. He knew,
what not oven Maxon had guessed, that this
disinter had wrought his irrciaruhlc ruin.
It would require every cent of the insurance
money to wdtle bis outhtaudiug liubilitiiis,
for ho had done business on tlio rusting
western plan, nud had curried a stock out of
all proportion to his capital. If ho could
only havosaved that $.',) or if lid hud not
been so nmliilious. Annie hud U-en ready
jVKir little girl! She had even proposed bring
ing lier piano to this raw southern town, and
eking out their income w ith the result of lur
own muor.i. un one ixinit no wus iy-
Kolvetl. henever he got Kiunro with tin
world agiitu, ho would put his prido iu his
(sx-ket, und humbly presenting Limrclf U-f-uvtho
litilo woii'.nn, nskberto share his
fortunes, for U'tter or wo: se. Oh Cod! how
lotuj would it Ui.' A stilled groan cscajK.nl his
lipA
Hudileuly ho rose and stood eroct. His
quick ear h:cl caught, the wnuul of some
heavy Uxly Klowly moving over tho gi-ound.
"W ho Is Ihcrer"
A wavering voice rojilUl.
"Duly me. Is that you, iKies?"
John Tnx-tor txnit forward und perceived a
man slowly cmwllny ulong iu tho shadow of
n pile of joists. As the figure emerged into
tho nnxmlight he saw tlint the fellow dragged
one leg helplessly after him. His suspicions
tneltod awuy bcueaJi his nuturul wunnth of
heurt
"Are you hurt."
"Only n fulling timber, Ixvw. but the flro
got into my eyes and 1 can't "oe very well."
Ho had drawn himself to Tractor's fvt und
sUjixhI, turning n little uixm bis side, his
head iropxd uji with bis hand.
"You S.-0 when I come through the dixir
something fell against me, and not seeing
you, uud not being abb to get nUmt verv
well, there were- to many of them cussed
Mexican thieves iilxiut, I was afraid they
might niiike off w ith this" holding out a tint
ientlier hiok which John Troct.u- seized wiih
a glad exclumut Ion. The mail wont on, talk
ing in an absent way.
"1 wou'dn't havo liked to hnvo vou think
ill of mo. You're tho first man who ulve me
n chance since I got down. 1 wun't always a
loafer, sir. You sivke of my knowing some
thing ntxmt the business, nnd lo bo uiiv I
ought, if fifteen years us a 'sorter'- in tlie
Wisconsin liimU-i-tvgions can touch a man
nnytliing of luiuU-r. lint when mv wife-died
1 struck o!f out west. It's U-on hard luck
ever since und my lit tie girl-buck there
witn nor gran.l-ixiiviits
J1H vou o seemed to fail from wcuknosn.
"What have you eaten to-duvf" asked tho
oilier t.narply.
llic man answered reluctantly und almost
in a tone of atxilo rv.
You see, sir down there ntuoni tho him
ber pflis tiow could l!"
John IVoctor was n man inoro given to nc
tion than mwli, Ho adiUit.d the man turn
in clear, decided tones.
"Do you think you could hold on to tm
back while I curried you down to tlio hotel (''
"Why, sir! It wouldn't be Ut"
'Shut up! lit your arms around mv
neck."
Tho ofllce and bar-room of tho hotel a
pretentious structure of K:istluko architec
ture, held it nsuul quota of iKjvetncle loaf
ers, wli.m John Troctor eutorHl with th;
uncouth llguroou his luck. A gur-glo of
laughter ran through tho crowd. The ma
jority fancied tho younjr lunilx-rm.in's
brain ha t Uvn turu.l by his re,vnt Us,.
uud thut his dementia l a 1 taken the fo.-n oi
violent development of iho wo.ikn.K w hl,
which he bad hitherto been airmlitod.
Their laughter suddenly ceased when the
young man went straight to tho clerk say
ing, in clear, ringing toiii: '
"tiivo me tho U.t rixmi you have. This
man, who saved my life lost nicht. u t ,n.
hurt Some of you," turniiur ki tiu
go at once for the surgeon of the Ai, 1,
road."
A dotin men sprang forward to roliiv hi,..
of his bdden, to help him oaiTy the jxxir fel
low to a comfortable room, where ho was
gently luid ujxin U.o Uxl. Tho sn.Teivr ri
ccived tlnwo attentions in sileiico. IIi .1..,.
eyes stared incrtduhiuIy aUut the room,
and into the kindly fac. be idia over him.
mat anyuiing like tins should happen k
biml How lung would it luti w..n
- - ! vUiU
BieyletWrn have one goodnighfi rest be
r..r. innW him out a':ftln. Wben once
V .u. ft
more on the desolate plain, wanderin?
ihnch MM-lirush. mosnulte and son p-weed
it .iM umiii like some strango dream. But
what was this? Tho .stalwart young lumbor
mnn ftnPil klnir huskily to the doctor:
"And mind. McLean, do your best. I owe
bim more Uian I can tell you. Tut him In
good trim to take tlie forcmansblp of my
yard vhen I get stocked up."
The silly old vagraut burled bis face In the
pillow and wept
A REPORTER'S STORY.
Now York Times.
"Tlie nicht Is still young," said Ximlnes,
the newsuuxT rerxirter. at mldni'Jit just
alxiut one vtar ago, g!an-ing at the nickel-
plated ulurm clock which rested uixm his
mantfiliiioee, pnrtly olscured by numorous
toliacco jars, long-stemmed pipes, matcn
boxes, ink Uittles. and similar elegant bric-a
brnc. I will go down to Newspajxir row and
w if, perchance, the mails tive brought me
any chocks along with the usual allowance of
tradesmen's bills since the afternoon."
Xlmincs consequently attlrod himself in bis
hot and walking-stick, and fared forth Into
the lamp-lit streets of the great metropolis:
and, deciding that a Third avenuo streetcar
whose route lay through the Bowery, would
prove the most interesting as well as the
quickest method of reaching the city hall, he
wonded bis steps toward that thoroughfare
and took a rapidly moving downward-bound
car. The vehicle was crowded with that varl
egatod class of humanity which makes the
Bowery and ita locality lively by night, Inso
much that there was no room inside. Xim
ines therefore stood on the back platform in
company with two gentlemen who had sta
tioned themselves on the steps for greater
convenience in relioving outgoing and in-
comine nassengers of their watches. On the
platform stood two or three other night birds,
the one who was nearest Aimmos Ixung
medium-sized man of powerful figure, who
woro a long brown mustache.
At Fourteenth street the car stopped and
the passengers who pot on were of so un
usual a description that even the light
fingered gentlemen etnrpd. Three men got
on to the car. Two of them were under 30,,
sleek nnd well dressed, and of a tyi which
frequenters of tho courts would recognize as
being brought to trial almost weekly on
charges that could never bo proved against
them. Tlie third man was tho 0110 who nt-
t riveted tlio attention. He was to all ajmour-
nnce more than 70 years of age. He was
ban-headed, his hair was silvery white, nnd
I10 was exceedingly drunk. His comi-unions
held him up by each arm, and the patriarch
was so extremely full that ho could scarcely
lift his feet to the car step, whereupon one
of the young men excluimed savagely;
"Blank you! Get up there!" and gave him
a rough shake. The two younger men of the
three new arrival;' exchanged glances with
lsouxr fakes," or watch thieves, on the car
steps, but no word passed between them,
and the ill-assorted trio went into the car,
crowded their wny forward, where some one
gave uj his sent to tho inebriated patriarch,
and ho sunk into it and relapsed into uncon
sciousness, closely gimrdod by his two com
jMinions. They had scarcely passed inside
when the man who stxxl next to Ximines on
tho platform said to one of the othor passeii-
goro:
'Well, by f!-, I call tlint rough. The
crooks ure ploying it pretty low down w hen
tlicy'vo got to work an old man with white
hair."
There was a murmur of sympathy from
thoto in the vicinity, nnd one of the sourer
fukes remarked threateningly:
"You wnnt to U pretty careful how you're
talking pround hero, young feller. Them's
Centlcnien, an' that's their old man they're
a-tiikin' homo."
"Who's going to mnko mo careful how I
talk?" demanded tho lirown-mustnohod
stranger fiercely. "Don't j-ou pay out any
more slack. Those fellows are crooks, I suy.
If that wus their father would they lie wear
ing bats and let him go linn-headedf Would
they lie cursing their father to ninko him
get up tho stejis? Would they be making a
holy show of him, drunk, in a street cur,
when they might take him home iu a cab if
he was their futheri"
"It's none o', your business, anyway," snid
tho thief surlily. ,
"Well, I'll mnko -it my business," snid tlio
stout stranger. "Just wuit till we jiass a po
liceman." Of course there was no policeman in sight,
and tho two cnr-step thieves dropped olt nt
tho t'oejvr institute to take the next car back
for their prey which goes up town from
Fourteenth street early in tho morning. Tho
stout stranger glanced into the car at tho old
man slcejiing in the forward end, and then
remarked to a young mechanic in his Ix-st
clothes, who wus on his way homo with his
"girl" from a iiicuio ut Jones' wood:
It goes against my conncienco to let those
twa crooks get away with an old man like
thut. even if ho is drunk. Will you stand by
mo it I j,'o in there nnd tako him away f mm
thmitf I wouldn't lu nfrnid of the two if it
wesn't that you can never toll how many pals
they've got in tho crowd, hut we two aro
fcood forn whole carload of crooks!"
"ivo got a woman on the car," said tho
yr ung mechanic, "or I'd j.;o in with you, but
J clout want to git in . 110 row w kilo sho's
nround."
Tho stout stran'Tor turned from him crn-
temptuoiisly and jiut tho question to another
nole-lxxlieil lxissonger.
"I don't want to git cut to pieces in some
liody else's light," retorted this individual
with frank cowm-dice.
Ximines had Ux-n an interested nnd admir
ing listener to tho stout stranger's champion.
ship of tho ancient inebriate, nnd when he
asked next for Ins support, ns he had for that
of the other two passengers in righting the
old man s wrongs, Xinuuos promjitly agreed
to second ins elicits.
"(iood! said the stranger. "Xow our best
plnn ixtopit on to tho front platform nnd
wait till theytnko him off the car. Then
we'll tackle 'cm in tho street If they refuse
10 give nun up mere 11 tie un ambulance call
for one of em anyway."
Tho interior of the car was crowded with
passengers clinging to tho straps, nnd it took
Ximines nnd the stout stranger several
minutes to force their wny to tho front end.
but when they got there the old man and his
two companions were gone.
. "We'll find him or else hunt all nig-ht," said
the stranger. "Say," he asked of the driver,
Mid nn old man and two young fellows get
off the car only a few minutes ago!"
"Yes," returned the horseman. They got
off at Broome street Old fellow boiling full
Two crooks bunging on to bim."
The car had then almost reached Grand
street, but before the driver bad finished
the stranger had junixd from the stejis. and
was running back to Broome street, closely
followed by Ximines. At the comer lie
stox-d and gaavk down the deserted and
Rloomy thoroughfare. There were no signs
of the crooks or their victim, nnd the patri
arch's companion exclaimed to Ximines:
"Take the left side of the street and open
every doorway. Open 'em quick, and shut
em quick, and look out for yourself. Those
fellows are going to stand the old man up in
hallway. I ll gro down the other side."
The two opened all tha doors that war not
iw.tfH twtwmn tha Bowery and Mott itreot,
but found no trace of their game. Two
Italian rag-pickers Just starting out for their
morning's labor mot them on this comer,
and Ximines' new comnnlon asked them If
they had seen the trio of whom he was in pur
suit The Italians pointed w me souvu nu
out a word and wont on tlioir way unin-
tnretd. The stranger and Xlminos ran
softly up Mott street to Spring, and peering
up this thoroughrnre, discerned ineuireeiueu
on the sldowalk. The old man had sufficiently
recovered bis senses to realize tint every
thing was not going right with bim, and be
was struggling roomy wniio ms iwo com
panions were urging blin on by threat and
riersuusion.
"They're steering bun right down Into one
of tho worst quarters of tlie city," muttered
the straneer. "Now I don't believe those
crooks bave got the blood to fight, but if they
do you use that walking stick. It's a heavy
one. Ah! you've got a revolver, have your
he exclaimed, still under his breath, tut
Ximines produced a seven-shooter. "We're
all right, tlien. I'll knock one of thorn over,
and if they fight, why, kill 'em, 'em I
The police '11 thank you for it All ready,
come on!"
The champion walked slowly down the
street Ximinea feeling, it must be con
fessed, slightly nervous at his side, and as
they reached the trio, who bad now come to
a real struggle on the sidewalk, the stout
stranger, without a second's werning, sud
denly struck one of the blacklegs a frightful
blow under the ear, which dropped him into
the street, where his head cracked against
the curbstone with a noise like the breaking
of a pane of glass. Before the other had re
alized what hod happenod the rlghter of tho
old man's wrongs was upon him and showored
a rain of such heavy blows upon his hood
and neck that be fled acrots the street with
the utmost precijiitation, while the rescued
patrinrch foil against a horse-post, threw his
ai m about it, and huskily shouted:
"Stand up to him, Dnn! Into him, Joe)
Down he goes! Hi, hi, hi!" under tho evident
hallucination that he was attending a prize
fight
The stranger lost not a moment, but scizml
one of the old man's arms, and shaking hlin
roughly, asked: "Say, where do you live;" The
old man mutt sio.l a, number ou Grand street,
near the East river, and then having over
come the tenijxirary effects of his excite
ment, he relajwed again intoaconmtose state.
These entire transactions hnd all occurred iu
something like one minute, and by the timo 1
Anilines and tho stranger bud taken the jia
triarch's arms and were leading him toward
the Bowery, tlie two crooks had regained
their feet and their senses, nnd were follow
ing them with divers imjii'ecations and
threats, casting various stigmas ujxin their
jiarentago nnd reflections upon their resjxx-tii-bility,
und not hesitating to hurl the bur sin
ister in their fuces, with blasphemous and ob
scene variations. Finally they held a whin
nered consultation, and then mado a
rush, but the sight of Ximines' revolver
cooled their nrdor, and with a flnnl batch of
curses tho curs slunk out toward their slums.
Ximines and tho stranger hnd the pleasure
of taking the old man home nnd receiving a
tongue-lashing from his daughter, who la
borivl under the iiiijutusion that they hnd
Ixwa ujxin a debauch with her aged jiarent,
niu' could scarcely be restrained from bih
storing a pail of water uixm them from an
uji) or window. This their two considered a
gix d joko, and they laughed heartily over
tlie mutter.
"Tho old man must have been quite a sport
in ins day," suid tlie stranger. "Did you
hear him talk of Dan ond Joe when we weio
fighting?'' Ho was thinking of the Mace und
t'oburn j)riiM fight thut occurred tweiity
years ago. I should think."
ith Ins new friend Ximines ex
changed canl-i, und the two told each other
something of their past lives and
present circumstances. Ximines' now
friend, us he lenruad, had lx-en a shipping
clerk w ith a largo dry gtxxls establishment.
ut a comfortable salary until within the lost
two months, when ho had been taken sick
and his pluco hud been fil'uxl by sonio one
else. "But I've got plenty of friends." said
he, "and HI pet something to do very noon
again. The sooner it is the better, for I've
got a wife and tho finest little liy in the
country to care for, and I never thought of
putting much money In the bunk, becuaso I
never thought I should be sick. Tvenlwuvs
lived just about up to my means. The rea
son I hupixm to be hereto-night IsUx-ausoI
went up to see a friend about getting em
ployment"
Two hours after they first met on the street
car Amuses and bis new acquaintance
parted. '
Now all this story is strictly true down to
the minutest detail, nnd it is only related to
b'.kiw that tho hero of tlie tale is a deserving
man. The rest of the story indicates how a
deserving man may meet with misfortune
and ill-success despite his utmost efforts
against nn implacable futo.
The factsnlrendy related occurred a j'carngo.
About a week since Ximines hnd occasion, on
a tour of observntii m, to visit lute nt nilit a
Bowery dive. The occupants were for the
most j-art of tho comnionjilnco of disreputa
bdity, and low street songs and drunken
mirth resounded on every hand. Ximinos,
in looking over tlie room, thought ho recog
nized a familiar figure in an unkempt indi
vidual who leaned against tho wall iu au at
titude of tho most abject dcsjiair.
"Who is thutr.ho asked of a waiter.
"Don't know his name," rejilied the menial.
"Ilo conies in most every night about this
time. Never spends n cent. Never drinks
anything. Never sjx-nks to nolxxly. Seems
to lj kinder down on his luck, don't he("
Ximines glanced nt the man again and sud
denly re -ognizel him ns the stout stranger
w ho hud rescued the inebriate patriarch fiom
the two thieves a year U-foro. Ho sjxike to
bim, and uixm recalling the circumstances
the stranger remembered him. Ximines no
ticed a great change in hi nppenrancd. His
hair was unkempt, he was unshaven, his
clothes were liadly worn, nnd his shoes were
almost gone to pieces. Tho two entered into
conversation and Ximines asked what ho
W!is doing for a living.
Ttnytout stranger hesitated a moment and
gulped ylown something very much like a
sob. ".-xi help me lxl," ho said reverently,
not profanely, "I have Ixx-u trying ever since
I first raw you to get work, nnd not a single
day's lalxir havo I hnd an opixirt unity to
Inform. I U-gan looking for a clerkship,
and when I bad tried that without success
fcr six weeks I cume down a grade, and tried
to get a job ns a jxirter. I had tho Ust re
ci.iuinen.tntions from theiinn whose employ
Iliad been in U-fore, but I couldn't get cn
opportunity anywhere. Every place I went
to they were full. Some of them 1 cot to
only a day or an hour too late, but I al
ways was t'X) late. 1 stretched the little
money I had put by. and my wife heljxxl
me, but it didn't la-t long, and, try my bust.
couumt get a place to earn a
cent At last I had to send mv wifo tn
live with her mother, and my Uiv to live
w ith her sister, and I took a little room by
myself and sold my furniture at a sacrifice
to get money enough to buy myself bredd. All
this time I sjxMit every sjre hour in tlie day
bxiking for work and never finding it Mr
clothes .got so old and worn that I didn't pre
sent a decent appearance when I aiiplied foi
a job, and that was against me. I even came
down to try and cct iwaition to driv
street-car, but I coulduVHrr
any of the lines. J know .
tic-Ian whocoull m 'T'n'Uliu'
twice a day for tho tost six wTi. 10
time they've told Lk.m.i
night I look for him in tk.
"HOW I MVH THmlt l
going to live I can't iniagi,,. h
for that boy of mine I UUeveiyS
nutted tuicide long aim. a , . b'i.
seen the littl ft.ll,.- .. ' 7 1
iur
found this light shinin,, i """"n L
em water. Hay, could you .
trifle of money until I it h !
myhoiwrl'UpayitUckV'A
broken my fast fcnlay, and I ZS
square meal since I took dimZT
fneud almost five weeks aeo. jf
know bow low down I'd gon? it
tluit a man willing to Work
to find something to do in . hi
Terhujjs you think 1 don't try W.'H
my word that I have tried ,tL J S
every day for tho
ever
last v. ';"!1
hard of me because 1 come tothii iT
uie omy one 1 know of where thov h v '
a man out if he don't spend nZ.
stayed up in my little room all .jL?'
driven to suicide. I've got tob, rt2.?k
see people more wretched than I.
me from it Don't think ZJ
cause I ask you for money. Yn,,Ti
know bow hard it Is to have tosiTt JT'
die before I'd beg it In the stW,;!!r!:
one I didn't know." "wot
This Is a truthful representation I
man's predicament-a man who L ,1
to risk his llfo to help a perfect 1
able to earn bread enough to km iZ
though he is both willing and ThkJt
a guarantee of crood chaK,. ...'r"
ness from one of the most influential IW
the citv. "
j . .
JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY,
vari ' ...
" Sionaon Journals .. .
... ... . .
muiiraiMllcai notes,
Xaples Cor. American Register.)
I have lieen vprv nm..l, .
...uvu HU1UM IHb
an item floating aUmt the American I
which has also crept into some of tha t.Hr
jourmila, concerning James Whitconibiij,
iuo iiuniiiia jxx-i,, -wnose numorous ud.
,i...nn,ni 1 . , . .
luiieuun vi-m- uave mane Mai hntn
This quotation is oidy just, boeau w
few poete iu America, except Jamos Ej,.
", uu imve uiuen up tue uiafettolij
portion 'of tho United States and mktt
olastically subservient as a popular tin
iu a nietricul way, and who at tliesamn
iiuvo inuiio ineir murK as true poets. Whi
am amused ut the Moating item is Uku,,
pretends to give in all sincerity a briefs
ography of the poet, but nothing can beat,
erroneous.
Just lx)k at this pen picture, qnoW fca
tuealoresaiu Uriel biography: "lie (Rik-fli
originally a hotel keojxr. He was Un 1
Now Bedford, Mass., and there lived fummr
yours. His futher was the captain i
wuulor, out tue son never took to Ut a
Cujit Hiley gave the young man an up
fortune when be attained his majority, m
Juntos invested the bulk of it in a U,
which he named the Ocean View bw
Riley sold his hotel in tlie winter of K
invested his money in Teiinsylvania oil k
everj'thing and then moved to IuJiam t
try farming. Until within the last la
years he never wrote a line of poetry."
If I could laugh out loud ou iiauer I
do so in this letter. In tho first place Jut
hiteoinb Riley (named ufter tho late p
ernor and United States senator, Jax
Whitcotnb, of Indiana,) never sow Newfe
ford, Mass., but was Uirn of Hoosier pares
at Greenfield, Ind,, twenty miles east of l
dinnnjxilis. So fur from his futher vein;
whaler and Riley being brought up wiuJ
sight of tho briny, he never saw the set
nil until he wus a quarter of a couturj d
llo never hnd any money left him; he nc-
kejit a hotel, nud though a fellow of gem,'
couldii t do it, even though he had a tufa
Ho never had any money to invest in ou, k-
cnuso ho always, struggled for a living,
did not have any money to invest in
thing. From his boyhood he wrote res
and good ones: too.
In 1S77 (a year before our item biogriph
makes him a hotel kecjier) I matle his
qiiuintance in Indianapolis. Idonottli
13 was more thuti '25. His poitry M
already struck my attention, whetlw
was in the grave or gay vein. In ISo ttai
traveled all over the United States, and
in England, linos purporting to be from f
and from Tennyson. They traveloitoi
year unchallenged, until some ktteraW
seriously undertook to show that fillet"
verses were like thoso of the two niastfr.'
they could not be found in their B
turned out by his own confession
in banter, hud written the lines witWJ
intention of palming them off on tier
and was heartily sorry that they ever p
into print But his original poeuisaniu
of poetry, whether serious or funny.
is equally strong in jirose. In the duW
jxx'ins, where westornisms come in, ie
bajijiy us James Russell Lowell in the Yaw
dialect. He is ns much to the point as
Harto or John Hay without tho procliiit"
to profanity thnt mar some of their p
Few jx-rsons are his equal In tho recitaiim
funny jxx-iiis.
From Ireland.
Savs tho Hon. If nntius Donnelly, VT-
in The Tilot (Hoston) : "Wben in
few members were joking me about my
one of them a long fellow, some six fcett""
high, well named of nature Shanks, f
fellow from Indiana. Turning to a'
said, 'Where were you bred? He
menced to laugh, and said, 'My ftuer
nn Irishman and my grandmother
Irishwoman.' In tlie senate there wM J
from lllinoU. with nniiilina nose I"
black hair. Time and again
ke
thought to be descended from Logu11!
the 1
dian. Chatting familiarly with h.m co
ou the street-cur I said, 'Gen. LogsDi T
14 vnur ilesrent P TIo linsitnted I
in., -..o f.,,i.. .v,.,, 'Frnm
County Moiuiglian in Ireland.' I
this worthy Irishman had married a H
and asked: 'Where was your motlier
'From tho County Wonaghan, too,' bJ
and there was my Indiun with long
hair. I had read in the news!"1
on
Win
rktitch ancestry of Gen. Urant, so
IU M,'i,i.,..i'l n.l-l fntll.T.
are you from? He said, 'From ThikuWP1
'Where are vour people from? 'n)(r
north of Ireland.' I questioned him f
and found that bis giandniothcr f
wliich is not a Scotch, name. (itfT.1',
Ramsey, of Minnesota, was publi111
the country as a Scotchman, of W
(Jeniuai dwent By atvident I feu1
he was Swiss on his mother's side ""v
fnther from llm f.Mn.fv Mniui'haU, the'
place my Indian came from."
A Kesnrrrrtlon Text.
l.Mfw i ors .uuu aim '.
Th ii j t.w......,. b-L- the
... 1 . 1 .. 1 tin-if-te1
vix: "In my fesh shall I see God." T,
vised versiiin has it "yet out of n1
etc. Those who believe in the resurr
to look for iww buttress to their theory-