Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-11-29

Won who could-who would
"For Gods sake, do not teach anyone +
find me. / am lost, LOST
Yet the young man persevered.
81 leave England next week as surgeon
to a colonial hospital. l shall have Dt
further chance of doing you good turn
The man in rags answered yehemently
"No need to look for me if you eve
come back. shall soon go under-under
A few steps more, stumble again, ane
then the great darkness-death. Hurraf
for Death for he's jolly good fellow
Again he tossed the coin.
The young doctor turned away with 9
curt Good-morning," while the sand
wich-man continued practicing the toss
ing of his coin, crying, Heads or tails p
But, after all, this might have been feint
of indifference, for he ceased his play
when his friendly adviser was out of sight
Looking after the young man to see if he
was out of sight or still under observation,
his eye fell upon a dark object lying on
the pavement-a pocketbook, surely, or
something similar. Advancing quickly,
he pounced upon it like an animal.
This must be his; there will be money
in it." he muttered. Then, looking round
stealthily, he clutched it closer and re-
treated once more to the shelter of the
colonnade He appeared about to open
the new-found treasure when policeman
on his beat passed round the corner on the
opposite side of the street. The police
man, with merely a cursory glance be-
slowed on a sandwich-man in the Gus
tomary resort of his kind, passed out of
sight. Then once more the pocket-book
came to light, and was opened with trem-
bling fingers. The man smiled sardonic-
ally, murmuring to himself:
81 am going to rob him because he has
been kind to me. That's the way of it."
Then he began to count the notes rap
idly. Five, ten, fifteen, twenty. He
calls himself poor man, and he can lose
twenty pounds He looked at the
money, he Rugged it, he even kissed it in
a frenzy of Joy. Then suddenly his hand
fell to his side, and with terror stricken
gaze he looked before him. He appeared
as if overcome by momentary fear or
recollection. Perhaps he saw the ghost Of
his lost SELF So he sat, fighting silent
battle, for few seconds. Then, with a
firm touch, he rolled up the notes and re-
placed them carefully in the pocket-book
Afterwards, shouldering the posters, he
moved up the street in the direction taken
by the young man, with the heavy creeping
gait of his kind. Kelly, having refreshed
himself, came back to advise the other to
do likewise, but found him gone, and him
self left to face the young doctor returning
again in haste.
"Have you picked anything up, my
man ?" he called out anxiously when yet a
few PAGES off.
Pm always a-piclIing up what l can
cigar ends and such like" rejoined Kelly
II have lost valuable pocketbook, and
had it few minutes before | turned
down this street. Where is the Other
manw
Faith, and Pll swear he's gone to the
nearest chap who'll stake his shilling on ;
horse"
The young man knitted his brow anx
iously.
81 may have left it in some of the shop
where called" he said, and with rapiC
strides passed on.
Kelly, who was now temporarily warmed
if not fed, looked after him with grin
muttering:
Thin young men does take things t
heart Now, as for me, it's only the weigh
of them blasted boards" here he kicke'
venomously at the innocent posters restin
against the walls, "that aggrawates me.
owe 'em grudge. Haven't they give nj
hump on the shoulder through crawling
about like a snail wi shell on m
back ?" And leaning against the wal
himself, he took blissful snooze of shor
duration.
1t was the other sandwich-man VIII
came back to rouse him. "Quick march
my man. It's time to be on the NOV
again"
And Kelly, grumbling, reused himsel
and asked his companion to hoist tn
boards on his shoulders. He was incline
to be more quarrelsome with fate since h
had spent his shilling.
"Thim boards is too much for me. Pv
done naught but carry posters that tells c
good eating and drinking the last month.
"The irony of fate, Kelly" said tn
other man as he adjusted the strap. "Wel
it won't last much longer for either of u;
l fancy" Here ne produced his shilling
Lets toss who'll get his discharge first.
Kelly looked hard at the Captain, an
shook his head. Here was an absolut
proof of impaired intellect. "Anythin
to phase We, sir. 1t don't much matte
who sends in his papers first" He decides
it was better TO humor the mood of hi
companion.
"Heads, death takes me; tails, you Civ
mn Tho c,o b,vt - caiJ bo ofioor
Faith, tits a quare game" muttere'
Kelly as he watched the coin spin.
"You call" said the man who tossed.
"Headsp said Kelly.
"Head it is, by Jovew said the superior
"My turn first" He laughed and hugge'
himself.
"Then, sure, as I've got to wait a bi
longer till the old hour-glass comes along
I'll be tramping on to me beat. Bless tn
Holy Virgin. I've had good drink"
And, chuckling to himself, with totter
ing gait he made his way back to Regen
street. The other man did not immedi
ately follow. and it was not till steps wer
again heard on the pavement that h
reused himself to realize the situation
Looking under the colonnade, he saw tn
young doctor approaching once more. Ihl
time he came accompanied by the girl VIII
had passed up the street earlier. Sh
leaned upon theyoung mans arm, and the.
had the appearance of lovers. So en-
crossed were they in their own converse
ton that they did not observe the sand
wich-man half hidden by pillar. TIL
sleet was falling again in one of the sud
den squalls that came on from time +
time.
"You had better wait here few mo
ments, darling. 1t is quiet corner, and
the storm will be over presently"
"There is no need for me to hurry to
day." said the girl called Kate. 81 CAV
my last lesson to my pupils this morning
/ can scarcely believe it all, Cecil" Sh
flashed happy smile at him. The listen
ing sandwich-man lifted his head.
"But, dearest, you must believe that
am going to carry you to the end of thu
world as my wife next week"