Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-03-27
PUBLISHED LANCASTER WISCONSIN, -

couraged. He entered more into detail,
and the young man put on a sweet and
trustful smile. Lawrence reached the
point in his narrative where the porter
doomed into prominence, and he hesi-
tated, feeling the humiliation of his de-
feat.
And then-and then, said he, blush
ing.
"And then said the young man, SOL
EMMY, ''you put the cork back into the
bottle and the green snakes disappeared
Icommend your prudence. You've had
enough"
DO you mean to intimate that | am
intoxicated?"
Not at all, replied the young man;
"but you'll have 10 try this story at the
main Office on Broadway. 1t is too ex-
citing for my nerves"
From this position the manager re-
fused to recede, and Lawrence was
obliged 10 content himself with direc-
tions how to find the main Office. 1t
was not a very long walk, but shame at
his garments made til path Of torture.
1t was not plain sailing after he got
there. either, for il took half an hour Of
painful argument to coax the message
on TO the wire.
The answer was slow in coming. The
long evening twilight was well ad-
vanced before he was notified that Kan
sas City had been heard from. This was
the reply:
Have wired money tc New Haven.
49, Nrppp INA Nt -
When Lawrence read this ho deeply
regretted his small command of ex-
pletives. His disappointment nearly
burst him.
Amy reply9" asked the man who had
brought the telegram. Lawrence's tenn
per got the better of him, and ne wrote;
why didn't sou send tito jericho?
IL d."
lie cooled down after awhile, and
finally persuaded the night manager to
have query sent to New Haven. The
answer read as follows:
Lawrence Drane collected money
here Fully identified.
When this reply had been read by
the night manager it was evident that
he had made up his mind what to do.
Lawrence saw ii in his eyes, and he
knew that he was in bad scrape. He
prepared TO get out, for he was well
aware that arrest stared him in the
face. The manager tried to detain him.
Lawrence pushed him over a chair and
fed, holly pursued by half dozen
messenger boys and a few clerks. He
was too nimble for them, however, and
| in few minutes he stood alone upon
the street, penniless, tired and hungry
1t is curious physiological fact that
man can voluntarily abstain from food
for twenty-four hours with far less re-
monstrance from his stomach than that
organ will make II its owner unwillingly
| fasts for halfthat time When Lawrence
realized that he had not money enough
TO buy sandwich he became hungrier
than he had ever been before in his life
He was positively faint, and as he stood
upon a corner trying TO decide upon a
course of action he closed his eyes and
actually reeled with exhaustion.
A man passing rapidly along ran
against him Lawrence did not even
look at him.
Poor fellow" muttered the stranger;
hes blind, and he slipped a ten-cent
piece into LAWRENCE hand.
"Confound you" exclaimed Lawrence,
in rage, II can see as well as you
can"
The stranger opened his eyes, his
mouth and his charitable heart at the
same moment
20 ia 1axrfH bn
cried. Here, my friend, here is half a
dollar for the only really honest man in
New York"
Lawrence refused it, and tried to give
back the dime, but the stranger wouldn't
take it, He appeared to be an excep-
tionally humane old fellow. Lawrence
walked along by his side for few steps,
and the idea struck him that here was a
chance to tell his sto 10 believing ears.
He began it with considerable hope in
| his heart, but he had got no further than
a brief outline of his real financial solid
/ ity and apparent poverty when he heard
the stranger mutter: New game; new
game. Never saw it before, but ! m onto
it just the same
Then he hurried away, and Lawrence
was left alone with the dime still in his
hand Tie encounter had not been
wholly improbable, at all events.
He debated long with himself upon
the question how he should expend his
ten cents That he should buy food
with it was of course foregone conclu-
sion, but how could he get the most for
his money? He tried to recall all
the stories he had heard Of men who
had been in similar depths Of poverty
stories told by bohemian acquaintance
who prided themselves upon such ex-
periences. In all Of these that he could
remember the salvation OF the narrator
had ultimately depended upon that
great modegn institution, the free
lunch He had never had any personal
experience with such fare, because he
was total abstainer, and never visited
\ places whore free lunches are found
+ but he thought he knew the machinery
+ pretty wen from the experience OF
/ others. 1t was necessary to buy drink