Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-21

rive I'D. I'm at your back, and we'll pull
through, don't you be afraid.
When he was gone, Barrow walked the
floor a good while, uneasy in his mind. He
xaid TO himself, 'I'm troubled about him.
He never would have made break like
that if he hadn't been little of his bal
ance. But 1 know what being out OF work
and no prospect ahead can do for man.
First, it knocks the pluck out of him and
drags his pride in the dirt; worry does the
rest. and his mind gets shaky. 1 must talk
to these people. No-if there's any IN
manity in them-and there is at bottom
they'll be easier on him if they think his
troubles have disturbed his reason. But
I've got to find him some work; works the
only medicine for his disease. Poor devil /!
away of here, and not friend.
The moment Tracy was alone his spirits
vanished away, and all the misery OF his
situation was manifest to him. To be
monevless and an object of the chalrmaker's s
charitv-this was bad enough, but his folly
in proclaiming himself an earls son to that
scoffing and unbelieving crew, and, on top
of that, the humiliating result-the recol-
lection of these things was sharper tor
ture still He made up his mind that he
would never play earl's son again before
doubtful audience.
not understand At times he thought his
father imagined he could get work to do in
America without any trouble, and was
minded to let him try it and cure himself of
his radicalism by hard, cold, Disseminating
experience That seemed the most plaus-
ible theory, vet he could not content him
self with it A theory that pleased him bet
ter was that this cablegram would be fol-
lowed bv another of gentler sort, requlr-
ing him to come home. Should he write
and strike his flag and ask for ticket
home? Oh, no, that he couldn't ever do.
AT least not yet That caolegram would
come: it certainly would.
So he went from one telegraph Office to
another, every day for nearly week, and
asked if there was cablegram for Howard
Tracy. No, there wasn't any. So they
answered him at first. Later they said it
before he had chance to ask. Later still
they merely shook their heads impatiently
Is soon as he came in sight. After that ne
was ashamed to go any more.
He was down in the lowest depths of de-
tpair now; for the harder Barrow tried to
End work for him the more hopeless the
possibilities seemed to grow. AT last he
said to Barrow:
Look here 1 want to make confession.
I have got down now to where am not ouly
willing TO acknowledge to myself that I am
= shabby creature and full of false pride,
but am willing to acknowledge it to you.
Well, I've been allowing you to wear your
self out hunting for work for me when
there's been chance open to me all the
time. Forgive my pride-what was left of
st. It is all gone now, and I've come to con-
fess that if those CHASTITY artists want an
other confederate, I'm their man-for, at
least, am dead to shame"
20 aa1l 1-.or1T
.sNot as badly as they. No, don't claim
that, for L am not genius; in fact, l am a
very Indifferent amateur, slouchy dabster,
q mere artistic sarcasm; but drunk or
asleep 1 can beat those buccaneers"
shake! I want to shout! Oh, l tell you,
am immensely delighted and relieved
Oh, lust to work-that is lifel No matter
what the work is, that's of no consequence
Just work itself is bliss when a mans been
starving for it. I've been there. Come
right along, We'll hunt the old boys up.
Don't you feel good? tell you do.
The freebooters were not at home. But
their works were displayed in profusion all
about the little ratty studio. Cannon to the
right of them, cannon to the left of them,
cannon in front-it vas Balaclava come
again.
Here's the uncontented hackman, Tracy.
Buckle to-deepen the seagreen to turf,
turn the ship into hearse. Let the boys
have taste of your quality"
The artists arrived Just as the last touch
was put on. They stood transf1ed with ad-
miration.
my souls, but she's a sumner, that
hearse! The hackman will Just go all to
pieces when he sees that-won't he,
Andy?'
''Oh, it's splendid, splendid! Herr Tracy,
why hef you not said you vas so sublime
artist? Lob Gott, if you had lifd in Paris
you would be Pree de Rome, dots vot's de
matteTt'
The arrangements were soon made. Tracy
was taken into full ana equal partnership,
and he went straight to work, with dash
and enurgy, to reconstructing gems of art
whose accessories had failed to satisfy.
Under his hand on that and succeeding
days, artillery disappeared and the emblems
of peace and commerce took its place
cats, hacks, sausages, tugs, fire engines,
pianos. guitars, rocks, gardens, flower pots,
landscapes-whatever was wanted he flung
st in; and the more out-ot-place and absurd
the required object was, the more Joy he
got out of fabricating it. The pirates were
delighted, the customers applauded, the sex
began TO flock in, great was the prosperity of
the firm. Tracy was obliged to confess to
himself that there was something about
work-even such grotesque and humble
work as this-which most pleasantly salts
fed a something in his nature which had
never been satisfied before, and also gave
him strange, new dignity in his own
private view of himself.