The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-05-22


statistics regarding certain exports from
this State to England. | could not get my
hands Oh some tables and reports that /
wan ted. ana went for further Information
to an encyclopedia friend, who was my wade
mecum under such circumstances. This
time, however, he was obliged to disappOint
me. 81 know very little about the matter"
he said to me, "but if you feel like taking
the trip to see him | can send you to man
who will tell you exactly what you want to
know"
OF course, was willing to take any reason
aOle trip, and upon my saying so my friend
gave me, on card. the address Of an indi-
yidual named Parsons, on Cgementina street
l thought Of the man with the green bag
but had forgotten that had ever heard his
name, so 1t did not occur to me to think that
II might be the same person, and was bit
surprised when | rang tile bell at the door
OF p shabby little fat on the street named
and ran upstairs when the door was pulled
by means OF a cord by some one on the
upper floor TO find that the person who had
operated the cord and stood waiting to re-
ceiye me was none other than my acquaint-
ance OF the park. He welcomed me very
cordially and led the way into the front
room. 1t proved to be the tamily's general
livng-r0om, besides which a little hall bed
room and small back room, hardly larger
than good big closet and which was used
as kitchen, seemed to constitute the whole
establishment. 1t was near support time and
a ine-looking old lady with a sad face was
making preparations for frugal evening
meal. A little girl, perhaps 10 years old,
was assisting her after fashion, and my
host introduced the two as his wife and lit
tie granddaughter. | at once stated my
errand and found that my friend had made
no mistake IN sending me TO this man. He
was brlmful of information of most val
liable sort, as ready with his facts, dates
and statistics as lie had proven himself that
day at the park with his astrological lore.
In a very short time l had the facts !
wanted before NE in exactly the order in
which | wanted them, and was saved good
Geal OF research that might, after all, have
proved futile. was also treated to a COM
prehensive summary Of the legal aspect OF
the situation in question.
~ on seem to have English law at VOur
fingers ends. Mr.. Parsons" L ventured to
say.
Il was barrister in the old country"
was his reply.
Then hs branehed off upon his hobby
which seemed to rise in his mind as soon as
he saw me. Mother" he called TO the sad
faced old lady, who was passing YEARLY
back and forth from the table in the room
where we sat to the little kitchen beyond,
Il want you to become Well acquainted
with this lady, for il is through her means
that We acquired the good fortune that we
will begin to realize upon in a few days,
now, just as soon as the drawing takes
place" The sad old face grew deadly
pale, and, IL possible, even sadder, and
| shall never forget the patient pathos of
the smile which its owner summoned to do
duty on the OCCASION. ~ es, father" was
all she said, but felt curious and bitter
sense of intangible self-reproSch as / sat
and listened while the old man explained to
me how. with the dollar he had exchanged
with me, and two others. he had bought
three lottery tickets, the numbers being
combinations of the fatal ones | had traced
in the sand that day at the park.
This ticket, he said, indicating one of
the three, twas bought with your dollar.
I'm sure that will be tile prize winner"
The old lady's face haunted me as. having
made my escape as promptly as possible, l
walked up the narrow, Squald street.
There was refinement, dignity and grace
about the poor old soul that would not have
been out OF place in a home of stately
splendor, and it was evident that wherever
her later lot might be east her early life
had not been spentin Clementina street, and
again my heart &C he'd uncOmfortably as [
thought of her pitifui. patient smile.
A day or two later l sought the little
home in CIementina street for further in
formation on collateral subject to the
first. Mr.. Parsons was not IL, but Mrs.
Parsons thought he might be very soon,
AID asked me to come III and wait. SAT
down in the little front room and presently
she brought her work and sat down oppo-
site me. She was doing some work for one
of the downtown shops, but, judging from
the way her fine old fingers hesitaIed and
fumbled with the rough stuff on which she
was sewing, her earnings could not have
been great Stlll, she worked away
steadily, talking very little at first, but bit
by bit a few sympathetic words brought out
the whole story Of how not only one but
several lives had been wrecked by her hus-
bands apparently innocent mania for buy
sF,, fnf tf,.lra 10 had hnop h..I ,nI
said, a Darrister in England, where they had
lived something more than comfortably.
Then the American fever had seiZsd him.
She and he had come to this country and
finally drifted out to California. They had
spent some time in the south aud on one
occasion he had, half in jest, because a
friend had offered it TO him. bought lottery
ticket. As i'll fate would have it. he bad
won by that means an approximation"
prize, Que of the small bats thrown out
TO keep up the hearts Of victims and tease
them along. from month to month, and
year to year, always hoping for better
luck next time. Three times. in the score
or more of years he had been playing the
lottery he had won such prizes OF 50 each
and once he had won S25. but Tor % long
years he had been literally living from
mouth 30 mouth, in the hope Of winning the
grand prize. When he came to California
he continued his practice Of buying the
tickets. and each month, despite his Clapy
disappointments. found him sanguine as
ever that his chance had come at last.
He might have md lucrative practice at
his profession; In fact. he did we'll at it the
first year or two after coming to this State,
but gradually he grew more and more I'M
patient OF the work that interfered with his
daYdreams Of coming fortune. One by one
his clients fell off, until at last, unable to
maintain his Office. he had CLOSED it, and
then had begun a Band-to-month struggle
for existence. Several times he had re-
solved never to buy another ticket, had
struggled against the habit as drunkard
struggles against the chains that bind him
nlY To suerIIinb agnin and agaln. Their