The morning call., 1893-01-21
MANS DUAL LIFE.


with rim above, on which rested small
stew-nan. The room was dark. in spite of
The feeble glow that struggled through the
smoked isiuclass in front of the stove; the
air. pungent with the mingled odors OF pep
permint and half consumed kerosene oil, was
pierced at quick regular intervals by the
weak. shrill screams OF young child.
leaning over the cradle. man, girdled
into q crimson bath gown. uttered inarticu-
late sounds Of soothing nature, while near
by on the bed. vague mass OF huddied
white cast an immense blurred shadow up
ward on the wall and ceiling.
NO: nothing seems wrong with the
pins" the man said presently. in pleasant.
even voice. 1T must be collie; his little
hands and feet are ike ice"
Il have the peppermint drops" said the
voice from the bed.
The man took the spoon held out TO him,
and putting it into a silver cup, added
little hot water from the stove. stirring the
mixture and testing the heat with MS lips.
He half lifted the baby with on mana.
while he cautiously nsnuated me Up
of the spoon into the bird-l!ke opening OF
the stretched mouth; the cries ceased, and
there was a sound of iabored sucking ana
little smaCRng noises; great effort, sort
Of indrawu whistle, empted the spoon aud
the screams recommended.
You'd better light the lamp. Mae, and
give him to me"
Cant you he down aud let me quiet him,
lillian? As soon as lie is warm he will
drop off'' and again the man leaned dseply
into the cradle, as a bird in the act OF
lowering. but the cries continued.
The lighting Of the lamp brought out
curious Interior. The room was not more
than ten feet square, and lEto IL was
squeezed an ordinary ash bedroom set; on
the wall. st The foot OF the bed. row OF
clothes pegs supported line of wo-
mans dresses; across the chair that was
wedged between the Yashstand and bu-
Feau, over q confused Eheap Of clothes,
stretched a long rose aud cream tea
gown, as it had been thrown the evening
before. An immense black bear skin lay
extended at the bedside; its great sullen
head lay under the cradle, while one oil lis
hind legs was thrust beneath the wash
stand-its shaggy blackness covering all
the available floor space, except where in
front Of the bureau lay the richly marked
skin of q wild cat. From the upholstered
walls and ceiling bagged and wrinkled
cheap, highly cOlored wallpaper, and the
damp night wind. coming in al the window.
which was raised on block Of wood, ran
between the papering and the wall with
creeping. cracking sound.
As the man sat On the bedside, making
impOtent efforts to soothe the child, bel
lowing, shrieking whistle obliterated the
babY'S cries.
"The sawmlll whistle Unjust be O'Clock.
thought We had only just gone 10 sleep.
Poor little fellow, he's hungry he knows
What he wants better than we do"
The oilstove was turned higher, and in a
few moments the baby's bottle was guTging
Tepletion, while, with swift, dexteTous I'm
gers, the father slipped the black tube over
the top. Then the cries stopped; the baby
was gently returned TO the cradle and pinned
in with giant safety pins, the lamp and
sEove ex'iaguished, the dTessing-gown
thrown off. and perfect quiet, except Tor the
wind creeping under the paper, filed the
tiny room. Presently came faint
"Mac?"
Yes"
DO you ever feel sorry the baby came?
D9n't you ever feel that he and l are more
bother than We are worth ?"
"YOu ought not TO say such things, Lii
liam Think how long We waited for the
baby. Why, little woman. You know thai
you and he are all that l have in the world
to live for and work for"
And then came sleep.
IL
Macmillan Harden sat in bis real-estate
office next day with his feet on the fable
desk. upon W hich blue prints and hulls o.
letters were scattered. He was one of the
chief rustlers Of EdenspOrt. which at that
time consisted of two sawmills, one street
and coming land boom. he had lust been
be had been eminently successful In selling
choice town lots. four miles from town, tC
Swedish seryant-girls in st. Paul. He had
only had time 10 settle his wife and baby in
the best house he could find for them, looi
over his mail and get his affairs Strengthened
out. He had cooked breakfast that morning
that his wife might get a second nap, turn.
ing the breakfast cakes with asNift wrist
movement that bespoke experience. He had,
in fact. done the same thing many times il
the four years Of his married life, as he ant
his vile had helped build one Western towL
after another on the Pacific Slope; they
had never stayed long enough in any one
place fer 1t to reach the servant stage OF
social evolution. Indeed, most of the towns
that Harden had built were Of the card
house order. and collapsed soon after his
withdrawal; but fortuna tely he had AWAY
managed to sell most Of the land he held,
generally ito parties in the East" and he
had never been so well off as this morning,
when he sat amid his blue prints, figuring
closely on the margin of plat of Edensport
The door of his Gf1ce opened, large,
clumsiy built man OF robust appearance,
who looked as though born for policeman.
entered, speaking as he came in fu II voice
and with decisive vigOr
We'll. Harden, / declare, didn't think
you'd be such fool as to plat the bluff.
Why, man. you can't sell that land; the hill
stands on edge. l doubt if You can even
get the timber slashed off,
he stepped back 10 the door and stood
looking down the main street, where il ran
up against precipitous hill, thickIy covered
with dense evergreens. The nil literally
stood on edge. and was so narrow across It's
high razor top that there was only foot hold
along the ridge for thin veil of eYergreens
against tile sky. Harden went, too, aad
looked out al the door,
Il think" he said in his pleasant, suave
way. Il can place it with parties in the
East"
well, perhaps you can" said the other
with laugh. but yoe must be careful
they don't come out to look up their prop.
erty. But this isn't what came for. How
90 you stand on our new electrie-light plant?
What are you going to subscribe to it?"
Zone thousand. l guess"
We'll, you're the right sort. Harden"
Harden smiled modestly; he had sus.
pected as much himself.
he sauntered out of his office toward the
corner where the new Harden business
block was getting its finishing coat of naint
II was pretentious two-story building that
he was building to let; it was to be an ex.
cellent Investment The carpenters were
Sill at work on the inside, making a re-
sounding din in the empty building. outside
the painters climbed about on the haneiu 2
scaffoldiDg, with brushes bristling from the
backs OF their paint gummed oVeralls
Harden had dispensed with the unneees.
saTy expense Of an ARCHITECT" and had
planned and directed the building himself
AS he came up two painters were standing
talking emphstica!ly in the doorway. One
OF them, the boss, stepped forward as Har.
den came up.
1--WE let IL for the first" Harden said
Have you big enough force on to finish
it for the first?"
I've got the men all right enough; but
You see. we've got the lower part painted
The last fellow that weat up to work on
the cornish kicked. and this felIow swears
be won't 60 up-that the hanging scaffold
Won't hold any MORE"
Harden glanced up at the scaffold. which
hung like broad-sea,ed swing from gran
pling hooks above The long board bent
slightly under the weight OF the painters at
work on the cornish
There's no danger in the world" he
said; then, turning with bis bright. concili.
atory smile TO the painter. "Of course
don't want you to take any risk. I'll take