The Bessemer indicator., 1893-12-23

cloalsless and gloveless, hurried by
the iron bars that fence In the little
acre of tho rich toward his lodging
place.
For fivc years Jack Fleming had
lived alone. No one knew very much
about him, except that he was n
thiiftless. indolent genius. When his
fnther died tho fortune that might
haVe gone to him had endowed certain
wealthy charitable institutions Hia
mother had died in his infancy, and
jack Fleming had grown up with the
servants and his books for compan-
ions. He had never seen enough of
his father to love him. In his child
hood Jack had had one friend, Dora
Goldthwait- She was beautiful girl,
several years his Junior, who lived in
the house adjoining his fathers, and
every day ono or the other would
climb the fence that separated them
and drop over into the little yard for
romp. Dora was proud OF her pro-
tector and playmate, for even then
Jack was full of book knowledge, and
Dora soon learned to love shakespeare
and Milton MS read aloud by her hero.
Another great tramping place for
| tho little reople was Gramercy park,
for both houses faced the handsome
playground and Mr.. Goldthwait and
Jacks father were among the favored
rich who possessed keys to the great
iron gates that shut ont the children
of the poor, who often lined the iron
fence and peered wistfully between
the bars at the smiling lawn within.
The children were inscpnrable until
Jack was Is and Dora 10. Then jack
went to college, but every holiday
l IL h niyY,n ~ nj
books went by the board and Jack
came home on the sly to see his little
| sweetheart or course, on these oc-
casions he was smuggled into Dorn's
home and good nnturcd, easy going
Mr.. Goldthwnit would have thought
it the basest treachcry for any mem
Der of his family to inform his next
door neighbor, jacks father, that his
son was playing truant
| After three years of college Jack
wns hopclessly behind in his studies,
and his father, still ignorant of the
reason, called him bloclshead. One
day Jack received a tender, loving
letter from Dora asking him to come
home at once, as her father had just
received word from England that he
had fallen heir % II large property,
including u thcater in one Of the large
cities, and the business of the latter
was in urgent need of his immediate
attention. The family would sail for
England Immediately, but Dora
could. A few hours after receiving
the letter Jack stood in front of the
Goldthwait residence on Gramercy
park. II was closed. No servant
| answered the bell, and Jacks heart
fell like lead. Again he looked ut the
letter. 1t WAS dated two days before
aid had been delayed in the mails.
At hcme he found his father, but in q
mood in which he had never seen him
before.
you young rascalr' he shouted Us
Jack entered. $50 you have been
wasting your time mex. door instead
of studying"
No pleading on the part of Jack
could induce the turbulent old man to
tell where the Goldthwaits had gone
Never mind" thought Jack, "I'll
hear from her soon, and then"
But no letter came. Weeks length
cned into months and Jack grew tall
and thin. One day he went up to his
college town, and an inquiry at tho
post office eliicted the fact that several
| letters had come, up to a month ago.
Gramercy park.
That night father and sun faced
each other for the last time.
| "Wherc are the letters Dora wrote
me?" demanded Jack, as he leaned over
toward the old man, who stood smiling
sarcastically in his face.
| II told you that II you refused to
return to college you would regret it."
was the reply.
Jack turned on his heel and passed
ont of the house.
lie found it harder struggle than
he expected. His income tluctuated
from next to nothing tonothing itself.
| He became first wanderer among
apartments, then among boarding
houses. and at last an inhabitant of
FURNISHED rooms" who ate Mt cheap
decentralization he could eat ut all.
| lie had lived q week in u rear hall
bedroom on Twenty-second street be-
fore he discovered that its windows
were only separated from those of
his old home and that of Dora. on
Gramcrcy park, By the brief New
York back yards in which they used
to play together. The Goldthwait
house was dark. 1t had been ever
since the day Dora left. Next to it
| y
against the trees beyond, lights were
often seen. But strangers occupied
the familiar rooms.
On Thanksgiving eve just five years
since he had left his old life behind
him. Jack went to his dingy little
w ndow to gaze at the two mansions
| lie shivcred with cold; but the blood
| rushed duiclsly to his face when he
"a " the home of the girl he still loved
brightly lighted up. For an instant
he stood still, amazed. Then he sut
down on his bed to think. Finally.
downhenrted and discouraged, he
turned TO great pile of manuscript
and rubbish on the floor, and picleing
| q book fram the nondescript mass he
| turned over the leaves.
"Twelvo plays out" he muttercd to
himself; five of them probably lost,
| Only that day he had sent his best and
| latest comedy to the new English actor
who had arrived the dn1 before. AS
soon MS 1t was rehcarsed las he
| doubted not it would bel he would
send the others in rotation.
For months he had expected success
to come with tho dawn of every now
| day, and tonight us ho threw himself
on his bed, hungry and BROKEN
| hearted. ne rfallzcu tue iust"ho ato
had made In living in n dream. lie
mad. irn resolutions TO reform, but
MS his fingers clinchcd In newborn re-
| so,ye hi. eyes strayed across the WY
prain. For the second time that
| ev ming his heart stood still. Behind
the soft lace curtains of the Gold
tIiwait mansion shadows of people
| fitted to and fro. Tho house was in.
hnbited again--but by strangers, OF
course. he thought
Thanksgiving day found Jack
! poorer and hnngrier tnan he had ever
| been before in his life. For forty
eight hours he had not tasted food,
| mt he determined TO brcnkfnst In