The morning call., 1893-05-21

foreman and asked him in sort of shame
faced way if he couldn't let him have
something on his string. Now Maginnis
is dead against anything like tbat-we get
paid OF on Menday night and the front office
won't !listen to anything else. III he paid
him then 1t would have to comeout OF his
own pocket and besides it would be esta b.
fishing a bad precedent.
Then the man came over and got after
the boys for loan on his string, but none
OF them felt like it, and we were all going
home when Johnny said:
Here. you fellow. Pll let you have
couple of cases if that will do you any
good"
We all stopped and stared, for Johnny
had been guying him all day. and we had
never suspected before that the bov pos
sessed any bump of benevolence. We fel.
a little ashamed too, for after all there
was no chance OF losing anything, and
Parsons measured up his string and adj.
vaBced him the full amount. 1t didn't
come to quite S3-a Scant days work. but
he grabbed it and was off up street with
out hardly stopping to say thank you.
Now, you've done It," said the fore
man, that bloke wont show up again for
week and then he will probably be
spoiled for work" But he was wrong that
time, fer lie was on hand next day, looking
If possible worse than ever. his eyes were
as hollow as if he hadn't had wink of
sleep, and altogether he looked rather
tough. At night h. came round begging
again. Maginns didn't like it, and he told
the boys so. We hate to 60 against Ma
ginnis, for he is good foreman, and we
rarely have a kick coming about him, so
we decided to stand the fellow off.
He went off dreadfully disheartened and
walking so slow that George and | kept
right behind him for two or three blocks.
Pm getting interested in that man."
said George. He don't look like con-
mon bum; let's see where he keeps him.
self"
So when he turned down Second street
we followed. He went into tenement
house little ways down the street and we
went in after bim-why we did 1t Pm sure
l don't know; Pm sure we didn't have Y
idea of playing the spy on him. George
said something led US there, he is getting
such notions as that from his wife, but
ANYWAY we went.
When we were almost up the stairs
and he had just reached the first landing
woman ran out of an open door a one side
and caught his hand
Come quick, he's going-oh, Tom, my
baby-my babyP
He threw his arm around her and half
carried her into the room, they both
fell on their knees by bed at the farther
end. where little wasted figure lay notion
less. with ap awful gray pallor creeping
over the pincneu OaDv lace.
Ii was only moment more until it was
all over and there we're only four of us left
In the shabby room, but the woman still
knelt with her arms outstretched across
the bed and the mans face was buried in
the pillow. There was not sound OF a
sob or word.
George motioned to me- and we went back
downstairs again as quietly as possible,
Somehow the muddy pavement and the
despatched vehicles passing by had
strangely unreal look to my eyes as we
stood once more in the street.
I'm going for my wife," said George,
you'd better go and hunt up the boys,
hadn't you, and see what can be done?"
1t didn't take long to find most of them.
and even old Magnnis went down in his
pocket " hen he heard how matters stood,
and he said he would go and get Mrs, Ma
ginns TO help Georges wife.
We did everything we could and loo ked
after what has to be done at such times.
Somehow 1t didn't seem to be much either,
the most we can do sometimes seems lit tie
enough, don't itp A gang of men came
over from the moTnit e paper and held the
cases for US an hour so that the whole
force could go tn the funeral.
1t kind of broke us all up, too, that
funeral, and most of us thought we had
all the sentiment Knocked out of us long
ago. But somehow it seemed TO ften up
fellows heart to sit In that stuify, mar
row room and look at that little white
coffin with the wreath of pnks on it
Johnny bought the flowers. l remember
the smell of Them. we used to have some
in the garden back home-and look at the
agouized eyes of the man opposite, hold
ing his wile's hand, while her face was
hidden on the shoulder OF Georges wife.
We got them out of that into better
quarters yesterday. We found out that
the man, whose name was Hamilton, had
been down with, the fever, and shortly
after his wife took sick, too, and by the
time they were both up and around II print
shop went under in the town where they
were stayiDg-I think he said they
were In Sp0kane-and work got so scarce