The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-11-04

had told some wonderful story of his
exploits except the athletic Jack Viii.
mer, who sat, big and calm and imper-
turbable, putting away at his corncob
pipe
Look here, Wilmer" said Greer,
this won't do Any fellow that's led
the tough life that you have must have
lots of things to tell. Come, brace up
and give US a story. We want to be
amused"
''Never had but one extraordinary
adventure" said Wilmer, ''and that
was chiefly remarkable for the way it
ended. You won't like it,
Come, give it to u.s."
Take drink. Jack, and begin"
Wilmer took his pipe from his mouth
and stretched out his frame in the
chair.
well, you see," he said, sit was
when first came to New York 1 was
having pretty hard time of it. with
out money, friends or any education to
speak of, like you fellows that have
that l didn't try MY hand at, from
porter in a hotel to clerk in u big cloth
ing store on Sixth avenue, but l gave
that up pretty soon-couldn't stand
| lifting clothes on pert little dudes that
| could have carried with one hand
Good thing got out Of it, too, because
IL it had lasted much longer I should
have Knocked some of them down.
But while l was clerk l had room
in a cheap lodging house on the East
side near Third avenue-Eighth street,
| think it was. 1t was on the first
| floor. the back room, as stuffy and hot
a little hole as you ever saw, and was
there all summer. 1t had one big
window in the back. and there l used
to spend most of my time when 1 was
in the house, trying to get breath of
fresh air and looking at the dingy
courtyard that belonged also to the
house back of us on Seventh street 1t
was like well, paved with stones The
children used to play in it and the wom-
en- hung out their clothes.
''One awfully hot day in July about
five o'clock in the afternoon l was sit.
ting there in my shirt sleeves, drowsy
and sleepy with heat. Not having any
thing else to do, had a sheet of paper
before me on which 1 idly scribbled
over and over again my name, John
Wilmer. in my own peculiar scrawl-
that looks like the trail of a fly that
has just crawled out of an inkstand.
Il was very drowsy and mad as hops
with yellow-haircd woman at a win
! -l,a l. r.
the lid of a box that had been hung
out of the window to serve as a refrig.
orator:
Maggie. do you want me to bring the
potatoes, too? Maggie, Maggie, why
don't you answer?'
''On the fire escape of another house
two children were having fight Ny
eyes closed for moment when sud-
denly in the quiet came a gust of
wind. / looked up in time to see the
paper before me blown ont of the VIM
dow across the courtyard to the WIN
dow III the basement where a man was
sitting The man picked ur the paper.
looked at it carefully for several min
utes and then taking piece of paper
two, looking from one to the other
with satisfaction. He then put them
both back in the book and sat down
again. looking over at me from time
TO time He was big red-haired and
red.bearded fellow whom 1 had often
seen before at that window. but was
very curious to know what was his
interest in my handwriting
'Well, q few evenings after that was
taking my dinner at cheap eating
house on the Bowery. 1t was as hot
as blazes; the doors and windows were
all open. the flies coming IN and stick
ing in the butter and to the pink and
blue tissue paper hanging on the walls. |
l don't know what they have these |
things for. unless it is 70 keep the flies |
from feeling homeless. But there was
something that made me feel urcon-
Portable aside from this and / didn't |
know what it was until turned around |
and saw sittina- at anothAr table ths |