The herald., 1894-06-24
AN EPISODE
Which Contains the Skeleton of
Story.

WhtCn CONTAINS inc bkoloCon OF =
Story.
1t was night; moonlight night.
There was no doubt about that, for there
was no light to speak of. The Electric
Light company had decided that it was
q moonshine date, and had shut off their
street lamps, while a mass of clouds shut
off the rays of Luna, il there were any.
There was the fading turmoil OF city
at night, the clang Of the car gongs,
the rumble of the scsvengers' wagons,
the shuttle OF feet on the sidewalk. A
couple of giggling girls strolled along,
and exchanged some salic repartee with
some youths in front of the Burbank
theatsr. Then the doors swung open
and the audience flowed out on the side
walk and drifted away in the darkness.
Among the last were q man and wo.
man. The man was middlesized, his
shoulders bent, evidently az result OF
some arduous occupation, his eyes show
ing that careworn, apprehensive ex pres-
sion, always characteristic OF men who
have loved ones dependent on them, and
whose occupations are precarious.
The woman was evidently verging onto
if not into the forties, though it would
had girls pink and white complexion,
roundness of limb and person that
was a little more than plumpness and
little less than stoutness. Her eyes were
large, round and wickedly soft, lumin-
GUS and liquid, and her lips were red
and moist enough to have been the OBJ
ject of Swinburnian sonnet.
AS they stood moment young man
srrolled up to them and commenced to
chat. He was big, square shouldered
and 30 massive that his muscles showed
plainly through his i'll fitting clothes.
He leered at the woman, who showed
frankly her pleasure at seeing him, and
who found cause for merriment in the
fact that he was slightly intoxicated.
The old man was annoyed at the
rencontre and as they reached q corner
where drug stores lamps dimlv
lighted the scene, he spoke sharply to
the woman, who was evidently his wife.
She replied in a tart way and drew
away from him. The young man
sneered at the older, and made q sug-
gestive remark about the Inappropriate
ness of his being a mate for the hand
some creature. She stood impassively
at one side, her eyes resting on the
young fellow with undisguised admira-
ton. The old man saw this and it
msddened him. He sprang at his
rival and in his first fury nearly bore
the younger man to the earth. The
two struggled for the mastery, while a
crowd of half dozen or more men and
boys gathered, springing apparently
from nowhere, in the mysterious way
th at crowds have in the city.
1t was an unequal match, however,
and soon the younger rolled the older
man over, and with knee on his chest,
raised great hairy fist over the
face beneath him. The blow fat.
tened the victims nose and blood flowed
as from a slaughtered bull. Again the
great list rose; the more sympathetic
in the crowd murmured at the cruel
sight, but they had not the courage to
interfere, and again it descended, crush
ing in the old mans teeth and cutting
open both lips and his cheek. The
sidewalk was covered with blood; or Q or
TWO OF the spectators moved 30 that the
little streams flowing gutterwards might
not wet their shoes, 90
The woman had not moved and all
| the emotion she showed was increased
admiration of the young savage who was
butchering her husband. The latter lay
he IL uohu, LIS laCo VINO az Ohhihs W LUZ
the blood had not stained it red. The
great fat stopped in mid air as the
young man realized that perhaps he had
gone too far, and he stood up and
brushed off his clothes.
"He's all right" he said, looking at
the senseless body, "lst's go to the
Boofet and, get something to eat" he
added, speaking to the woman.
Thav walk ed off arm in arm nm SnripO
street and were soon lost in the dark
ness. After time the patrol wagon
came up, the old man wac picked up,
taken to the central station and the next
drunk.
This is what the police reporter calls a
nocturns in prose, and he says it is a
true one.