The morning call., 1894-01-28

bodies to the grave and hoped to follow
countless more. So their talk was dis
tinctly shop" Suddenly Dick remem-
bered that he had not yet seen Corners, so
he ana the reporter left the stable aud
logged down Howard street to Fourth.
where we entered another stable and found
the object of our search sleeping inside his
hack, but, to Dicks amaZement, sober.
After the usual salutatiOns the reporter
was presented and informed by Dick in a
stage aside that Mr.. Corners was the
oldest driver in San Francisco. to which
that gentleman smiled and nodded vigor-
Gus assent. Dick then gave him Genes in
structions for the following morning, with
an incidental remark as to the prOpriety
of being sober at the time. This latter
suggestion was utterly ignored by the old
man, and the only answer vOuchsafed was
query as I" what job he was on?'
"Nickleby. Twentv-sixth street to the
cemetery" brifly replied Dick.
Mr. Corners entered the name and ad-
dress on piec- of brown paper and placed
it in his vest pocket, after which began
another talk on death as weird and grue-
some as The former, but soon ended by Mr..
COnners' invitation to drink. As it was to
be but one drink Dick accepted for him.
self and companion, and the trio traced
their steps through the maZes of a dark,
crooked alley near by, until they stopped
at and entered musty little grocery with
muster little barroOm at the back. Over
the door of this room was picture of a
large steaming glass of beer, encircled by
the hgure ., and lIfe-siZe man elm biDg a
ladder that rested against the glass. Mr..
Corners led the way to the rear, while
Dick Jagged behin0 to nudge the reporter
In the rios ana whisper, Take 10-center
he's good"
Mr.. Corners, quite unconscious of the
high regard in which he was held by Dick,
had already ordered the private bottle, -
and reduced its contents by five fingers
Dick did the same. aud the reporter
smoked. Time was called. and each glass
emptied at a gulp. Then Mr.. Connsrs
dove into his pocket and brought forth a
newspaper. so folded that the first article
on which the eyes would fall was list of
the dead. He drew his study finger down
this list and called off the names one by
one. much as merchant might peruse the
price list of the Stock Exchange, and
ended by asking Dick not to let "Gene"
forget him when the House got any new
cases. Dick assured him that he would
never be forgotten by Gene when patron
age was being distributed, and on the
strength OF this assurance the "privaie
bottle" was again passed around. Then
he talked of Brazil, bet the only subject
that appeared to interest him in regard to
that country was the reported fevers pre-
vailing there, and he half sighed as he re-
called that San Francisco was so seldom
visited by an epidemic.
The reporter, who had taken no part ia
this conve rsatOn, was about TO order more
refreshments ut this point when Dick
nudged hin again as a signal to keep his
peace: "COnuers will speak in minute"
But Mr.. Corners spoke" no more and the
party filed back TO the stable where, after
parting injunction to the old man to be
on time, Dick and the reporter walked
away leaving Mr.. Corners studying the
list Of the dead.
HE takes quite an interest in tina list"
suggested the reporter.
"Of course" was Dicks response, shat
list is his stock in trade. HIS first duty in
the morning and his last at night is to sean