The Portland daily press., 1894-09-28

to see and to admire. And he thought
with bitterness that in the past he had
dressed to please his own fine taste and
not for the envious eye of the vulgar
crowd.
Penetrating the vaults of banks, gold
coin was heaped up in sealed bags and
loosely heaped in preparation for sealing;
silver bars and weighty mounds and
wrought gold plate whole services, whose
workmanship was art that made the gold
more precious. All was his own to do with
as he pleased, with none to interfere or say
him nay Something of passing thought
fitted across his brain Of the mighty pow
er that these countless millions might have
welded, some remnant of the time when
men were common, cheap and plentiful
and despised, SO common that work was
bestowed on them as charity, and women
courted them for but the merest fragment
of the wealth that now was heaped SO Law
ishly in view and all went unregarded.
Wandering on. his eyes were attracted
by the heaped up cakes and CONNECTIONS of
an ample window, which brought to mind
that he was hungry, and entering he
glanced around upon the dainties and del.
icacies, but he only broke a crust from a
brown loaf. Thirsty, he sought around the
place, descended the broad stone stairs to
the basement where ranks on ranks of
shelving held great store of wine, both old
and new. But he turned away and found
the fountain in the public square, and there
he munched his crust and drank of the
water.
The idea Of home haunted him, and on
his many daily excursions, as evening fell,
he turned back as if to seek the point from
which he started in the morning, as the
workman returns TO his home at night. 1t
was then especially that his utter loneli-
ness struck him with greatest force All
places were the same to him, and no place
was home.
One day his journey took him to the
distant outskirts in his persistent search
for human face and the sound of hui
man voice, and as he approached the in
closure of great field he was startled to
hear the neigh of a horse the first sound
from man OF animal, save his own voice,
that he had heard in weary weeks, for
even the birds of the air and the beasts OF
burden had disappeared from that mys-
FERROUS place. No wonder his heart stood
still for joy.
The neigh was repeated, and the frantic
horse came up to the Enclosure at a mad
gallop and dashed himself against the tall
fence With no thought for the strange
action of the animal, but prompted by the
wild wish for any companionship, INLAND
ran to the fence, tore away the palings,
and throwing his arms around the horse's
neck he burst into tears. The horse was
almost human in his whinnying, and when
INLAND sought the road the horse followed
him like dog am. gave every sign of in
tense pleasure at the ompanionship.
They were constant companions, and
together they ate and drank at the foun-
tain. 1t was lease OF life for both. Bu6
the overwhelming yearning for the sight
OF a human face and the sound OF hui
man voice returned to INLAND, and he new
er ceased his search. He walked, with the
horse following, from dawn to dark, pene-
trating every section OF the great city,
never dreaming OF using the horse his
was TIC him a fellow creature, and what
was time to M1landG His one Thought was
upon meeting a human being What
change from the time when he avoided
them all! 10 see, to speak, to commune
with one OF his klnd-aye, even were he
OF the lowest, the most degraded, were JOY
N@AoPSeRhe&SAS' - ~So-Ao>~ - S'SAJ "@A1No''f
rang every bell. He climbed to the top OF
the tower and rang an alarm OF lire upon
the great bell that was won't to bring the
hurying crowds and the rush OF IRE en-
glnes, but there was no response to his
challenge. he climbed the loftlest monu-
ments and looked over sea OF roofs, but
there was not sign to denote that Nv
ing person dweit In the great metropolis.
The streets remained deserted, and the
sun rose and set In daily round upon the
dreadful silence. INLAND began TO settle
Into blank despair and was weary enough
70 lie down and Ole.
Dragging hlmself along from mouse to
mouse IN the Sums OF the great city on a
rainy evening, he fancled that the chal-
lenge OF MS rap at a Wretched cabin was
answered by groan. But as he had been
the victlm OF many halluclnataons IN
which even the wind seemed to have the
voice OF human beings, he doubted his
own ears. Entering, ne stamped upon the
NAKED moor and listened.
surely there was no mistake There was
tne groan again, ana PLAINLY from tne IN
ner room. Iremphng' ne entered and
could ne beileve MS eyes! wretched old
man lay IN the last stages OF disease and
starvation, Wretched creature OF the