The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-27
THE THREE TIMES WE MET.
by w. z. MORROW.

sum, was crushed down over her head and
her stylish new gown was soiled with the
CRIME of the doorway. She was in the
heavy sleep of drunkenness.
She had no wrap, and it was impossible
for me to leave her to sleep there all night
in the damp fog and on the chill granite
slab. | tried to rouse her, but she only
fought me off and mum bled oaths. | left
her and sought policeman.
~ have found,'' said to him, "a youne
woman lying drunk and asleep in door
way, and unless she is taken care of the
exposure may kill her"
"All right" promptly responded the
officer. "Show me where she is and I'll
run her in
THAT Is Just what you are not going to
do, said. II propose to put her to bed
somewhere and l want your help; that is
ALL"
The officer regarded me with bored
surprise and agreed.
He was much rougher with her than I
had been aud so reused her without great
difficulty, placed her on her feet, and she
stood lurching ard grumbling and sup
ported between US. BY the light of a
match he recognized her.
Hello, Rose; you are at it again, are
your"
His voice and dimly seen star and brass
buttons alarmed her and she pleaded
piteously:
Don't run me in, Mike; don't run me
in"
"I'm not going to do that" he said, "but
you've got to go home"
This made her cover and crouch and
hang back.
Mop she exclaimed in very thick
voice, I'D if I'll go home! I'll die
first ~
You don't have to go home," inter
| iected. eve Will take you to a lodging
house, where you can DE comfortable and
can sleep"
My voice seemed to send something like
a shock through her frame and she peered
into my face, but the light was poor; she
holding tight. We started toward Kearny
street with her and she began to sob.
! Nothing was said until we had nearly
reached the brighter lights of the street,
when the policeman roughly said:
Drop that Rose and brace up"
| She dropped it and braced up as well as
| she could. [ Strengthened her hat a little and
| ad busted more securely a crushed La France
rose which she wore in the front of her
gown. At the clearinghouse we were met
by decent-looking woman, who privately
agreed with me TO put the girl comfortably
to bed and give her some coffee in the
morning. AS she and the policeman were
about to start with Rosa upstairs, re-
manning below, l held out my hand to her
and said:
"Good-by, Rosa" giving the name its
Spanish completeness and pronunciation.
She started when she heard it, and as
| she took my hand gingerly the tears came
again into her swollen eyes, her chin quiv-
cred as before and the familiar helpless,
wistful, shame-faced expression came over
| her sodden features. Again she tried to
| say word, again she failed then she
! drew the rose from her bosom and seemed
about to hand it to me, when she suddenly
crushed it in her fingers and flung it
! angrlv down. Without a word she went
reeling between her supporters up the
stairs.
When the policeman came down we
went out and had a good cigar together.
He was rather a good hearted but en-
tirely too curious fellow, and when he ais
covered that desired neither to give nor
receive any information he passed on to
his duties.
THE THIRD TIME.
What is this strange thing which I'M
accountably places winding rivers i'll our
pathway, to be crossed and recrossed at
unexpected places and under widely diff
ferent aspects? And why is it that these
recurring crossings often bear so wonder
full a relation to periods OF time? Fur the
spring had come again. and it was a wear
almost to a day since l had left my work
shop late one afternoon to stroll eastward
and meet the mellow twilight which stole
across the bay from the Contra Costa shore,
and which, after sweeping over the PENN
sula, had slipped out to sea through the
Golden Gate and gone 10 lose its tender
sweetness in the dark crimson CT the
western sky. Again the old impulse to be
abroad and enjoy the afterglow of day
came over me, and L began leisurely to
ascend Telegraph Hill, the better to see
from this noble eminence the glories of
the west and the enshrouding OF grim
Diablo in the purple shadows of night.
My way took me through the poorer
quarters of the Latins. A lamp shone
here and there within DOORS mothers
were calling their frowsy children to
supper from the street. and growing lines
OF yellow lights in the darker reaches
below showed that the Iamplighters had
already begun their work.
at one Of the entrances to decrepid
brick house which opened into an alley
small but eager crowd of urchins was
gathering, and a familiar word spoken III
foreign tongue here and there informed
me that something mysterious and pos
siply terrible had happened. I pushed
my way through the group and APP
preached the entrance. At that iuncture
woman with badly frightened face
emerged excitedIy, swept the little crowd
with her glance, and, observing me,
hurrledly stepped close. She was a
Spanish woman, poorly dressed. Her
desperation overcame her timidity, for she
approached me, wringing her hands and
begging me IN quaint mixture of Eng
lish and Spanish to come within. as the
doctor needed some man to help him.
followed her instantly. She led me M