The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-27
THE FIRST TIME.

softly across the bay from the Contra Costa
shore, trails its mellow light over the pc
niasula of San Francisco and then slip
ming through the Golden Gate goes 10 min
gle with the deepening crimson Of the
western sky. The sweetness OF the twl-
light was too shy to come into my dreary
shop, and SO / had gone abroad TO court 1t
in It's vagrant freedom. l went toward the
puTpling bay, past the great factories, ana
met groups of chatterng girls coming
from their work. They were soon ali
passed, and one more step would nave
brought me upon the broad quay whlch
we call East street when the termed cry
OF a woman made me pause.
Some other passing men also halted,
listened a moment and then went on.
on. The neighborhood was crowded with
drinking saloons Of the lowest order, and
knew that the cry must have come from
one OF them. A hasty search IN two or
three brought me at last TO tlpsy group
in a small dirty back room. There were
three young men and girl. The men
were of that type whom one does not care
to encounter unless one is well prepared
for action. The girl was similar to the
hundreds whom l had just met further up
the street.
She was making a desperate struggle
against overwhelming odds. One grimy,
villainous hand had throttled her after
her first cry and was still clutching her
throat, other fierce hands were tearing
her shabby clothing, and her eyes stared
with unspeakable horror and fear.
In a moment she was released and cling
ing gasping and trembling to my arm,
while the three young men, dazed for a
moment bv the suddenness of the attack,
stood glazing at me as might tigers at
some grass-eating animal that had unex-
pectedly shown fighting front. An I'm
armed man, thus pitted, would likely have
had business with the Coroner that night
And l was unarmed-except with my
wits. 1 instantly produced from my
pocket a bunch of keys, and keeping it
partly concealed brought it to my mouth.
"ShaIl blow?" l asked.
Quickly the fierce light which blazed in
the eyes of my enemies faded and was
wholly lost in the half darkness of the
den. CIutched fingers and knotted mus
cles relaxed, and hoarse voice, with mild
sullenness, exclaimed:
Don't blow, boss. OATS all right-we'u
git"
q
weapon than the best revolver, knife or
tludgeon that money can buy; and it is
nothing to the point that 1 had no whistle
at all.
Even after they had gone the girl still
clung to me pitifully, and had now begun
10 sob. She had been drinking, but was
partly sobered by her peril. spoke to
her with a firm kindness, telling her she
did; and then, she still cIinging to my arm,
we went out upon the street. She had hung
back, fearing we should be waylaid but
assured her there was no danger of that
The street lamps had Just been lighted,
and in this mixture of daylight and lamp
light l looked down into the face of my
wretched charge. 1t was a pretty face,
with the high arcned brows of the Spaniard,
and dark gray eyes that told of Saxon
blood. She feebIy gathered up the rents
in the shabby clothes that covered her girl
ish figure, and I could see that she blushed
and was ashamed. 1 led her quickly out
OF the neighborhood, where the persons
whom we encountered stared at US, some
laughing, some suspicious of me, all Won
dering.
After that first glance when, after leav-
=
each others faces for a moment, she did
not lift her eyes.
Have you a homer" I presently in
quired.
Yes, strand it was a very musical
voice.
Where is it?"
There was no reply.
Are We going in the general direction
Of it?'
yes, sir"
you work in factory" I said, "and
vet Won must have left it some time before
it closed, Tor you had had several drinks
with those toughs before L found you"
The poor girl seemed startled that /
knew all this, but what effect it had on
her opinion of me [ did not know, even
had l cared.
After awhile I knew by certain in
effectual efforts of hers to speak and by a
relaxation Of her hold on my arm that we
had come to where our ways must part,
that she wanted to thank me and leave
me and did not know how, and that she
did not want me to accompany her home
and ascertain where she lived. We were
then at the corner of Merchant and Mont
gomeTY streets.
You want to leave me here" l said.
stopping and releasing her arm. you
need not thank me. Good-by'
[ held out my hand, which, being
gloved, she took awkwardly and gingerly
in her dirty fingers, and looked UP at me
with so helpless, wistful and pitiful
glance, her eyes filling and her chin
twitching meanwhile, that 1 had no
courage to preach the foolish sermon
which l had studied on the way; and so,
with a simple pressure of her hand,
hurried away.
THE SECOND TINE.
My work being done, started at mid
night for a short tour of the Barbary Coast
before going home, as I had done many
night before. The soft spring with its
mellow twilights had passed into summer
and the summer into autumn. The first
rains OF the fading year had come and
gone, the brilliancy of the succeeding DAYS
was yielding to the haze of distant forest
fires. and fogs again were beginning to steal