Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-05-12
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"A NIGHT WATCRMAN'S STORY,


said Jerry Jnrman. well, III tell you.
In 1883. was a night Waterman.
About O'Clock one Geld morning In
March the street had become deserted.
and ! was able to sit down beneath
the tarpaulin shelter and enjoy a pipe
and the warmth from the coke fire that
glowed In the iron basket which stood
against The open side Of the hut.
MY occupation called me into vari-
Gus parts OF London and the suburbs
where sewerage or other road-works
were In progress. l was then In Brick
Lane. spltalhelds-a locality none OF
the sweetest or quietost--and my Job
was no easy one. for the Inhabitants
were prone to remove. with an eye to
firewood. any loose timber lying about,
and the roughor portion OF the COM
munity We're rather too partial to play
ing with the bricks. which they mirth-
fully threw at one hnoihcr's heads.
much to my wrath and fear.
81 had Just settled down for quiet
| hour or two, when man made his APP
| poarance In front OF the shelter. lie
was perhaps, thlrrv years old, very
thin and pale. with unkempt hair and
board, and ahivering in insufficient
clothing--what littio he had being
I ishtk'h NllN Nlls his lttln were HUT
! ally chntterlng with the cold, and he
had frightful hollow. hacking cough,
as he asked me. In lost. forsakcn
sort of way;
viii you let me have n wnrm2
III was against the contractors rules
TO permit anyone In the hut. and IL the
police found such an outcast there
they would most likely run MIN in,
but | have heart, and I could not
but take pity on the poor shivering fell
low before me.
"Well, it's against the rules. hut YOU
do seem cold. old chap. so l suppose /
must let you come In
Thank you, said the man. coming
cold
He sat down on the rough plank by
my side, holding out his cmaclnted
hands toward the IRE. and after llttlt
whilo he evidently felt the beneilt vi
the warmth and shelter.
Seeing this With satisfaction I sci
about heating my can OF tea over the
FIRE then took some cheese and
bread and butter from my basket and
was about to start on my meal when
| caught sight Of the poor fellows
eyes looking longingly at tho food.
Are you hungry I asked.
I've had nothing for near upot
our-ard-twenty hours, was the reply
80 l divided my meal with III,
stranger.
After the rcpast, tho man bcgai
nudding and fell asleep. | went out
looked around the works aud uaw tina
! the lamps were all right. and returned
and settled down again, and my CUES
: did not wake up Till the rattle an,
, rumble OF the traffic for Spltaliield
Market got very nolsy about o'clocl,
The poor chap shook hlmaale 10
, Fether nnd thanked me for my kind
ness, and was evidently making on
, but ! had been watching him Will
he was asleep. and had somehow he
gun TO take an interest In him. Their
I was strange remnant of better day
, about the wan. dlsenaed-loolSlng face
which showed that he was not NJ tn
/ ordinary tramp class. SO 1 reBtralnc
: him from going
. Where are you on to7' aske
A him
. THE man looked at me az II in wor
IA dermcnt at my question
n To the streets he replied slmpl,
r II put few more questions to hin
showing him / wished 10 be rricndl!
v ana got him TO tell mo his story.
!. shortly II was that he had been
a clerk In merchants office, His ycun
It wife had died I'm childbirth. and h
!. own health had given way so that h
t. had lost his situation, and had bee
@ unable to obtnin other employment. II
x had no relatives or friends, ana In
j. gone from bad 20 worse. TN he ha
e become an outcast of the streets; hu
as he wofully put II, he had not Ion
!. to live. 30 II didn't matter. I'm /
g about the last stage Of consumptio
n now he said. and shall soon be out
d my misery,
d II was a bachelor then. living alon,
1 and ! quickly determined to offor m
e poor chap shelter. for day or tw
% I nj Ill RpnmtN and u M aVi
n men arrived and ] was was on dut,
I, my strange companion started on wit
e me TO s1y lodgings.
II For over six weeks housed md 10
Q, George Rankin. for that was IN
10 que SITS name.
l. nit by bit. he told me his histor
r cnd struggles but II In not necessar
= for me TO mention them except thu
n his rnthor had been miser: mise
J. In small way. no doubt. but n misc
Y, nevertheless He had turned Georp
y out OF doors soon after his mother
y denth-ahc was practically starved
death. George said. The lad was tho
only II years old, and he had nevs
seen his father since.
II got nelghborlng dispenHary do
e tor 20 see 10 my friend. He gave hi
some phyHlc to relieve his cough. bt
o. declared that II WINS quite hopeless
10 attempt 10 anVe him, and In thd' SCI
I'd enth week poor George Rankin died.
a "The day prcvloua TO his death
"a gave me "a paper which he took frol
a. tho lining OF his coat, where II ha
r. been scwn up.
r. You have been good friend
~ me- nd said. About the only frier
ever had. and / emit repay you &
le ycur Kindness except by giving 80
~ this don't know whether It viii
\" any good to YOU or not. | had
r., mind 10 destroy II. but I thought ha
is better not. II Is n letter from M
IN father, which he wrote shortly befoi
"a he died Although he never did h
y dut, by me. he evidently kept an el
~ on me. aud know my whereebou
nd 10 some extent.
q. "'Read It out loud to me- GeorI
iy added so that know you can make
D. out
q; II took the letter and read;
~ 'Georgc---f am not likely 10 III
ls many days. and I am thinking nbo
~ my money. ] can't take II with m
~ would n conld. ! dhresay you hal
o. no love for me, and would not
in you nave II. but It IN pity that an
he body else should get n. You think
en- have not done my duty by you. 4
'ie Won. | have done more for You this
W. my father did for me. I gave you |
IA nducation,-that IL more than ! 50
40 not wish 10 zee you, but after
X am dead you viii receive this lett'
i have Arranged TO have II posted
you. You viii find my money hid
the top garrett, at "a Workman stree
ca old Kent road. where ] shan die.
cd will moi tell you where II II hid II W
We be q little exercise OF your patience
II and n. You were Away an impntle
Nd ,,s,,,,,r .,,rctnh and / would not let "