Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1896-03-12

heaven upon earth would be their prop.
erty when they met Thcn some boy OF
the chuumery wherein Dicky lodged
would pound on the door OF his bare little
room and tell him 10 come ont to look at
a puny-the very thing 10 suit him.
Dicl.y could not afford ponies He had to
explain this Dicky could not afford
living in the chummery, modest as il was.
He had to explain this before no moved to
single room next the Office where he
worked all day. He kept house on a
green oilcloth table cover one chair, one
charpuy, one photograph one toothglass.
very strong and thick a Z rupee eight
anna filter, ana messing by contract at 81
rupees month, which last item was ex.
turtiOn. lie had no punkah, for punkah
costs rupees q month, but he slept or
the roof of the office, with all his wife S
letters under his pillow. Now and again
he was asked out TO dinner where be got
both puukah and an iced drink But
this was seldom, for people objected 10
recognizing "a boy who had evidently the
instincts of "a Scotch tallow chandler, and
who lived In such "a nasty fashion Dicky
could not subscribe. To any amusement sc
be found no amusement except the pleas
ure Of turning over his handbook and
reading what il said about loans on az
proved security. That cost nothing. He
remitted through Bombay bank by the
way. ana the station knew nothing of his
private affairs.
Every month he sent home all he could
possibly spare for his WIFE, and for another
reason which was expected to explain itself
shortly and would require more money
About this time Dicky was overtaken
with the nervous, haunting fear that besets
married men when they are out of sorts
lie had no pension 90 look TO- What il he
should die suddenly and leave his wife
unprovided for? The thought used to lay
hold Of him i'm the STILL hot nights on the
roof, till the shaking Of his heart made
him think that ho was going 20 die then
and there of heart disease. Now this is a
frame OF mind which no boy has right
To know. 1t is strong mans trouble,
but, coming when it did, it nearly drove
poor punhahless, perspiring Dicky HIATT
mad. He could tell no one about it,
certain amount of "screw" is rs nee
essary for "a man rs for billiard ball 1t
makes them both do wonderful things
Dicky needed money badly, and he worked
for IL like a horse. But naturally the men
who owned him knew that boy can live
eyry comfortably on "A certain income
Pay in India Is a matter Of age, not merit
you SEQ, and il their particular boy wished
TO work like two boys, business forbid that
they should stop him. But business for
bid that they should give him an increase
OF pay at his present ridiculously imma.
ture age So Dicky won certain rises OF
salary-amplo for Il boy, not enough for a
wife and child--certainly too little for the
700 rupee passage that he and Mrs. HIATT
had discussed so lightly once upon a time
And with this he was forced To be content
Somehow all his money seemed to fade
away i'm home drafts and the crushing ex-
change and the tone of the home letters
changed and grew querulous. "Why
wouldn't Dicky have his wife and the
baby out? Surely he had salary--a fine
salary-and il was too bad of him TO enjoy
himself IN India But would he-oould
he-.make the next draft little more
elastic" Here followed "A list Of babyis
kit as long as "a Parsee's bill. Then
Dioky whose heart yearned TO his wife and
the little son he had never seen-which.
again is "A feeling no boy is entitled to
enlarg : the draft and wrote queer half
boy, half man letters, saying that lifo was
not SO enjoyable after all, and would the
little wife wait yet little longory But
the little wife, however much She approved
Of money, objected to waiting. aud there
was q strange, hard sort of ring in her let
ters thar Dicky dIdn Z understand How
could me- poor hoys
Later on stili--just rs Dielly had been
told-apropos of another youngstor who
had "made a fool of himself " ms the say.
ing is-that matrimony would not only
ruin his further chances az advancement
but would lose him his present appoint.
ment--uAme the nows that the baby, his
own little, little son, had died, and behind
this 40 lines 81 au angry woman's scra,yI
saying the death might have been ayerted
IL certain things. all costing money, had
been done, TOR III the mother and the babv
had boon with Dioky The letter struck
% DicBy's naked heart, bat not being OH.
ciaiiy entitled 10 baby he could show no
sign of tnyul'e.
How DicEy W0u through the next four
months and what hope he kept alight "
force him into his work, no one dare SAY
He pounded on tho 700 rupee passage M
far away as ever and his style Of liyina