The San Francisco call., 1897-04-25
DE LHNCY PEHRSON'S REFORM

it! won't pay It'll Here. madam, here! !
Here, take this. It's the pay for last |
month! I'm no longer boarder OF yours. |
madam! I'm no longer under your roof. |
L leave YOU! 1 leave you now, MADAME
And, tossing the bank bills he had been
tondling all that miserable day into the
lap of the landlady, Pearson fed from the
house.
George de Lancey Pearson recovered his
senses sufficiently to realize that he was
rushing along the streets with his hands
thrust deep into his pockets and his hat
Tilted over his eyes. muttering like an
idiot, and generally making fool of him.
self When this disagreeable intelligence
flashed upon him, he stopped short, and
taxing off his hat mopped his perspiriug
forehead. while the cool evening breeze
tanned his fevered brow.
"Humph! grunted Pearson, after
glance around him. He had walked all
the distance downtown, and was II the
vicinity of the office where he was en-
ployed-and he was hungry. Contempla-
ton of this latter condition reminded him
that he had quilted his place of board and
must seek another. A pretty task at that
hour of the dayI He decided he would
60 to restaurant for dinner and secure a
lodging for the night, and postpone look
ing for permanent place OF board until
the morrow.
There were number of first-class res
taurants in the vicinity, but their prices
were too high 10 suit the penurIous soul
OF De Lancey Pearson, and he began to
cast about him for a cheap and unpreten.
tious place, and finally found one that
seemed to be to his liking. 1t was one of
! those long g-named places with tables ranged
down one side of the room and fly
specked cigar-case and a made-to-order
| blonde in front, and u black board adver-
tising small steak and potatoes 10 cents,
ETC.. on the sidewalk outside the entrance.
bic d hote dinner with wine, 40 cents"
was conspicuously painted on the window
of the esta blishment. and it was this
leader" that caught Pearson.
| Pearson endeavored to make himself
believe that he enjoyed the lonely and un-
palata Bile meal, and became so angry with
his inmost self because he was unable to
convince it that he was really and truly
/ happy over his escape from the grasping
| power OF Mrs. Wilson, that he determined
! TO invest in one of the $40 commutation
! tickets advertised. for sale in a footnote
on the menu cards OF the establishment
at SS so. Here was chance TO economiZei
THIS was the sensible and correct way to
live He wanted to eat what he wanted
and only pay for what he ate! Why had
he 50 long neglected an opportunity as
this? In contemplating the economy OF
this mode OF existence Pearson really be-
came enihused, and it was with manifest
satisfaction that he pocketed the fiimsy
piece of pasteboard the blonde girl gave
him in exchange for sS 80 in coin.
In the conscious pride of the possessor
of $40 commutation meal ticket, Pear
son sailed forth from the restaurant and
stroled slowly down the street He felt
so slf-com placent and satisfied that he
even invested in 10-cent cigar. Then it
occurred to him that he had other work
| before him. He had surrendered his rooms
at Mrs. Wilson's, and it was mount bent
upon him to find other quarters at once
and relieve his grasping ex-landiady of
the care of his personal possessions as
soon as possible. Three hours later Pear
! son and his belongings were safely en-.
sconced in two furnished rooms" at the
base of Mob Hill. Pearson had secured
the rooms at the modest rental of So
week, and with his commuters ticket in
his pocket he felt very we'll satisfied with
himself and with life in general and his
/ scheme OF domestic economy in particular,
But the three days that followed Pear
sons departure from Mrs. Wilson's were
! fraught with awful experiences to him.
On the evening after his purchase of the
communication meal ticket Pearson had re-
turned to the restaurant where he bought
it. He scarcely recognized the place. II
looked dingy. The blonde girl who had
presided at the cigar-stand and punched
meal tickets had disappeared, and in her
place was a large young man with
pimply face and red nose. The white
table-linen was gone and the eating-tables
were covered with red cloths that had
1 evidently seen bet ter days.
! t!The air and appearance OF the whole
place was changed ana Pearson would
have believed that he had made a mistake
had it not been for the signs upon the
window. He pulled himself toget ther and
taking seat at table ordered his meal. A
slouchy girl served him a cold and sloppy
! lot of stuff be couldn't eat. Sick at heart
and disgIsted Pearson left his unsavory
meal almost untasted, and grabbing the
check the girl gave him, took it and his
meal ticket TO the large, pimply-faee
young man at the cigar-stand. The young
man looked over the ticket carefully and