Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1898-05-11
A Story With
a Sequel
BY RHODES MAcKN1eHr.

ndIu room across the COrr1QOr was
there sign of life.
Yet it was not so very warm in here
after all, he considered, pausing and
tanning himself with his straw hat.
And over there by the avenue windows
there must certainly be a little air.
He crossed the floor, saunteringly.
Hello, Marsden! declare 1 didn't
see you'll
He had stumbled upon an elderly
man seated in a wicker chair at the
farthest window.
The man turned slowly, stopping
the palm leaf he was welding with
lazy motion.
Who is it? he asked. oh, how are
you, Wick? Where've you fallen from?
Come, sit down and have some of this.
It's innocent-clareta and vichy. Whew!
Isn't it hot!
Outside Fifth Avenue, deserted save
by an occasional numbering omnibus,
lay in its midsummer night aspect.
Across the street the houses were
gloomy in darkness, the doorways
boarded up, the windows curtained
with green holland.
AS it happens, said Vickery, drop
ping into the seat on the other side of
the small table, you're the very man 1
wanted to see. l want to ask your
help in behalf of young fellow who
All! The elderly man putting down
the glass that had been to his lips;
and the interruption seemed little
peevish. With singular inopposite-
ness he went on in drawing voice:
was just thinking when you came
up, Wick. Something don't often do
this kind of weather. Dye see that
old woman at the corner, grinding out
pathetic discord from her little ma
chine? And there-d'ye see that one
armed man waiting in the shadow for
somebody to strike? I've seen four
men stop and chuck something to the
bag, and I've seen the one armed man
execute his little song and dance sue
cessfully twice-all within the last
ten minutes. I've reason to believe,
meanwhile, that both those precious
beggars are frauds of the first water
1'll even go so far as to say that all
elemosynaries are.
Vickery brid1ed a trifle. You mis-
understand me, he said, if you think I
am asking for pecuniary assistance.
Nothing of the kind. 1 was
Wait'a moment: l want to explain.
That decrepit old woman grinding the
organ there-do you know what she is?
She's not old at all; she's blooming
and INSCRIPTIONS child of Italy play
ing upon compassionate they can do
so much better than on anything else.
Those wrinkles are burnt cork, and
there's more of it under her eyes. She
isn't sitting on the hard curbstone-
she has very comfortable cushion
under her. She has an able bodied
husband who doesn't work except at
chestnut time, and who is at this min
ute in stale beer dive down in Null
berry Bend playing pinoch1e with the
nickels she scooped in yesterday. |
That squeaking old ratt1etrap out of
which she coaxes job lots of ''Norma"
is thing regularly manufactured to |
distress, and known to the trade as |
"wheezer.' And the one armed man.
his other arm? Buttoned up
inside his jacket. Now those two beg
gars are typical. pardon the. foot
I, man of the world as 1 suppose
you'd call me, f1atter myself that I've
one. But 1 find it doesn't pay. And
you, my dear fel1ow-you're a good
deal younger than 1, and if you're be-
ing taken in 1 advise you to drop it.
BY the way, may l ask what's brought
you to town? l thought you were set
tied for the summer at-what's the
place?-Greenwich?
l was and am, replied Vickery, short
~; and I'm down particularly on the
case you're good enough to Judge I'M
heard. And I've reason for askiug
your assistance = your influence.
Would you-er-is it too hot for you
to listen to little story? I'm going
round presently to see this young man,
and
You want candor, Wick? OF course.
Well, to be absolutely truthful, stor-
les, and especially little ones, send me
to sleep. You won't mind! Yes, I'd
like to hear it.
Vickery looked annoyed as he leaned |
back. Oh, it doesn't amount to any
thing, he said carelessly. 1t wouldn't |
interest you.
Marsden leaned forward; and there |
was light enough to show that his face |
had grown suddenly sober. Vickery, |
he said, you misunderstood me.
There's nobody in the world more
serious than am at all times. If it's |
beneath the surface I'm only glad that |
I hide it so we'll. I'm not a very old |
man, Vickery; to be explicit, Tn fifty
seven; but I've had-oh-troub1est that |
make me feel seventy. Some time, if |
you care to hear it, I'll tell you my |
story-though Heaven knows it's one |
I've no reason to wish to tell. No, my |
friend, you don't know me-nobody |
does; and if I'm commonly jovia1 and |
careless it's because / ought to be