The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-22
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by anybody not concerned. nor was there
any telling of secrets, but somehow or
other within the next few days the friend
knew that the printer and the player had
printer had grown very. very fond Of the
player.
so As the days and weeks went by the
song ana dance people and the ;ricksters
and sumblers. did their turns on the Com
iqoe stage, and the people IN front clapped
tne-r hands and drank and smoked Tom
6got deeper in debt and more neglixen. OF
MS cases and his string grew snorter
bpt there were still some places where
MS credit was good. and where late sup
pers could be bought. and, perhaps, lit
lie Wine now and then, and possibly a few
flowers occasionally.
This tells how q robber ran away:
printer died. His associates, knowing
the Widow and orphan were poorly pro-
Vided for. collected a sum of money for
her. Tom was intrusted with Il TO give
10 her. 1t wasn't much--only about $40
and nobody thought much about il. About
three weeks afterward. one Monday, lust
after the cashier had paid the printers,
and while the full force. regulars, subs
and some others, were in the office, one OF
the boys mounted the platform where the
toreman's desk stood, and in a loud, clear
voice announced that he had something to
say There were probably a hundred or
more present, and Tom Clark was at his
case. Everybody listened while a letter
was read. II was written by the widow,
and its purport was that she had never re-
ce.ved the money that had been sent her.
That was the beginning OF the end. Ta-
ellis decensus averni. Tom was dismissed
from the office. and though there was no
prosecution, he hung his head and skunk
out OF town. The Comique continued bus
mess. and the fun went on before and be-
hind the scenes, just as though Tom Clark
had never brought the scent Of sage grass
from his Kansas prairie home to the stage
door. Probably three weeks had passed
when Tom turned up again. He saw his
first city friend and to him exhibited a
great roll OF money.
I've got enough to choke a cow" was
the inelegant but expressive way he put it.
Where did you get it?'
Never mind where l got e: got it.
over three thousand"
What are you going to do with it?"
THE Com.que's running yet, I guess.
But it isn't the only theater. and this isn't
the only city,
A few of the boys saw Tom that night
and the next day, and some saw his roll.
The second night he was not in such high
spirits, and he didn't flash" his money;
didn't seem to have any. Next day he
was missing. Some people predicted a
change Of bill at the Comique. but they
were poor prophets The same people
played right on. the stage door opened
and shut with the same regularity. and
there was just as much business for the
hackmen. and late suppers, with little
wine now and then. perhaps. and probably
a few flowers occasionally But Tom
Clark was fleeing westward. and the off,
GERS were on his track.
Then came the wages OF s.n-that's
death?
At one OF the frontier army posts a
young man sought a place in the ranks.
The enlistment ofiicer noted that he was
in good physical condition, but seemingly
of the genus hobo. He said he was a
printer by trade, was broke, and wanted
TO become a soldier. He was almost In