The times., 1898-07-03
Werner.

w RTnST WAS uNLIlE- IHt ShIlt VI AlAo AiAN
was slowly dropping from one glass into
the other and when the dawn broke it
would be finished, In the dimly lighted
room where he lay there were many 9TH
ers who must sooner or later accompany
him A poor hodcarrier who had fallen
from high scaffolding had been the last,
and the doctor had told the night nurse
that he must soon follow a.1
The police had found him In a nearby
alley not two hours ago His face was
buried In the snow and his lips were blue
with cold The officer who first made the
discovery had thought him drunk. Move
on he had said kicking the-p PROSTATE
body roughly. But Werner had not moved
on for the simplest and best of reasons,
and the bluecoat had taken him past
the ieering crowd of small boys to the
precinct station. They had laughed
there, too, until the desk sergeant. in
looking over his belongings. had found a
little book in which the prisoner had kept
his expense account. When the reader
had noted the amount spent on the day
before-'rolls, cent" he ceased smil-
! ing. and the next memorandum
brought a sigh. Roll, cent" it read,
and then just above that, ITO poor boy
who needed it worse than I, 2 cents" I"
/ After that they had sent Werner to the
hospital.
/ A brief diagnosis of the case at that
! building had brought the formal notifica-
( ton. Exhaustion and cold. He's old.
too-he won't last long" Meanwhile the
lifeless body had moved no more than a
log might have under the same. conditions
! and seemed to understand less. Two of
the men undressed him and put him to
bed. There was soiled card in his vest
no .ly.f nd T-t+ hot +,11 Of hi
fesson. He was an actor.
The hours PASSED slowly by and still
those who were watching saw no sign. 1t
was nearly twelve when he turned slowly
I over and then, with an effort, sat up.
! There was vacant, far-away expression
4 on his face and the nurse was frightened
4 by it. Hadn't you better lie DOWN. she
| asked. But Werner was already speak
ing-croning the lines of some long for
gotten play. HIS hands moved an accom-
paniment of gestures and his eyes began
to translate the meanings his words eX-
1 pressed SO lily. The voice, first weak and
faulty, grew stronger and those who lis
tened closely caught whole sentences
given with fire and earnestness that as
tonished them. After a second the lips
closed and the old man stopped. He wait
I ed a moment as though he heard some
thing and then a haggard smile wavered
on his mouth and vanished. THANK
you" he muttered with low bow. There
was a pause. Thank you he repeated
but / can say no more. am gratified al
your appreciation. Thank you" And he
bowed again. The woman sitting by his
bed touched his arm and spoke softly
1 Lie down. she said. She did not under
stand. How should she? Werner started
He was awake at last. rs this the GranG
Opera Housea" he asked. ~" 1s'sf
'Yes-yes." The reply was rather sharp
But the actor had come back to his
senses. There was no applause" he re
marked. No one answered him. Then hi
repeated what he had said in broken
heart-sick way. "It never came" ht
added Il worked and waited but it never
came
Lie down, 1.-THE nurse commanded, and
this time he obeyed. The haggard lool
deepened and then one of resignation fol
lowed For second the face was calm
Then the mans lip quivered and his eye:
filled with tears. A deep, wavering sol
shook him and he turned over weeping
softly and went Ito sleep. ~'f'"
Down the hall the clock licked softly
outside in the cold air sleigh filled witt
happy people sped by; over the way mer
and women were dancing. There was M
one to think of the broken hopes and un
finished work of an old actor Such thing.
are not much TO JUS of the worid-we d(
not even understand them. Only the ser
geant at his desk was reading the las
lines in the notebook he had taken II
the hospital the CRATE fire cracked mer
rily and the shaded light fared in a gus
of wind. The table with its load Of
remedy looked ghaStly in che. corner. Ii
the white sheeted bed the sorrow of 6
lifetime was at rest. Werner was dead