The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-28
THE RAJAH's LOST GEM.
Plea of Donald the Shoemaker for
Better Fare.


From the New York Sun.
Donald, the prison shoemaker stole up
the stairs to the hospital, his wrinkled
old face all twisted with a cunning
smirk. He had a purpose in mind as he
usually had, and this purpose concerned
his individual betterment. Twenty-three
months of prison fare had sickened even
his indurated stomach and he was now
determined to secure in some way an or
der for hospital rations. But how was he
to bring this desirable change about? He
was afraid to appeal again to the doctor
Experience had taught that functionary
that Donalds appetite was never so lusty
as when he pleaded that he was "wastin
away from some distemper of the in
nards," and had caused him at such times
to prescribe a peculiarly noXious dose
and pers 0nally 10 see that the patient took
it. Being thus barred by suspicion. who
was there who might possibly intercede
for the poor shoemaker? Who but the old
Colonel, the convicted banker, who en-
joyed the confidence of all the officers,
and had privileges conferred upon him
without even asking for them? Would not
his word be potent now with the doctor
should he make so moderate a request?
Ali but would he, since there was only
one convict more selfish than the convict
Wet with them? At least there could be
no harm in trying; it seemed the only
chance! At many sharp turns in his ca
reer Donald had found good-natured in
direction serviceable in attaining his ends,
and this course he was again about to
pursue. Hence the cunning smirk on his
wrinkled old facee.
Good marnin to you, Colonel" began
Donald, with a pull Of his scalp-lock,
drawing up a stool alongside of the old
bankers armchair. "Shure, II there's a
pathological exhibit at the next world g
fair it's your pictur they'll be havin' as
a speciming of Before and AFTER. Why
you LUX more like your own grandson. so
you do, than as you did when you KEN
in; and renewin your yout' day by day
like the agile hisself, that y are"
Il think | hold my own" replied the old
Colonel. gratified despite his doubts OF
Donal(ss ingeniousness.
Hold your own, Colonel?' repeated the
shoemaker with a high laugh OF scorn
'you holds the fust rank with the risl
nowhere. and for why? Becuz your body
is strentened by bang-up grub, jest as
your sowl is composed by good con-
science. All! It's a happy man I'd be, SO
I wud, IL 1 had ayther wan of thin two
standbys in the cooler!'
why, your conscience is undsturbed
isn't it?" asked the Colonel. lazlly.
That's jest 1t, Colonel" Donald went
on, eagerly. There's nothin' like lost
opportunity, you know, 10 come sneakin'
back out of the forgitfuIness of the past
Navsf .s..1 -. - "a
dim power of ordinary rations. Listen,
now, and I'll tell you of wan that arter
forty years of a well-spint life on the turf
keeps sappin' my strent like a Sparting
boy with a cold on his chist; and thin
whativer rimidy may Suggest itself to q
man of your standin' and inflooance, will
be met by a CONSENSUS on my part, / prom
Use you.
1T was in Lunnon, SO 1t was Colonel
that l fust entered upon the sporty life,
not stlckln' TO amy particular graft, but
prggin and crackin' wheriver | saw an
opening like a jack Of all trades gone
wrong. l stood well with the flash mob
1 did, and If I'd only larned to abide by
business principles l might now be the
head of the profesh there, instid of bein'
driven into exile to pick hemp and eat
ealt-horse in the four quarters of the
globe. Oh, the mistakes of our yout. Col
onel how they returns TO tormint us, when
the day of rictlfcatun is past. No wonder
1 turned me back on beans, the morn
though I'd had naught for supper but a
wad of brid all streaked like a zebry, and
tin of tay made of tanbark!
well, I'll git down. Colonel, to the par
tic'lar thing 1 left undone, so that now
there's no healt to me, only primisin' that
you'll bear in mind my prisint danger of
anaemy and its possible rimidy. There
was a sly old fence | knoWed in Lunnon,
named Gomez a spider of a man. with his
invisible web a stritchin' out in all d.
rictions, while he lay back in his house
in Ugh Olliway, niver takin annythln' I'M
til IT was fast in his grasp, and thin niver
lettin go Wan of the wickedest old sp-
ders he was, Colonel. that / liver KEN
acrost; for he thought out jobs for thin
that niver would have consaved thin, and
he TUX the lions share of the swag,
though he niver run no resks. But all the
samee. becuz he would advance a bit now
and thin to those he knew, when they was
on the rocky bed, and becuz he was allus
a promisln' how much better he'd do the
next time, he had the pick of the fly push
of the day at his beck and call. so. one
afternoon, whin a sharp. little, mahoga-
ny-brown urchin, that | knowed as Co
mez' brat. tipped me on the street that his
old man wanted me, l give up the plant
] was pipin', wan Of thin squires with a
the size Of knapsack, and whit straight
way 10 him.
"A respectable residence had Gomez, Col
onel, with jewelers. shop In front, where
he minded watches all day, whin he wasn't
a miltin' up into new spoons the old spoons
he had milted down. As entered there
he was, tall and thin and as dark as q
mulatty, standin' behind the counter show
I'M a washed chain to an old Teddy. He
barely looked up. Jest pass into the rear
room, my man. he said, and whin I'm
at lasure, I'll examine into your quallfica-
tons for the work ] wish And thin 1
heered him go and explain to his customer
as how he needed anudder hand IN his
shop. but he feared from my looks as how
I might not be up TO dilicate jobs. Oh,
che sly old spider, Colonel, so used TO wav-
IN all sorts OF snares that he'd 20 out of
his way to lie jest to keep In practice!
II had barely time to dlskiver. Colonel,
that there weren't nothin' on the table or
the mantel wuth nabbin' and that the cup
board in the Garner was double locked.
whn he KEN sneakin' in. I hopes
haven't KEEP you waitin', Donald he said
nieagantlv. Il seen Won was gittin' rist-