Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-08-04

he could only borrow that flagon and
pawn it for a few hours, just to get a
stake for the roulette table, he would
be able to redeem it, restore it to it's
place without John being any the
wiser and with the surplus of his win
nings could make another dash into
Wall street and conquer fortune.
Nothing could be simpler, few things
more certain.
He did not at once give way to the
temptation. Not until afternoon had
he fully made up his mind to yield to
it. But having done so, he was inn
patient to act
That was the purpose he had in
view when he entered Johns room af-
ter Addie Halls departure, and it was
to await Lottie's leaving him there
alone within reach of Johns silver
fiagon that he seated himself at the
window.
The pawnbroker looked askance at
the big chunk of silver, scanned sus-
piciously the inscription it bore, and
after n good deal of deliberation said
he would advance SOS on it. He adj
mitted that it was intrinsically worth
ten times that sum and perhaps more,
but that was all he proposed to risk
on the chance of its being reclaimed
by the police.
Chester burned with indignation,
but he did not dare 20 resent the fell
lows insults, for il was quite true
that he had no right to dispose of the
property and-he wanted the money,
With the small sum thus obtained at
such a sacrifice of honor and ~self-re-
spect, he almost ran TO Mr.. Coffcrty's
gaming table. Within an hour he saw
the dealers long, snaky fingers close
upon the ivory disk representing the
last dollar of the twenty-five and with
easy, graceful Indifference Slide is
upon n pile of its fellows at his side.
The young man walked slowly out,
down the stairs and away, like II
walking i'm a dream. The blow seemed
TO have induced n sort of mental tor
pidity, in which somehow he recog-
nized that he was an ungrateful. des-
titute, hopelessly ~diShonored thief,
and yet even that thought could not
sting him into wakefulness and mad
ness. 1t slipped away from him.
An electric light a long way before
him fascinated his sight, and he
NhlhNb ph dlh III lONNdlb IL IlNNidillN-
ally, without purpose, thinking of
nothing. Out of a saloon door, sud
denly opened as he passed, came n
burst of coarse music, and the strain
he caught of it chung in his dull brain,
repeating itself monotonously, max
ing him unconsciously time his steps
to it. 1t was finally dispclled by the
vehement profanity of Il cab driver in
front of whose horse he deliberately
walked at n street crossing. He
heard the mans lurid remarks, but
went on without answering, changing
his gait or looking back like an auto
maton.
After a time he noticed Il bench and
sat down upon it, as if his muscles re-
membered that they were weary. A
man in a gray uniform came out of
the shadow of a clump of evergreens a
few feet away from him, and stood in
the middle Of the road, regarding him
suspiciously. Partially recalled to
himself, he looked about him, recog-
nizcd that he was in the Seventh av-
enue entrance of Central park, and,
rising, went out to the street again.
Slowly he walked westwardly.
A fine, penetrating, cold rain was
falling, and gradually a sense Of phys
ical discomfort forced itself upon his
consciousness. at the same time walk
ing a keen, mental agony. Since his
necessarily frugal breakfast he had
eaten nothing, and now, in addition
to being saturated by the rain, chilled
to the bone and very weary, he was
horribly hungry. Worse than all--he
was al outcast thief.
Where he was he had no idea fur
ther than that he must be far up
town on the West Side, in a residence
section of the city, very lonely and
quiet at this hour, particularly on
such a night as this. If he could find
a place where he could get some food
and a cup of hot coffee, he would not
care where he was. Careful search
through his pockets brought to light
but u solitary nickel. 1t would be
useless to find a place for refreshment
without having more money than
that. He sat down upon Il rock near
n street corner, with a growing, sui
len indifference to everything.
The rise of the hill cut off from
where he sat n view of the Sixth av-
enue elevated railway to the east
ward, but he could hear the trains
moving on it to and fro. After he had
rested a little he would go over to it,
find n station, use his last nickel to
get down town and ask somebody for
means to get some food. Beg! Yes,
he had come to that. Why not? He
was a thief. Could he sink lower? No.
He might as well he a beggar-or die.
Die! Well, yes; that, too, might be
good-but-later.
The figure of a man appeared, COM
ing down the little hill toward him,
from the direction Of the railroad. He
would have a chance to try begging
without waiting to get down town.
lie stood up, waited until the man
close, and then said in a
trembling voice:
Excuse me, sir. Will you spare me
the price Of Ia meal? i really need it,
| would not ask for it."
The sidewalk was narrow, owing to
the piles Of broken rock heaped up on
each side from a great excavation just
the pavement line, so that the
two men faced each other, with only
a couple of yards of space between
them. But the man addressed, after
hearing him through, took a step
and exclaimed:
you have n genius for surprises,
Mr.. Sewall."
His fur cap and mufller had con-
his identity until he spoke, but
voice and the ieering affectation
of courtesy in his tone made Chester
recognized him at once. 1t was Mr..
The Mortified young man stood sill
ent, motionless as a statue.
$50 this" the banker went on mock
as if enjoying the situation, lis
the profession upon the profits of
you contemplated matrimony!
had no idea that the solicitation of
pennies was so good a
resource. You must have become