The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-09
TIE SOUL or A lIsuRER.


laughing, actually laughing. but there
were not more than two cart loads. Of
Inirth Ia the sound of his laughter. odd
Twenty Percent has got ne. he said
half out loud The interest is a mouIst-
ain now, whereas at the start the prin-
cipal was only a mole hill
George Desmond picked up a letter from
/ his desk it vas the old message Of
pay up, but there was something In the
/ tone Of the letter that was different from
that in most letters which the p per cent
month men write 70 their creditors who
don come 10 time promptly All letters
Of this class are savage enough, but
there was q sort OF leering brutality in
/ the letter which Desmond was now pc
rusing for the tenth time that marked
II with an individuality even among
money lenders letters. Harding's got
me fast enough" said Desmond, and L
can't see the way out OF his grip. 1
haven't come TO that vet" he unused. with
curious sort OF look in his eyes as he
looked toward his employers big safe,
but the good Lord knows il may come
soon enough. for I am ike water.
John Harding. "fRancier. was in his
LaSalle street office. L was the same
hour that George Desmond was sitting at
his desk only two blocks distant. II the
SDaniard who made the proFerb about the
usurers soul could have seen John Hard
ing he would have nointe,i TO him and
said, If you doubt my saying, look into
that mans face
Ice from the pole is not colder than
was the look in the money lenders coun-
tenance. That afternoon as he sat in his
office there was something about his
mouth that would have made one want
to move away from the man. and that
quickly. John Harding was talking 10
himself. I've got Desmond squeezed,
he said. Il hated him as a boy and
hate him worse now, down though he
IS"
John Harding had q wife and child.
Dorothy was a little one OF %. Harding
loved her better than he did his money,
which is saying much. She was the one
creature who had succeeded in finding
that somewhere in his cold blCoded being
there lay a heart. That heart had never
known to beat sympathetically or loving
y for any other human being than De-
rothy. John Harding's child. Harding
simply tolerated his wife. He never ex-
actly knew how he came 20 marry her.
He never was cruel as such men under
stand cruelty, but there was a certain ig
nOring of the wife's existence which cut
deeper than the lash.
Dorothy loved her father. though she
Gidn't understand him. She thought in an
indefinite, childish way that she had a
place in a heart which no one ever be-
fore had found When her father was
alone with Dorothy he showed his love
for her in certain outward ways for
which he would have felt ashamed had
others known.
John Harding started home. When
-sithin three blocks of his residence he
left the electric car and started down the
tree shaded street. 1t was along this
street that every night Dorothy came to
meet him. running TO him when she
caught the first sight OF his face. Hard
ms sometimes caught himself wondering
what Dorothy would think did she know
the nature of his interest upon interest
and 20 Der cent a month method of doing
business. The thought made the man
vince.
Harding as he left the car heard the
sound of tambourines and a drum II was
music from a marching contingent of a
Salvation Army band, coming from over
beyond somewhere TO the salvation OF
souls on the street. Harding heard the
beat. beart of the drum and the jingle
Of the tambourines with a sneer. Just
then he caught sight of Dorothy run
ming toward him a block away and well
beyond the first street corner.
Then it came. Harding hardly knew at
the time just what happened. a pair OF
horses, frightened by the Salvationists'
music, had dashed round the street cor
ner Little Dorothy. coming with flying
feet, was struck. At the same instant
big red-jerseyed fellow had thrown
himself in front Of the maddened horses.
lie was too late to save the child com
pletely, but he grasped her and rolled
with her to one side in time to save her
from the crushing wheels of the attached
wagon. The Salvation Army lad was
hurt, and hurt badly. The child had a
deep cut on her head from the plunging
foot Of one of the horses.
Dorothy Harding was taken home. 4
Salvation Army sister followed with
her went the father in a daze The child
was placed Oh d bed. and as her head
touched the pillow she opened her eyes
for moment, looked straight into the
eyes of the Salvation lassie and smiled
Then she sank back unconscious. Doro-
thy's smile settled matters with John
He saw that the child was look
ing straight into the face of the blue
girl when the heeting smile
passed over her face. The lassie was in
stalled as nurse. For weeks the child lay
Whether, when she came
back into physical life again, If she ever
did there would be any corresponding
mental life, the physicians would not
say.
John Harding's house was full Of reli-
slon. The nurse was praying and softly
singing songs that sounded like the tunes
that the street boys whistle. John Hard |
ing knew, though. that whatever the tune /
might be no street song ever had words |
like those which came from the lassies (
lips. At times unrebuSed he allowed the /
rest of the Salvation contingent to sing |
and pray in his parlor. They did it ever /
so softly. Harding never went to his !
office. He haunted Dorothy's room day /
and night He learned one day By over I
ft.~9 esr.a frr4f
that men sometimes Of high position put /
on the armvs uniform Tor work when f
they had left the cares q Office behind /
for the day John Harding learned many (
strange things in those few weeks. 1
VIII you pray with us said the Saliva /
rionists 20 him tine and again
NO. Harding would say, almost aav- +
3eeIy. Pray for Dorothy Pray TIL YOU /
save her, 7 tell you.
The Salvation lassie nurse would smile (
q little sadly and t5ea would siok Ca i
her knees at tlle bedside Of the child. Day /
BE- and day out sne nal prayed that with /
restored consciousness might come ~
stored reason
The father knew o. these repeated reti-
tons He nevrr vas out 81 SOUND enc
slght OF Dorothys room. One afternoon
De stood ST The foot OF the hel looking !
Hta his chiId's face The western Sun
Eas lighting the room The lassie was
ID her knees Er5 ying-
JChn Ha-dlng looked o. his chiids face
TIRE nurse kept W heT prayer. Doro-u5
opened her eyes. looked fun into her
.aiAer face ana sin.'ea - rses''
George Desmond sat az his desk
Harding hasn't bothered ne FOR SIX
weeks he said &c himself. ~hu- toner
r. the Gay and I an afraid x he's
-ome o. that and his eyes iooize6 On re
zig safe in the corner. God. what
devil be is H. has taken ms re and
1ow IL is either steal or clean g1lt
il was late ir the evening ana Lesmc1d 4