The Irish standard., 1902-08-16

IL don't know; inside, somew!,eres,
guess. L been dyin' on my feet any
time for year back"
"Consurnption?" queried Griswold.
81 reckon So"
"TEen you've no business in deck
crew."
The mans smile was CHASTITY.
Reckon | hain't got any business
anywheres out'n hospital or hole
i'll the ground. But l kind o. thought
I'd like to be planted 'longside o.
] the woman and childer, if L could
make out to get there"
"Where?"
The consumptive named small
river town in Iowa.
"And you were going to work your
passage?"
81 was allowin' to try it. But I'm
done up, now"
Griswold's impulsiveness was east
ly dominant in any appeal to his
sympathy; and his compassion went
straight to the mark, as it always
did when his pockets were not
empty.
what is the fare by rail to your
town?' he inquired.
81 don't know; l never asked. But
it's between $50 and $50, | reckon;
and that's more money than I've
seen sence the woman died"
Griswold hastily counted out 500
from his contingent fund, and thrust
the money into the mans hand.
"Take that and change places with
me-" he said, slipping on the mask
of grutfness again. PAY your fare
on the train and I'll take your job
on the boat. Don't be fool" he
added, when the man put his face
in his hands and began to choke.
cts Il fair enough exchange, and
I'll get as much out of it one way
as you will the other. What is your
name? / may have to borrow it,
"John Gavitt."
GAIL right; off with you," said the
liberator; and with that he Shout
dered the sick mans load and fell
into line i'll the ant-procession.
Once on board the steamer he fol-
lowed his file-leader aft and made it
his first care to find safe hiding
place for the knotted bandanna.
That done, he dropped into line
again, and when he went ashore the
sick man was gone.
Injured to hard living as he was,
Griswold had made no more than
half-dozen rounds between the levee
and the after-deck of the Belle
Julie in the ant-procession before he
was glad to remember that the
steamers lading was all but COM
plctcd. 1t was toll of the sharpest,
and he drew breath of blessed re-
lief when the last man staggered
mp the plank with his burden, while
the bell changed it's final summons,
and the lowly-revolving paddle
wheels took the strain from the
mooring lines. Being nearest the
bow line, Griswold was one of the
two who sprang ashore at the mates
bidding to cast Off; and they were
in the act when carriage drove
rapidly down to the stage and two
tardy passengers hurried aboard
The mate bawled from his station
on the hurricane deck:
AN'N, tICl. thc Il luIIl OIl t!tI
spring line out there and get them
trunks aboard! Lively!'
The larger Of the two trunks fell
to the late recruit; and when he had
set it down at the door of the dcsig-
mated statcroom he so far forgot
himself as to read the card tackled
upon it: "Charlotte Farnham, Wa
hasl>a, Minncsota.'
"Thank you,' said a musical voice
at his elbow. MAY trouble you to
put it inside?"
Gliswold turned as one smitten,
} and was not without embarrassment
at having been caught reading the
tag. But when he saw the owner of
the voice, CONSERVATION slew shame,
and he was prompted to make a wild
dash for liberty. For Miss Farnham
was no other than the young wom-
an to whom he had given place at
bank.
; She saw his confusion, OWNED the
first cause of it and smiled. Then
he met her gaze fairly and became
sane again when he made sure that
she did not recognize him-became
sane, and snatched off his cap and
dragged the trunk into the state.
room; after which he went to his
place with a great thankfulness
throbbing in his heart and an in.
choate resolve shaping itself in his
brain.
Late that night, when the Belle
!. Julie was we'll on her way to the
northward, he flung himself down
upon the freight on the engine-roon
guard to snatch little rest between
landings, and the resolve became
sufficiently cosmic to formulate itself
in words.
> "Ill call it an oracle,"he said
"One place is as good as another, sc
it be small enough; and I am sure
: I have never heard of Wahasl>a."
:, Now Griswold the proletary was
- before all things else, Griswold the
= imaginative craftsman;. and no soon
:, er was the question of his destina
ton settled than he began to pre-
: figure the place and it's probable
lacks and havngs. This process
;, brought him by easy gradations tx
= pleasant idcalizngs of Miss Farm
= ham, who was, thus far. the onl,
= thing tangible connected With tn,
* destination dream. Whcreupon he