The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-03-04
THE KNOCK
 AT THE DOOR

looked In upon him from across the dark roofs of the city outlined In som Der silhouette against the star lit sky. A slckly smile lowered over his pale ylsage, and his lips were set as In the suppression of an Inward curse. Ills hands lay folded pensively across his thin legs, and he looked out over the shadowy housetops with a dull sugges' ton of hatred in his bloodshot eyes.
 Suddenly there came low tapping at the door behind him. He arose with muttered curse at thus having hlS thoughts interrupted and approached the door lazlly.
 "What do you want" he demanded in sharp voice.
 But there was no reply. He opened the door cautiously. and only q cold gust of midnight air entered the dark apartment He glanced out Into the silent hallway and saw again the same familiar darkness that he had seen when he entered his room. Confused. startled. he drew hls hand thoughtful ly across his brow. then closed the door carefully and locked 1t. A mo- ment later he seated himself In the chair by the open easement and stared out through the nocturnal shadows It was quite cold. and a few patches of snow were gleaming brightly on many of the housetops. but the pessi- mist was unconscious of the cold.
 "Why do I llveg" he asked himself. And the echo of his own voice came back to his ears from beyond the hall way.
 "There is an object In every life" the voice said to him. We all have a mission to fulfill"
 "Yes." he answered the voice, with something of a sepulchral tone In his own. and the object of mine Is to ascertain the limit of mans endurance. the capacity of human beings for pain. Some day 1 will reach the limit. Some lay my capacity will he exceeded"
 While he was speaking there came to his ears the sound of human voice In he alley below his window. It seemed ike a low groan. ending In sharp. mournful cry. as of an infant. In stantly hls gloomy meditations were lfSpcllcd. and he leaned forward through the window In the hope Of again hearing the strange sound. Again the long Groan was borne to hlm from out Of the darkness. but when he looked down In the direction from which lt came he could see only | deep wall of darkness and midnight shadows. Suddenly:
 God. please help me!'
 It was the voice of child lying at .hc base of the building among the half dozen ash barrels in the alleyway. He arose and went down upon the street. X moment later he passed down .hc alley along the row of ash barrels. Lying beside one of these he discover ed the cuddllng body of a child, baby boy. scarcely more than six years or age. lt was half frozen, and. judging from the plnchcd face. it had not tasted food for many hours or days. li was clad only in a dirty cloth of tat tcrs. and the childish lips were parted in a repeated cry. God. please help me- He lifted the child boy in his long. bOny arms and bore It into the house and up the long flight of stairs to his chamber. There he undrcssed it and revived lt. He procured food and sustenancc and placed it tenderly tn hls own soft bed. Then he took from hls pocket a roll of greenbacks and placed it carefully In the ragged pocket of the child's clothes. Why he did so he was not able to say, but-it was m Impulse which he could not resist. He said to himself:
 This Is another of earth's poor crea- lures who has been depending on the Lord Christ"
 And he resumed hls seat by the win dow.
 Thrice as he sat there he heard the mysterious knock at the door; thrice | he arose and looked out into the hall way and thrice returned again to his seat. bewildered and mystlfed; thrice had the midnight air entered in cold gust through the chamber door. and thrice he had answered the low tap ping to discover only the midnight darkness. But at last his head fell for ward on his breast. and he slept soft ly; then. when his breathing had be- come heavier and harder. the door. which he had securely locked. opened slowly. and the white viSage of n grin ming skull looked in upon lmI. A mo- ment later the glcaming. phosphores- cent skeleton entered the dark cham Der aud moved nlmbly to hls side. lt placed its bOny hand over the sleep Ing mans lips and held it there until the heavy breathing became lnaudible. When the last short breath had escap- ed the slumberer's lips. lt sprang back ward with silent bound and passed out through the open door.
 The cold hand of death had complet- ed It's work.
 In the~mornlng the child awoke and found the dead body of It's benefactor sitting rlgidly in the leather chair by the open window. In its ragged pock- cts the child discovered the money which the dead man had placed there as 1t lay asleep in the big. soft bed, and when the crowd surged Into the deathroom the child told them In It's own way how the dead man had saved