The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-27

Go back to your desk-No, slide out
round the town and see what the tea
dealers and the doctors think of the
discovery"
Relieved at being sure of something
to eat for a week at least, Mac took
the assignment and went to work He
commented mentally on the fact that
he was not on the hotels, and was
hugely glad of it,
The first thing he did was to make
the rounds of his friends and borrow
all the money he could-$23, a vast
sum, considering his financial credit
To this he added seven more of his
own, to make it an even 30. Then he
walked straight to Groves room on Lo-
Gust street.
And meanwhile Groves had gone
home. Gloomy as a smokey fog inside
he forced an air of cheerfulness as he
pulled off his overcoat and tossed it on
his cot. From the bed came a hollow
cough.
"How's tricks. KIDD" he joked.
We'll enough" wheezed a thin voice
Pm in the third act of Richard III
now. When a fellow cares about
Shakespeare he don't care if he can't
be out on the street.-the has a world all
his own, and a great one it is, too
But why home so early?"
| Bob Groves was honest to the core,
even with the sick. when receptions
might sometimes have been kindness
/ He sat down on the edge of Jims bed
and told the sick boy the brutal truth,
] then dropped his head in his hands
/ with a silent groan.
God knows what I'm going to do,
| Jimmie" he unused bitterly. Fisher
! won't have me under the same roof
/ with him. This tea story is too big a
n Va m fOr
! good in the newspaper business in St.
4 Louis. And l can't go way, for some
one must take care of you. In a free
hospital they'd murder you, kid. I've
got to quit the newspaper deal"
A thin white claw-hand reached for
the powerful brown one.
Bob, you are the best brother in
Hospital, and 20"
mo! I'll be" but the sturdy fell
low bit into the oath and it never
came out. "Ill get a job washing
dishes or driving street car first. We
stand together. AS long as 1 can swing
d shovel or shoot biscuit you can have
everything 1 can give you, kid"
But the restaurants wouldn't have
you, either, Bob, for you can't make
! tea" And racked over his own dismal
| joke the boy fell to coughing again.
! Hiding his own bitterness, Groves
forced a laugh.
This wet smoke they call air here,
/ kid, would rust out the lungs of a
mule. What you need is fresh air, sea
air. full of salt, enough to pickle you.
Now if we were on the coast I'd get a
| job before the mast. Come in
Groves stepped to the locked door
and swung it wide open. In stepped
Mac. Nodding cordially to Groves, he
stepped over to the bed. And how's
the corpse?" he asked, jovially, as he
! gently shook the waXy fingers.
Never better. III be out soon"
Good. Sure. you will. You're look
| ing better" But Mac lied He knew
it and Groves knew it; but Groves was
grateful, for it was lie of the utmost
! charity.
Groves, old man. I'm sorry
you're out; but it's part Of
the game, you know. 1 know
! how il is myself and - and
| you've got this convalescent here
! to take care of. so l thought I'd stake
you to this. Here's $50 until you get on
again in case you're short-this was
| rather sudden, you know" but there
was a hardening in Groves eyes that
stopped Mac right where he was. Then
he thought of the IL lone dollars in his
! jacket. looked at the sick boy-and
stretched out his hand for the loan.