Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1902-03-20

| walked Slowly across the ldIu, anu
! just as he reached the gate, his eye lit
upon me. lie came across the lane
and up the knoll, until he stood be-
side my box.
"What are you doing here?' he
asked. but not unkindly.
Resting a few minutes, said l,
con my way to Springfield, o.
"Ohio. is it?" he cried. That's
long road from here. Isuppose you're
a tramp
I'm walking, these days" l re-
piled, "but I've got friend out there
who'll look out for me, and get me a
job. I'm printer"
And you've got no friend nearer
than Ohio?' said he. "Well, WE'LL
What do you live on meanwhile?'
"On the hope of getting there
alive" said |, with laugh; and he
seemed to see the point
"A man can always peg along" he
rejoined, "if he's really going any
where"
and getting nearer every day." l
added, and then, to turn the subject.
I've been watching the people in
that house-wondering which of
them I'd rather be. There's a sick
girl on the top floor"
eyes, poor child" said he; "and l
guess she'll never be any better. But
she's cheerful; you'd be surprised.
She's studying music. You'll hear
her play the mandolin by and by. All
the family gather in her room in the
evening and she plays to them. Her
concert, she calls it; and she practices
for it during the day as much as she
can. She's beginning to play Won
derfully we'll"
AT this moment young man who
had been writing at a desk in the
room on the second floor. arose and
came to the WINDOW where he paused,
and lit cigar.
That's Mr.. Sanford said my ac-
quaintance, whom | judged to be the
janitor of the building whose occu-
pants we were discussing. He owns
that house, and | don't know how
many others, down in the city. It's
queer that he should want TO live up
here out Of the way. Still, his rooms
are wonderful; never saw such fur
niture; and there's things worth
fortune, from all over the world
"What does he do?' l asked. +,
"He? Oh, he doesn't have to do
anything. He's worth a mint o
money, that fellow"
"And he's been all over the world"
said |, with a sigh for the many fair
lands | should never see. "Why
doesn't he travel some more"
Says he's been everywhere" was
the reply. "He spends lot of time in
his room, mostly alone; but often men
come to play cards. He gives them
wine by the cart load, and cigars that
cost a quarter apiece, in lots Of a
thousand Girls come to see him, too,
in the afternoons, and he makes tea
for them in a queer bronze thing that
used to belong to a prince out in
China or Japan, They don't all drink
tea, either; some of 'em drink wine
as we'll as the men. They're summers,
tell you; some of them way up in So
ciety, Pm told, though | never NEEDLE
with other peoples business. BY jim
GO" he said, suddenly-"I can see
the diamond on his little finger
sparkle, all the way from here! It's
big as your thumb"
Indeed it seemed to me that / could
see flash Of light from the mans
hand. / sat up in my box and looked
at him. Instinct had told me that
there was some one in that house
whom / should envy. We faced each
other across the dark; he in his fine
dress suit, looking out from his nest
of riches; | with my torn clothes,
couched in box by the wayside.
"He wouldn't have to walk thou
sand miles to find a friend" said |.
HE has plenty, guess was the
reply. "There's so many that it
seems to me never see the same ones
twice, either men or women. Hello;
Mr.. and Mrs. Wayland are having an
other fuss They're just ike children
quarrel and make up. Look at him
now, trying to get hold of her hand.
He'll kiss it. I've seen them end their
squabbles like that before"
His prophesy proved true. Our
friends unon tho Lowest storv bod