Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1903-07-10

[By Helen NJ. Givens.l

Norwood mad tramped over San Fran
CISCO unsuccessfAly seeking employ
ment from sunrise to sunset. lie had
been out of the hospital only a few days,
and when he paused before an evillook-
ing clearinghouse on the waterfront, he
felt too spent and disheartened to enter.
Exactly twenty cents stood between him
and starvation. He jingled it mechani-
cally, and watched a disspated- looking
cat making its toilet in an angle of the
wall. The heaviest fog of the season
hung low over the bay and fell incessant-
ly in small rain and mist. At last
drunken man, roaring out the refrain of
a popular coon-song as he staggered
heavily by, reused Norwood, and he en-
tered the restaurant and gave "a ten-cent
order. In spite of apprenticeship at the
County hospital, his weakened stomach
revolted at the quality of the food; but
the warmth revived him little and he
fingered until he drew the notice of the
surly proprietor.
See here, young fellow" said that
worthy, roughly you'd better move on.
This amt any Salvation Army barracks
We don't give lodgn' with a ten-cent
showdown"
Norwood wondered bitterly If there
were lower depths he had not sounded
as he paid his score and struck out aim
lessly through the fog. When the great
ferry building loomed up in front of
entered the Sausalito waiting-room. a
sign conspicuously posted assured him
that loafers would not be tolerated. so
he invested his remaining capital in a
ticket. and fortified by this badge of
responsibility, assumed a position near
a heater.
on account of the fog, the boats were
not moving on schedule time, and there
was a long delay. When at last the
gates opened, Norwood found himself
entering with the crowd. His body
moved of it's own voliton, without con-
scious guidance of his mind, and he had
a feeling of aloofness, as though he
passed through the scenes of a dream.
1t was high tide, and with the sound
of the little waves swapping at the piles
the idea of ending his misery entered
his mind for the first time He had
made "A brave fight against odds; he had
worked at anything his hands found to
do; but the curriculum of his Eastern
college had done little toward training
his eye for material heights, and when
Fate had allowed him to make a mis-
step on some scaffolding his ribs had
mended sooner than his spirit.
The fog-horn still clamored, although
the mist had lifted a little Norwood
reflected that about the middle of the
bay, when the wet decks were empty,
he could slip over the side and out of
existence as easily as though he had new
er felt that life had a great deal to
| offer him. In the meantime he still
craved warmth, and he followed the
! crowd into the cabin and found a cor
| ner near the door.
| moment later two women, one ell
derby, the other young, good-looking and
| with an air of quiet distinction, seated
/ themselves opposite. From time to time
/ snatches of their conversation reached
| the young man. I he elder woman was
the fog-the younger tried to reassure
| her.
When the boat started, the girl moved
| to look out of the window, and her
purse, that after the careless fashion of
women she held in her lap, slid to the
! floor. AS Norwood restored it she look
ed at him keenly, evidently struck by the
/ contrast between his manner and his I'M
/ kempt and haggard appearance. He
wondered duly what she would do If she
could realize that her well-tilled purse held
the price of a human life. a momen-
tary impulse to tell her so and throw
himself on her generosity struggled
through his mind. Something in the
level glance of the brown eyes told him
ii would not be in vain. But when pride
pushes itself into the place of the in
tellect it is apt to degenerate into OBJ
stnacy, so Norwood held his peace. Hav-
ing made a mess of his life, he would
dDlut ny the consequences.
/ During his last night on earth con-
demned man may mercifully lose con-
I seriousness. Norwood must have doZed
for a moment. He was awakened by a
shock that threw him violently forward
on his knees, and seemed to lift the
boat out of the water. Flinging out
his hands to save himself, he clutched a
soft leathern object, and still grasping
ii, lurched to his feet as a white-faced
deckhand ran through the cabin crying
There's been a collision. The boat 5
sinking"
Instantly the widest panic prevailed
The veneer of civilization, more or less
thin, cracked; cowardce, brutality ano
weakness appeared. Struggling mer
blocked the entrances; they gashed theil
hands on the windows; they even pleC
up against the partitions like trapped
and savage animals Shrieking womer
and children ran from side to side of the
cabin. An immense negro jammed hall
in, half out, a shattered window, con
tributed the element of grotesqueness, as
he gesticulated frantically, filling the all
with alternate prayers and curses.
With death at hand Norwood ceased
to desire 1t. Springng toward an exit
he remembered the two women and re
turned. The girl, who was trying t.
raise the elder woman to her feet, looked
at him appealingly. My mothers hear
is weak" she said hurredly. The
shock has brought on an attack can
move her.
Just moment" cried Norwood
Don't stir from here, and I'll see wha
can be done"
When he gained the slippery deck HI
found order coming out of chaos through
the nerve of the officers and the calm
ness of some of the passengers Boat'
were lowered, but only to pick up few
progressive spirits who in the first panic
had seized life-preservers and thrown
themselves into the water. Lines ha'
been cast from one steamer to the other
flashing them together; and men working
like madmen-or heroes-were quickl!
passing the women and children to safe
ty over the rail.
Norwood ran back. AS the girl turne'
her white face mutely toward him he fel
a glow of admiration for her self-control
"All right" he said encouragngly
There's no danger. Are you stron
enough to help lift her?"
She nodded, and together they raise
the almost unconscious woman. Sh
was no light weight and Norwood wa
still weak, but they succeeded in half
leading, half-carrying her on deck. Tn
doomed steamer was rapidly settling, an
water was running into the cabin whe
they left it, Norwood shouted to tn
deckhands who were beginning to cast OF