The San Francisco call., 1904-03-20

says had been an experiment u
shsckleton's, who maintained that the
Sunday edition should furnish food for
all types OF minds. Essex had pro-
duced exactly the class OF matter
wanted. and received for IT the gem
erous pay that the proprietor Of The
Trumpet was always ready to give for
good work.
The reader was nuttering the leaves
OF the nrst book OF the pile when n
knock at the door stopped him. He
knew II was his neighbor across the
hall. who had been in bed for over a
week. sick with bronchitis. Essex had
seen the man several times during his
seclusion and had conceived care
Iessly cynical interest in him.
When sober, he had developed re-
narkable anecdotal capacity, which
had immensely amused his new ac-
ouaintance. Tales OF '49 and the early
Comstock days, scandals Of those now
in high places discreditable accounts
OF the making Of fortunes, flowed from
his lips in a high-colored and divert
lng stream. II they were lies they
were exceedingly ingenious ones. Es-
sex saw material for q dozen novels IN
the mans revealing and lurid recitalS
OF his own personal history he was
rettcent merely saying that his name
was George Harney, and his trade that
OF iob-printer. Drink had almost de-
stroyed him. Physically he was q
mere bunch OF nerves covered by fab
by, saIlow flesh
In answer TO ESsexs come in." the
door opened and Harvey shombled in
70 the room. BE was fully dressed,
but showed the evidences Of illness in
his followed cheeks and eyes. and the
yellow skin hanging naccid round jaw
and throat His hand shook and his
gait was uncertain. but he was per
fectly sober.
IT came to have a squint at the pa
per, Doc" be said in q hoarse voice
II can't 20 out with this blasted
wheezing on me. Don't want TO die In
my prime"
Essex threw the paper across the
table at him.
There's news tonight" he said
taking I'D his book; "Shaokleton's
dead
The man stopped as II electrified
~ShacEeton? Jake Shackleton? ?"
be said In g loud voice.
Jake Shackleton." answered Essex,
surprised at the startled establishment
OF his caoe- Did you know him %
Harney snatched the paper and
opened It with an unsteady hand. He
ran his eyes over the lines under the
black-lettered heading Of the first
page
by goshl' he said to himself. so
be IS; so he is"
He sat down In the chair at the op-
posite side OF the table, smoothed out
the sheet and read the account slowly
and carefully.
BY gosh!" he said again when he
had finished, who'd thought
Jake'd go OF like that"'
Did you know him?" repeated Es-
sex
Once up In the Sierra. when we
was all mining UP there"
He spoke absently and sat looking
into the fire for a moment then said:
It's pretty tough luck to be
I whisked of that way when you just
got everything in the palm Of your
hand"
Essex made no reply, and after a
pause he added:
Between fifteen and twenty mil
lions it says there" indicating the pa
per, "and when I saw Jake Shackleton
first you wouldn't er hired him to
sweep down the steps Of The Trumpet
Office. But that was twenty-five
: years ago at least"
"Oh, Shackleton was an able man.
There's no question about that. They
were saying in the Office tonight that
10 put his money at"
Who does it go to? Do you know
that?" queried the man by the fire.
Widow and children, I suppose.
There are two children. Don't
amount to anything. believe"
no; there are three"
! Harney turned from the IRE and
looked over his shoulder. He was sit
ting In a hunched position, his back
rounded, his chin depressed. His
black eyes, that drew close to his
nose, were instinct with eager cunning.
The skin across the bridge Of the nose
was drawn in wrinkles. AS he looked
the wheeling Of his disturbed breath
ing was distinctly audible. Essex was
struck by the sly and malevolent in
] telligence OF his face.
Three childrent he said. We'll,
I've always heard the death of a bo-
nanza king was the signal for a large
crop OF widows and orphans to take
the field"
There won't be any widow this
time. She's dead. But the girls alive
and I've seen her"
He accompanied this remark with a
second look, significant with the same
malicious intensity Of meaning. Then
he rose TO his feet and walked to-
ward the door.
Goodnight, Doc he said as he
reached it; 'ain't well enough to talk
tonight"
Essex gave him return goodnight
and the door closed on him. The
younger man cogitated over his books
for a space. It did not strike him as
interesting or remarkable that Shack
Teton should have had an unacknowl-
edged child, OF whose existence George
Harvey, the drunken job-printer,
knew. He was becoming accustomed
TO the extraordinary intermingling of