The San Francisco call., 1904-07-17


as I passed. 1T goes-that about a
raise for you. Olden. Now earn it."
Isn't he white. Mag-white clean
through, that big fellow Obermuller?
VI
got into the train. Mag, the happiesi
girl in all the country. I'd a big basket
Of things for Tom I was got up in my
Sunday best, for ] wanted to make a
hit with some fellow with key up
there, who'd make things soft and easy
for ny Tommy.
] had so much to tell him. I knew
just how 10 take of every member Of
the company 10 amuse him. I had
memOrized every joke I'd heard since
I'd got behind the curtain-not very
hard FOR me; things always had way
of sticking in my mind. 1 knew the
newest songs in town. and the choruses
Of all the old ones. I could show him
the latest tricks with cards-Td got
those at first hand from Professor
Haughwout. You know how great Tom
is on tricks. I could explain the dis
appearing woman mystery and the
mirror cabinet. l knew the clog dance
that Dewitt and Daniels do. had pic
lures Of the trained seals, the great
Ing her great tight-rope dance and the
Brothers Borodini in their pyramid
tumblinr.
Yes, il was a whole vaudeville show,
with refreshments between the acts
thar ] was taking up to Tom Dorgan.
] don't care much for a lot Of that
truck-funny. isn't it, how you get to
turn up your nose at the things you'd
have given a finger for once upon a
tine? But Tom-Oh, I'd got everything
pat Ter him-my big. handsome Tom
Dorgan in stripes-with his curls all
shaved off-ugh,
Id got just so far in my thoughts,
sitting there in the train, when 1 gave
a shiver. 1 thought for a minute it
was at the idea Of my Tom with one of
those bare, round convict-heads on him,
that look like fat skeleton faces. But
il wasn't 1t was
Guess, Mag.
Norway.
Both Of Us thought the same thing
of each other for the first second that
our eyes met / could see that He
thought ] Was caught at last And
thought he'd been sharp once too often.
And. Mag It would be hard to say
which OF US would have been happier
il Il had been the truth.
Oh, to meet Norway. bound sure
enough for Sing Singl
He got up and came over to me,
smiling wickedly. He took the seat
behind me, and leaning forward, said
softly:
is Miss Omar engaged to read to
some invalid Up at Sing Sing? And for
how long teTm-I should say, en-
gsgement?"
J. got through shivering by then I
was ready for him. I turned and looked
at him in that very polite. distant sort
o way Cray uses in her act when the
Charity superintendent speaks TO her.
It's the only decent thing she does;
chances are that that's how Lord
Gray's mother looks at her.
You know my sister, MINI" I
asked humbly
He looked at me. perplexed for Just
a second.
Sister berkanged,' he said at last.
I know you, Nat, and I'm glad to nv
fnger-tips that you've got it in the
neck, in spite Of all your smartness."
You're altogether wrong, sir" I said
very stately, but hurt a bit, you know.
I've often been taken for my sister.
DuL sFAt-SLlen usually apologize when
I explain 10 them. It's hard enough TO
have a sister who" looked up at him
tearfully,. with my chin a-wabble with
sorrow
He grinned.
Liars should have good memories"
he sneered. Miss Omar said she was
an orphan, you remember, and had not
a relative in the world"
Did she say that2 Did Nora saw
that2" 7 exclaimed piteously. "Ob
what little liar she is 1 suppose she
thought it made her more interesting
10 be so alone, more appealing to kind
hearted gentlemen like yourself hone
she wasn't ungrateful 10 you. too as
she was TO that kind Mr. I.atirner he
fore he found her out. And she had
such a good position there, tool"
I wanted TO look at him, oh. wanted
20, But il was my role to sit there
with dOwncast eyes, just the picture of
holy grief / was the good one-the
good. shocked sister, and though 7
wasn't q bit afraid Of anything he
could do TO me, or any game he could
put UP, I yearned 10 make him believe
me-just because he was so suspicious
so wickedly smart, so sure he was on.
But his very silence sort of told me
he almost believed, or that he was lay
ing trap.
"W.I you tell me-" he said, how
you-your sister got Latimer TO lie for
herr"
Mr.. Latimer-liei Oh, you don't