The San Francisco call., 1905-05-14


Jumped angrily to his feet.
Get out Of here, and stay out, or
thereII be something doing for you"
In that brief vision the waiter had
seen a woman. sobbing on her arms.
She had on a black hat, cornitured
with white plumes that hardly hid a
wealth Of tousled hair. yellow like
ripe corn. The man was clean
shaven, sQuare-shouldered and gave
evidences Of a plentiful supply of
soap and water. The waiter closed the
curtains and discreetly withdrew.
The woman was sobbing softly.
Jimmy" said she. as she raised a
dripping face and crawled over to him.
you didn't mean what you said. did
you ?"
7 meant every word and 1 mean it
still" said the man.
The woman gripped him about the
knees while the man continued his
relentless talk.
You're a beautiful woman and I'm
e poor man. The money 1 get from
my newspaper business comes hard
and the money you make in the the
ater comes harder. We can't live as
We wish and we must say farewell. It's
only q matter of a little parting"
The woman broke in.
I don't care what We make, Jimmy.
Just let me be with you. Let's go to
the mountains and We can live on $40
e month. Father. mother and my
self lived on less than that once and
I was happy"
For a while the man was silent,
blowing cigarette smoke into the air
Of the close room. The woman still
clung TO his knees. sobbing softly.
Now. look here" said the man
finally, there isn't any use arguing
the matter. You know 1 like you and
that 1 would do anything in the world
for you. You are the most beautiful
and the most lovable woman ] have
ever seen. Why do you want to throw
yourself away on me?'
4 want you, Jimmy" sobbed the
woman.
We've got TO quit now" said the
man. You have beauty and charm
and you should be out looking for
some man with money. Cotton under
wear wasn't made for you. You don't
have TO 90 back 10 the life you led
after an outlaw father was killed in
Sonora to support mother who was
reconciled 10 the shame for the money
you gave her.
The woman raised her head and said
simply. MY father and mother are
dead now. Jimmy. He was always
kind 10 me-
~Dead or living" continued the man,
when you start out again don't tell
everybody about your past life
Il never told any one but you, Jim
my" she pleaded. I wanted you TO
know everything. I've been good since
I knew you
The man smoked a minute in silence,
watching the bowed head of the wo-
man. and suddenly he reached out
hand and tucked in a wandering
strand Of her golden hair. She quit
crying and looked up in his face.
Elsie" he said, 4 want you to be
sensible for once in your life. You have
everything in you to make you dear to
good men except your past Go out
and find some rich man who can make
you what you Should be. Get some
man who can afford 10 see that your
shoes don't run over and your skirts
are not draggly."
s. She commenced to cry again. Jim
my, I want you" she moaned.
Well, you can't have me-" said the
man This is final Tonight is the
parting point" and he arose and rang
the bell.
DO you mean it, Jimmy" she asked.
"Of course I mean it," said he. Its
better for you and better for me-
A set look came in her face and her
gray eyes grew like the color Of a new
knife. She dried her face on a fiimsy
. lace handkerchief, standing with her
back 70 the waiter when he came to
collect the check. When she had her
wraps on she went down the stairway,
the man following her. She hurried up
street, without a glance back and the
man watched her gloomily from the
doorway. Midway in the block a po-
nceman stood and eyed her curiously.
Then he sauntered down to where the
man had moved 10 the edge of the side
walk
What's the matter with the girl to-
night. Henderson ?" he asked.
Say, Regan," said the man angrily,
IF you would learn TO attend to your
own business you'd have a HI Of a
sight better chance TO keep out of the
fog belt"
The woman turned the corner with
out looking back and the man went to
the other corner. Three men came
along and hailed him. but he paid no
attention to them. Another came by
and insisted on shaking hands, inviting
him TO take a drink
oh, 90 TO HI he exclaimed. start
ing across the street. Then he turned
back and shook hands with his invi-
tator.
Il didn't mean to be rude to Won.
Charley" he said. I'm sort of out
OF shape tonight"
Everywhere he went that night he
met men he knew and avoided them.
In his wanderings for strange places
he drank more than was good for him
and when he showed the following
evening at his desk one would have
scarcely recognized James Henderson.
telegraph editor of the San Francisco
Clarion, suaVe, tactful and capable.
with seemingly unQuenchable knowl-
edge Of conditions from Patagonia to
St Petersburg.
AS a matter Of fact he felt rather like
3 dog. Running over Russian war news
or glancing at an item from the Alas
kan fisheries little things about Elsie
popped into his head; the soft ways she
had; the white arms about his neck
when he played some old love song on
the piano, almost forgotten by him and
never known TO her; the jolly air she
held over feast Of caviar and beer
when she had refused from some
weather man a sunptuous supper; the
warm welcome she gave his friends in
those two little rooms Of hers-what a
good little fellow she was for two years