The San Francisco call., 1905-01-01

deposited his burdens upon a bed OF
coal sacks and discarded horse blan-
kets.
Here was the one spot in all the world
for him where the wicked ceased from
troubling and the weary could nnd rest
Near by lay several battered tomato
cans and a broken dish or two, rescued
from heaven alone knew what ash oin'
and representing the sole Housekeeping
stock. One tin contained water; from
this the starved dog Tapped eagerly the
boy offered the raw meat, which the
animal licked but could not eat; turn
ing away it nestled down. The child
rubbed the fog-wet hair as dry as pos
sible. covered the shivering thing in the
blanket, then ate his own portion OF
bread and sausage. AS he finished his
meal, ping" went the VIOLIN. and a
snapped string flew.
.'Why this?' apostrophized the boy,
"know you not if / have not the mu-
sic there is no bread for the little one,
or me?"
Then after long, sorrowful gazing at
the tiny dog, he whispered.
..Sleep, little one-the meat. it is too
much: it must be milk; this ! VIII get;
fear not. 1 will return.
Repairing the violin as well as possi-
BILE. although it was now raining stead
iIy. he went out into the downpour.
lr1alxe stood nlqV-
ing: one from the dozens passing
pressed a dime upon him. as with the
ghost OF a smile he said:
Thank, it is enough"
Hurrying home he secured a tomato
can and intercepted milkman.
Five cents of the milk, please"
Hello, Dago! Sick?' Want it fer
yourself?"
mo, me not sick.-fcr my dog 1t is."
he replied, drawing himself Up with the
conscious pride of possession, he. who
never in all this hard world had owned
a thing before.
The battered tin filled without
charge, he tottered away, the man
gazed wonderingly after him, then
whipped up his horses and drove away,
his conscience at peace.
Why should he trouble? 1t was none
of his business. There was some one
surely to look after the child; no use
getting mixed UP in other peoples at
fairs.
The boy offered the milk. rejoicing to
see the animal lap. a little sufficed,
then the two bits of flotsam curled
down together and slept, the rain beat
ing a lullaby on the broken shingles
above their heads All that day the
wild rain poured in torrents, such
deluge as only San Francisco can pro-
duce.
Late in the afternoon the child .awoke
and tried to induce his companion to-
eat; feebly the tiny tail wagged. while
the soft brown eyes gazed adoringly
into eyes as brown, that pleaded; then
with a lick of his benefactor's grimy
hand. the little bunch of draggled hair
and bones, looking so like a remnant Of
door mat. stretched wearily out, shiv-
cred once or twice-and died.
The child continued to stroke the lit
tie head for some time. hoping Cor
some sign of recognition. but the affec-
tionate brown eyes were duh and
glazed.
He gazed sorrowfully at the can of
milk, the scattered remnants Of food.
then realizing his pet would never need
them more, the heart that h..d made
such a brave fight suddenly broke;
throwing himself down with an mar
ticulate. gasping cry; he moaned him
self into insensibility:
Rousing later, he felt for his violin.
The rain had swollen and warped 1t, the
strings lay broken, never again could
it pulsate to the jigging ragtime or the
soft melodies OF his own forgotten land.
He laid it tenderly aside, as some
thing irrevocably sacrificed upon an
altar of necessity, where all else in his
short life had come to lie: then he
carefully wrapped the blanket mechan-
ically about the little stiffened dog, cud-
died down beside it, drew II snugly
into his arms, and between paroxysms
of coughing, stroked its head.
When the dawn of the new day
broke over the city by the Golden
Gate the fog had sped. the bay sparkled
in the sunshine. the glad New Year
was fairly ushered in; the workaday
world once more took up its burdens.
The sunshine struggled through the
grimy windows of the shop. where the
bruised and tortured forms lay at peace
behind the crumbling forge.
The fragments Of driftwood had
foated in with the tide.