The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-12-16

Joe flashed glance at the chilling din
ner. "Oh, ma am,' he cried, "we're
famshing You don't know how they
sarved us on that steamer.
"Oh, you poor boys p exclaimed the
old woman. "Maisie, get more plates.
II can't tell you what this means to
US, ma am said Joe as he drew up his
chair and eyed the viands.
"Maisie," said the old woman as she
sliced at the turkey, ''get the demijohn of
claret and the half box of cigars that your
father forgot | tell you, Mr.. Joe,
many's the time I've cried over that box
of cigars. Land sake, sir, what ails your
| friend?'
Joe looked up. Sampson-thin, over
wrought, shaking Sampson-had laid his
face in both his hands and with heaving
breast was crying like a child OF a sud
den he rose to his feet and stood unsteadily,
grasping the back of the chair in his thin,
sinewy hands.
"Madam," he said, ''we cannot eat
your dinner; the food chokes in my throat.
Madam, we are impostors, cheats, the
cruelest of liars We never saw Alaskan
in our lives, nor your son. We are two
starving men who meant to end our lives
tonight in the bay. If you could spare us
so much as loaf of bread we will go away
and trouble you no more
The old woman sat stunned and speech
less, wildly looking up at him and from
him to Joe.
Joe shufied to his feet. ''It's my do
ing, every bit p he cried out. 'I feel
ashamed to live. You may bet your sweet
life on that, ma am
Sampson Lyle made toward the door,
his friend mournfully following behind,
dropping, limp and detected, like beaten
dog
The child watched them go with fierce
pity. "Oh, grandma, she cried, run
ming to the old woman in whirl of child
ish sorrow and commiseration, "call them
back, grandma! Please, grandma Oh,
remember God, grandma, and what St.
Christopher did when poor Christ came. -
"Call them back, my darling - whis-
pered the old woman.
But as the little girl impetuously dragged
them back to the table, forcing them to
sit down again before thoir untasted food,
there came a tremendous rata tat on
the front door, followed by succession of
smashing blows.
"Its very sad to live in tough neigh
borhood,' said Maisie, laying down her
knife and fork. 'Some Of the people on
this street are very hard crackers
~ guess I'll tackle that hard cracker
myself" said Joe, jumping to his feet
with fighting light in his eye. As he
threw open the door he was confronted by
big, hearty looking man in fur over
coat with heavy gripsack in one hand
and a cane in the other.
"Does Mrs Gleeson live here p asked
the stranger civilly.
Joe was beginning to say something
about punching his ugly head off when
little Maisie slipped past his legs and threw
herself into the mans arms.
cts papa! It's papa'' she cried.
''Don't hit him, Mr.. Joe! It's papa
home from Klondike!'
Joe covered his embarrassment by tax
sng the Klondiker's grip and following him
into the parlor just in time to see the meet
ing between mother and son. Sampson
Lyle was still sitting in his chair, not a
little dazed at the turn of events
'Tve just come down in the Portland,
said Irving, ridding himself of his fur coat
"And, mother, I've come back with
pile Perhaps it amt the biggest on Ell
Dorado, but it's big enough to fix us for
life. My two partners are taking out 5000
a day. And as for you, my sweet darl
ing," he said, turning to Maisie, "there's
nothing in this city you shan't have for
the asking
Papa said the little girl, listen,
papa. :" And she began to whisper in his
sunburned ear.
When she had done he sat silent for
moment, his frank, kindly eyes suffused in
tears
"Boys," he said, addressing our two
waits, my little girl has told me your
story. She has told me what you tried to
do and yet what you couldn't do, being
men with your hearts in your bosoms.
Let me ask you tonight to spend Christ
mas with the happiest man in all San
Francisco and to accept each of you as
present from little Maisie 500 for fresh
start in life. Boys-friends, may say?
you need not be backward in accepting
it, for tell you L We got back from Klon-
dixie with my pocket full of rocks.