Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-16

complexion and pale blue eyes, showing
traces of dissipation. He was comparatively
well-dressed; but there was something in his
air and manner decidedly unprepossessing.
Joe would have passed him, but the other
caught his arm.
mot SO fast-not so fast!" said he cts
hardly fair to turn your back on an old
friend, Joe Chiffon"
Joe stared. Something about the face woke
a vague remembrance, and gave him a curl
Gus, startled sensation
Don't put airs because you've been
adopted and live in clover! You can't have
forgotten Tim Burt, who stumbled over you
when you were starving and took you in; who
often shared his last sixpence with you. Me
and Jack Merrick and you were chums"
An awful sense of terror and helplessness
came over Joe, at the thought of that year of
wretched boyhood.
lie out of it" sand the fellow, doggedly.
Il shall not lie out of it; but did not know
YOU: What do you want?"
"Oh, come, that won't go down! See here,
jug; while you. with. your baby face and
sniveling, got off scot-free, and found an old
hun hunks to believe in, you. You ought to be
little friendly to make up for that. We have
MT had rich ladies' to adopt u.s."
''She is not rich, and am earning nv own
living. If you are in want of money, I'll give
you some; but we cannot be friends" said
Joe, resolutely. II would starve now before
WOulu 10 dnyCnlnS wrong.
"All very fine when you can sleep on beds
of down and dine off roast duck. 1t isn't ev-
cry lad who can drop down on such a soft
spot"
'It was not soft at first. 1 had to work
hard to win the esteem of the people to whom
l was sent, and nov nothing would tempt me
to give up my good name"
Good name? How high we soar! Does
Mr.. Thorpe and your lady-mother know you
have been a thief|
cto H.
ed deadly white. Tim knew then he had a
hold over the lad.
"We were all of oneness-street Arabs;
and I've heard say a chap. who'll steal once
WIZ steal again. Starving isn't so easy after
you have been toasted. and an old disgrace
will stick to the best name. If been cod
died In cream and sugar might a. been hon
est, too"
And Tim laughed mockingly.
II will give you all the money can possibly
spare # you will go out of town, but if there
is anything else | will not become your tool"
said Joe, with white, compressed lips.
You can help me to get out of town, but
not that way, my hearty. Me and my pals
have little lay here, and we're bound to work
il. through. Tomorrow night there'll be a pile
of money in your safe-I know-comes in af-
ter banking hours. Now, you just bring me
the key-say tomorrow noon, and you'll never
hear aonther word from either of us-'pon
honor"
'.'.I will not do anything SO treacherous
will inform against you! You shall not"
"Softly, my lad-see here; look at this let
terLwouldn't you swear you wrote it your
self"
Tim held out note in the glare of the
street lamp, and Joe studied it eagerly.
''The chap as wrote that can initiate any
writing under the sun. Now, that letter Is
from you to me, given me the lay of the
place, and the night the money will be there
and hintin about the old affair when you got
me into lit of trouble If anything happens
to me with that letter in my pocket, where
are you%
"You must be in league with Satan him
self Oh, Tim! How can you be so cruel?
he cried, in anguish "You know / tried to
beg off that other time! And if did this /
might blunder somewhere"
"You have more sense now, and it's your
own luck as well. Come, that's nothing to dol
All the rest can be managed well enough, and
no one'll ever dream of suspecting you had
hand in it. Refuse, and you'll be ousted out
OF here and have a chance to know what
starving is like again. All Eastwood shall
know you were once thief"
1t seemed to Joe that he would drop there
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