The San Francisco call., 1906-11-11

Within the house above a plano Of
evil life was being beaten to death for
its sins and c1amoring its last cries
horribly. The old shed ratified in every
part with the thud of many heavy feet
and trembled with the shock OF noise
an incessant roar of mems voices. pune
tuated with womens screams. Then the
riot quieted somewhat: there was a
ciapping of hands and a violin began
to squeak measures intended to be Ori-
entail The next moment the listener
scr2nbled up one of the rotting piles
and stood upon the veranda. A shaft
of red light through a broken shutter
struck across the figure above the
shoulders, revealing bloody handker-
chief clumsily knotted about the head,
and. beneath it, the face of Joe Louden.
He went Nto the broken shutter and
looked in. Around the blackened walls
OF the room stood bleared mob ap-
plausively watching, through a fog of
smoke. the contortions of an old woman
in a red calico wrapper, who was dane
ing in the center of the floor. The fd-
dler--a rubicund person evidently not
suffering from any great depression of
spirit through the circumstance of being
"out on ball." as he was. to Joe's in
Innate knowledge-sat astride a barrel,
resting his instrument upon the foamy
tap thereof. and playing somewhat
after the manner of a 'cellist; in no
wise incommoded by the fact that a tall
man tknown to a few friends as an ex-
pert in the porch climbing line) was
sleeping on his shoulder. while another
gentleman fwho had prevented many
cases of typhoid fever by removing old
plumbing from houses) lay on the floor
at the musicians feet and endeavored
to assist him by plucking the strings of
the fiddle.
Joe opened the door and went in. An
of the merry company twho were abls)
turned sharply toward the door
as 1T opened; then. recognizing
the newcomer, turned again to watch
the old woman One or two nearest the
door asked the boy, without great Gu
riosity. what had happened to his head.
He merely. shook it family in reply
and crossed the room to an open hall
way beyond. At the end of this he
came to frowzy bedroom. the door of
which stood ajar. Seated at a deal
table and working by dim lamp with
broken chimney. close-cropped, red
bearded, red-haired man in his shirt
sleeves was dabbing gloomiiy at col
umn of figures scrawIed in a dirty
ledger. He looked up as Joe appeared
in the doorway, and his eyes showed a
slight surprise.
Il never thought ye had the temper
to git somebody to split yer head" he
sdiu- Wnere q ye cOlteCt ltE
Nowhere" Joe answered. dropping
weakly on the bed. 1T doesn't amount
to anything"
Well, I'll take just a Loo. fer my
SELF said the red-bearded man. rising
And I've no objection to not KNOWN
how ye come by It, Ye've always been
the great one fer keepin yer mysteries
to yerself"
He unwound the handkerchief and
removed 1t from Joe's head gently
Wheel" he cried as long cash was
exposed over the forehead. Il hope We
left a mark somewhere to pay a little
on the score o. thisv'
Joe chuckled and dropped dizzily back
upon the pillow. There was another
who got something like it," he gasped
feebly: "and, oh. Mike. / wish you could
have heard him going on, Perhaps
you did-it was only three miles from
here
Nothing I'd like better," said the
other, bringing a basin of clear water
from stand in the corner Its a
beautiful thing to hear a man hoIler
wearing tonight"
He bathed the wound gently, and
hurrying from the room returned i'm
mediately with a small jug of vinegar.
Wetting a rag with this tender fluid.
he applied it to Joe's head speaking
soothingly the while.
Nothing in the world like bit o.
good cider vinegar to keep Off the fes-
term. 1t may seem a trifie scratchy
fer a moment, but it assasslnates the
blood p'ison. There We goi It's the
fine sthing fer We. Joe-what are We
squirming' about?"