The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-08-04
THE LONDON VAGABOND
CHASING BUSES HIS ONLR BUS
 MESS,

No Objection From the Police tOaMan's
 WOrkin', but the Hobbies are "CrOOiI
 'ard.'
 The peril of the streets is a real and many-sided peril. The horror of the streets is apt to prove almost over towering to the inquirer from the sur- face who seeks information regarding the neither world of London. The wickedness of the streets is sufficiently obvious; and, for the tolerant and phil osophie observer, the fundamental hu- manity of it all, bad good and indif- ferent, is also discernable. But what is not so apparent to most of us, and what to me is very nearly the most grievouh thing in London town is the dread fascination of the streets. This is a loathsome thing, a kind of creep ing paralysis which eats into the very soul as we'll as the bodies of a sham bling battalion of Creatures that once were men,"
 I was walking down Buckingham Palace-road, past Victoria, when peo- pie in the Grosyenor were beginning to dress for dinner. A small station om- nihus came trundling out of the sta- tion, piled high with luggage, and car rytng two lady passengers and ia child. Behind the omnibus man was trot- ting at an easy, loping gait, and appa- rently endeavoring to carry on a con- versation through the window with the passengers within. As they passed me saw the man give 8 quick, bird like glance ahead upon one side of the bus. Instantly he quickened his stride so as to gain the shelter of the omnibus upon It's other side, There he stuck for few paces, be- fore slipping off abruptly at tangent and making for the opposite pavement simply crossing the road, Then I mo- ticed a policeman on my side. The pc liceman had come to standstill, and was peering fixedly into the gloom, af- ter the mans rapidly disappearing fig ure. The man never turned his head. | He was almost out of sight now, passed on, and, turning, saw the con stable give up his scrutiny at last and march steadily off toward Victoria. 1 In that very moment as l hurried on, I made out white wedge through the fog, which told me the man on the far side of the road was facing my way now, or looking after the constable over his shoulder. The furtive picture reused my interest. hastened on, crossed the road, and overlook my man. The darkness made me unable to classify him at a glance. The fold | ed stone-oolored scarf at his throat produced the first impression of col lar. The tightly buttoned black morn- ing coat might have been fresh from Saville-row for aught l knew then The broken boots, frayed trousers, and general greasiness of all his garments were hidden from me, until we reached a lamp. The bowler hat was no more than conventional outline. The thin face was ordinary enough for any \ amount of responsibility.
 | What was wrong with the 'bus?" ] asked, rather awkwardly, He eyed me in a measuring way, and answered quietly:
 "Goin miles?'
 "Well?" ventured, without direct show of my complete lack of under standing,
 That's what the lady said-"Goin miles And he halted and half turned toward Victoria. By this time | I realized at all events that my mar was of the streets.
 Walk bit with me, will you?" l said. T want to talk with you-call Il a job" And so, instantly docile alert soft-footed, he paced beside me, easi. l ly with something of the gait I have seen walkers of great distances adopt in lands remote indeed from the Buck Iingham Palace-road, where streets art not, and one measures ones paseos ir | hours and days rather than in yards | We talked, and I learned, in phrases too roundabout for reproduction here that my friends name was Dicl Green; that his business was to hans about stations on the lookout for any ! Llilll5 AAN lillStib pun Qps lllcbl ilC ildl been pursuing the little private omni bus with view to the job of helping to dismantle it at it's destination, unti the lady inside had told him she wa! going miles" Just then, too. he haC caught his first swift glimpse of tht constable; hence, his adroit flanl movement and subsequent discree lprogress in the shadow of the houses in a direction opposite to that ht wished to take, asked him how h, arranged the exact timing qf his back ward look, when the constable hat ceased to peer his way.
 "I'd know sir; kinde knew e wu, orf, I serpose."
 And what was the idea, anyway I I asked. 'Have the oplice any objec tion to mans running after bu' for this luggage work?''
 'Well, no; I'd know bout any ub
 jection, sir; but the perlice is orooi ard about ere; crooil ard they are
 Not ard so bad t'other side tn river
 An then, ercorse, tn p'lice knows m,
 pretty vel"
 Here We paused, until, greatly dar
 ing, I inquired why the authorities ,t knowledge of him should increase thei severity.