The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-07-08
edge on his voice. Cant I buy if j

want to-
/ It was plain from Larry's face that
he was convicted And the men in the
room had a felIow-consciOusnes OF
guilt as they drew up to the bar and
drank the drink which each of them
wished ne was paying for. Everybody
wanted to speak.
Nobody spoke For the first time in
his life Kelly himself hunted for some
thing to say without finding il.
The empty glasses were set down on
the table and Kelly walked back by the
slot-machine and dragged chair to-
ward the window.
Then O'Brien thought of a subject for
conversation. He was still in the
sprinkling business and he thought
Kelly would be interested in a piece of
trade gossip.
What d'you think?'' he said 81
/ hear the Sixth Ward Improvement AS
sociation's got permit for free water
for sprinkling and the Mayors given
them a free hydrant-key.
/ Kelly rose from his seat very white
What did you say? A free hydrant-
key?''
Yep. They've raised subscription
for cutting down the weeds on the va
cant lots and for filing up the holes in
the pavements. And they've hired fell
lows to come from all over the United
States TO lecture for them and to tell
/ them how the city is run. So the
Mayors given them a free hydrant-
key because they're mixing up in public
affairs and he's grateful to them. It's
all about making the city beautiful
Kelly's roar of rage called in all the
idlers from around the corner. They're
the fellows that's been after mel he
cried. They got the Mayor to take
my key away from me and now they've
got one Of their own. IF they'd come
to me and asked me to get them a key
when my pull was good I'd have done
it for them all right. You know that.
But they had to go around and stick
knife into me. When 1 see his Honor
tomorrow. I'll find out about this
The next morning Kelly got up a lit
tie bit earlier than usual. On his way
through the big corridor to the Mayors
office. he met the Water Commissioner
and Immediately asked him who was
backing the Sixth Ward Improvement
Association. The Water Commissioner
refused to say. He remarked simply
that the Improvement Association was
doing a great deal of public-spirited
work and that the free water was
reward for it's benevolent activity.
His Honor took the same tack
They're doing a great deal for the
ward, he said. I'VE have to do some
thing for them to keep them interest
ed
Who is their friend?" said Kelly.
II don't know said the Mayor.
They just wrote me letter.
Kelly opened his mouth and looked at
the Mayor with a glare of incredulity.
Then his shoulders sank weakly and he
turned without word aud made slow
~ for the door.
An hour afterward, as he walked up
the steps of his house, there was a boy
waiting for him on the porch with a
dog. The dog was limping and the boy
was crying.
Whats the matter" said Kelly. |
rumpling the boys hair with his big
hand.
automobile" said the boy looking
down the street. The man threw me
a dollar and told me to get doctor to
fix the dogs leg up. But I thought I'd
come to you first
That's right said Kelly.
Half an hour later the dogs leg was
wrapped up in a long roll of cloth and |
Kelly and the boy were sitting on the
steps examining him carefully to see if
there were any other parts of him that
had been injured.
7 told you the man gave me dol |
lar" said the boy finally, talking bill |
out OF his pocket and laying it down
in front of Kelly.
Keep your money, kid said Kelly.
I'm not very strong now, but I guess
Mt no
kids" Then, after a pause, he added: |
They're the only constits I've got |
left
Just then an automobile stopped in
front OF the house.
That's him that ran over the dog"
said the boy.
A man jumped out of the machine.
"Oh. there's the dog I ran overt" he
said. Hope he's getting better. If you
need any more money come around and
see me. Sorry I can't stop now. I've
got a lot of things to do. It's you I
want to see. Mr.. Kelly. You know
those new sprinkling wagons we've put
on for the Improvement Association?
Well, we understand that you haven't |
been working for some time and that
you would like something to do. SO if
you will take a job driving one of those II
wagons We'll pay you good wages.
Three dollars a. day. Can you do it?"
Kelly rose somewhat unsteadily.
Before I'd take a job from YOU" he
said, I'D go to digging in a ditch"
He said nothing more for a minute,
while his blazing eye and quivering lip
1eld the President of the Improvement
Association equally speechless.
Every mans got his limit said
kelly. This is mine
The President of the Improvement
Association was puzzled and uncom-
Portable. He edged away a little bit.
You mean," he stammered-''Y ou
mean that you don't want the job?''
You leave me alone!'' said Kelly
hickly. I've got this here dog 10 tie
lp." He turned to the dog and began
o work on him. The President of the
Improvement Association stood silent
md irresolute. Kelly continued to work
N the dog. The President of the I'm
)rovement Association rnumbled q few