The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-08-25


WALK.
ness of the delicate lips that some
how reminded him Of the odd note In
her voice.
She did not look toward him once.
and when the procession had passed
she slipped into the crowd and was
lost. Pennington remained by the let
ter box until the sidewalk was clear
and the street almost deserted: then
he turned and walked In the opposite
direction from what he had intended.
his head bent thoughtfully.
The next day there was n rumor Of
Pennington's going abroad: his house
keeper had received n note to close
the house. the agent to look after the
Affairs until further instruction.
Down on one of the back streets
street unknown to rennington's old
life were many dingy offices. ineagcr in
appointments. but representing Il vast
accretion Of labor. At one Of them n
line Of men were seeking employment,
passing in front of II keen eyed fore
man. who accepted or rejected them al
most with II glance. but the reflections
were few. Men were wanted for new
blocks Of buildings going up, men Of
skill. OF strength. of merely carrying
capacity. anything that could add to
the labor force and hasten the work.
So when white handed man Of CON
fesscd incnpacity stopped in front Of
the forcmans desk he was looked at
askancc. but finally accepted and set
to carry Ing brick from the sidewalk TO
the men who were laying the founda-
ton. 1t was muscle making or muscle
breaking work. and for the first few
dayS-~or weeks event. seemed wholly
of the breaking.
But there was an under element of
doggedncss in PeDnin2tons nature
which had never come to the surface.
and. though his limbs t"omhcd with
WEAKNESS long before the days We're
half over and nj noon he sank iHtn a
crouching heap upon the nearest board
rather than cross The street to II res
taurant, he struggled on in some way
until the hour of dismissal came. The
second day the boss told him grutlly
that he could not afford to pay him
more than half wages, and the third
day that he should pay him nothing at
all, for he was worth nothing.
That was tantamount to Il discharge,
and so the boss meant it, but it was
not one Of actual words. Pennington
disregarded 1t.
The boss looked toward him doubt
fully from time to time but In the end
termination promised good work If the
man survived the breaking In. Be-
sides, he must be In dire need. The
boss could understand why such n
workman might seek employment in
vain. When pay night came he was
given nm envelope like the others and
the boss thought he knew why the now
blistered and bleeding fingers turned
the envelope over and over and finally
slipped It into pocket where hand
was allowed to remain as though to
feel its contact. But he did not 1t
new man had ever earned.
Pennington had little room over the
secondhand Jew store where he pur-
chased his coarse suit of working
clothes, but he had not brought money
to pay the room rent. He possessed a
cheap silver watch, however. and this
he left with the Jew as security. With
his first pay envelope he redeemed the
watch.
In his room were a cot. Il chair and n
rusty little stove propped up with
wooden blocks. But it was not until
the third week that he started Il fire
In the stove and made disastrously in
effectual attempts to cook his break
fast. 1t was good sign. however.
Aud by this time the blisters on bis
hands had disappeared under rough
Jumps and ridges.
How he had lived before this no one
knew but himself, for until he received