Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-24

smiled gratefully at Persall.
Cyrus sideways daughter gazed out of the
window. Soon she was seeing in the heaving
masses of fog strange shapes Of terror-the re-
pellent images in her own mind reflected upon
those vague, gray surfaces. One of these
images gradually took the form of child-a
ragged boy of ten or dozen desolate, toilsome
years-a thin, bent form, wrinkled, pallid,
with anguish-with hate 1t was not mere
fantasy. No, she now saw that it was actual
figure, and not far away among the fog banks,
but near-quite near-not ten yards from the
window Yes, it was boy, wretched, wan,
forlorn travesty upon youth; and he was blaz-
ing at the window at Steve Ford, sitting all
unconscious, such a molten and white hot tor
rent of hatred as she had sometimes dreamed
into devils eyes. She gazed, motionless. fas-
cinated, feeling that she ought to cry out, yet
unable.
The boy moved. His arm. his whole body
swung; then-crash Through the window
and full into Steve Ford's chest came stone
hurled by that young fury of hate. Ford
with him in chaos of food and drink and
silver and glass But Anne hardly saw or
heard. She could not take her eyes off the
boy. His face was flushed now. and his form
erect; he tossed his head in naughty triumph.
He did not run, as men from the car rushed at
him; he stood his ground and laughed.
What the devil" 1t was Steve Ford's
voice. He was not hurt. was only stunned.
Before the others had recovered from their
stupor, he was on his feet, cool. alert. angry:
Annes. "Oh. that boy Malicious little beg
garl Pray don't be alarmed. Mrs Persall, Miss
Sulloway. It's all over. This part of the
country is full of young toughs."
Calmly he assisted the steward in brushing
him off; calmly he went toward the rear of the
car. Anne following. On the platform they
found Randall and the porter standing on
either side of the boy, and Persall cursing him.
At sight of Steve, the peaked face twisted into
an expression of baffled fury "oh, damna,
through glass before"
Steve looked down at the wan, ragged crea-
ture contemptuously. Eyes. you missed"
said he. you fellows always miss, especially
when you hit"
"Never mind" retorted the boy. "In git
yer yet-me or me brother
There was dignity of moral purpose in the
boys manner that compelled respect. What
have you got against me! said Steve gently;
ooh, nothin-nothin' much You killed
me mother. and drove me sister onto the
streets. That's al"
ar" Steve looked shocked. then amused.
The boy flushed eex,citedly; ,"Ain't you
1 r0rd herb he 5d sRT the Don't sTsd
Ford steadily with scornful confidence well
81. yer yet
Joe Sulloway."
FO1Q glanced unedS1ly at Anne. one ndQ
startled at the sound of that name. An in
stant's hesitation, then she advanced to the
boy. Your name is Sulloway?" she inquired,
searching his face with fine, sympathetic eyes.
The boy gazed at her in wonder, in admira-
ton The hate. the terrible look of the blighted,
withered, perverted man, faded from him, and
he became boy-a sickly, oppressed, forlorn
boy. Yes m" he muttered awkward now, and
reaching one thin hard, misshapen hand toward
his battered cap, only to change his mind, or
rather to forget his purpose, and let it fall to
his side again.
Anne put out her fair. slim, white hand and
let it rest gently on his shoulder. "You work
in the mines?"
Since father was killed there-since was
five years old"
The tears welled into her eyes, and she dared
not trust herself to speak There, before her,
at the boys few simple words, rose the whole
panorama of industrialism, the sardonic, devil
ish farce of the pretenses of captains of in
dustry" about developing the country" and
giving the masses an opportunity to earn a
livelihood" Ford, and she too, were indeed,
as Randall had said, cannibal banqueters She
had long known the truth in theory; now it
smote upon her eyes, upon her heart.
Cyrus Suloway?"
:" Him." The boy sneered. "Cy Sulloway?
He's grandad's half brother"
In the group of Steve Ford's well dressed,
well conditioned guests, watching and listen
ing each face showed in it's own snobbish way
establishment and commiseration. Every