The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-01-30


Obtaining no answer to his profuse ex-
pressions Of apology he struck
match and found that he was alone
He continued his course down the
dirty, carpetless stairs, past two DESC
late-looking landings dimly lit By
sickly wall-lamps, and passed out into
the November fog.
He was glad it was foggy, for under
It's kindly shelter he could better dis
pose Of parcel unobserved. Its des-
tination was the pawnshop. The
pawnshop in question nestled affec-
tionately up to a fiaring saloon.
Gilroy united his parcel and dis
closed dressing-case The pawn
broker took out the articles one by
one and examined the hall-marks.
What do you want for it2D he in
quired, with no show Of interest.
twenty-five dollars" answered Gil
roy promptly.
The pawnbroker burst into harsh
laugh. 7 will give you ten dollars" he
said.
Gilroy took the ten dollars.
A misty rain was falling when he
found himself once more in the street.
He turned up his coat-collar. buried
his hands in his pockets, and strobe
angrily along the slippery pavement,
past the faring shops, past third-rate
music hall-then into a dismal street
and through a covered passage into =
still more dismal square which was
the young mans present abode.
Gilroy mounted the endless stairs
two at time. not stopping till he
gained his own door Once inside. he
lit his lamp and turned eyes Of dis
gust on his wretched apartment. His
bed. all unmade, stood IN one corner
under a window. An oil-stove standing
In the fireplace was still ornamented
With a frying-pan in which he had pre-
pared his breakfast. The remains OF
a meal Uttered a table.
A church clock struck the hour Of
nine. Gilroy compared his watch, and
then hurriedly cleared his table Of
crockery and easables-then he opened
a bag of MMS. and emptied 1t on to
the table, got his ink, pens. and blot
ter from the dressing table. and sat
down to write. mechanically filling a
pipe as he did so. He had scarcely put
pen to paper when curious rasping
sound fell on his ear. It seemed to
come from the next room 1t kept on
SO long that 1t irritated him. and he
rose and opened his door and peeped
out.
A stream of light shot across the
passage, and on the opposite wall was
the shadow OF slim girl doing some
thing to door. 1t suddenly struck
him that It might be the girl on whose
dress he had trodden. and, he believed,
torn it. He was impulsive by nature,
SO he stepped out into the passage
and looked full at the shadows sub
stance. 1t was a red-haired girl in a
grey, close-htting gown. and she was
trying to do something to the lock
with a screwdriver. On another i'm.
pulse he addressed her.
rs you lock wrong?" he inquired.
Let me help you"
The girl darted frightened glance
at him; then, seeming satisfaction
Marcus Gilroy had boyish, frank
iace-she said Thank you-there is
something w~ong--it won't catchl"
A moment more and the young man
was kneeling at the door. examining
the lock- while the girl held the can
die
What a pleasant room you have!"
Gilroy sge when he had fixed the
lock.
Yes" said the girl, "but its com
fort sometimes makes me wretched
For. Oh; there are some terribly pool
people in this place. It turns me sick
sometimes to look into the rooms op
posite. Yet I look wien / can't sieeT
II see poor wretehes creeping up the
stairs, to huddle into horrible rooms
to pass the night They come at al
hours Of the night-little children
too--poor little children. There is Z
window at every LANDING. and as the
weary wretches creep up, up, meagrg
light shines a moment from these win
odws: and the rooms-there are NJ
blinds"
The girl ceased suddenly, conscl
GUS blush overspreading her fair. ova
face. She remembered that she wal
talking to a man--and a stranger.
Gllroy found no N0rds--he looked a
the pure young face with that impas
stoned light of sorrow and sympathy
upon It and was as one dumb.
Another Of his impulses came t
him. "You have typewriter?" hi
said tentatively.
Yes, earn my living by It"
'sWill you type a play for NE whicl
/ have wrltten7"
"Why certainly"
He was once more at work on TIL
lock
THANK you. ! will bring it to-mor
row Poor play I suppose it willFbl
rejected, like all the rest
DO you depend on your pen2"
He looked up and laughed bitterly
: Il have never earned penny in nj,
/ life yet" he said.