The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-08


 l am slire it is better for me to go, sir. '
 Then you have something in your mind, Kennedy?n
 "so many things, sir, that l could fill book with them. That is why l am foolish. Good-by, MT. Tucker. I suppose you have all been very kind to mel don't rightly understand but I think that you have. So good-by and thank you
 The discreet manager took the out stretched hand and shook 1t quite Imply. There had been a momentary contraction Of the brows while he asked himself if astute rivals might not have been tam pering with this young fellow and try ing to buy the firms secrets. An in stants reflection, however. reassufed him. Alban had no secrets worth the name 10 sell, and did he possess them. money would not buy them. Half mad, but entirely honest" was MT. Fuckers s comment, The will either make a fortune or throw himself over London Bridge.
 Alban had been quite truthful when lie said that he had many things in his mind, but this confession did not mean to sig nifty possibility of new employment In honest truth, he had hardly left the gates of the great yard when he realized how hopeless his position was Of last weeks wages but d few shillings remained in his
 
 might offer such services as he had to give. The works had taught him the cle- ments of mechanical engineering, and common sense told him that skilled la- bor rarely went begging if the laborer were worthy his hire None the less. the prospect of touting for such employment affrghted him beyond words. He feit that he could not again abase himself for a few paltry shillings a week The ann f1 70 a aic ,f,f1, rfar ping stone to better things rested on no greater security than his pride and yet it would not be wholly conquered. He spent a long morning by the riverside planning schemes so futile that even the boys mind rejected them. The old copy book maxims recurred to him and were treated with derision. He knew that he would never become Lord Mayor of Loa- don-after a prosperous career in dingy office which he had formerly swept out with a housemaid's broom.
 The lower reaches of the Thames are a world themselves; peopled by nation of aliens, endless in the variety of their life, abounding in a weird and beautiful picture which even the landsman can ap- preciate. Alban rarely tired of that pan orama of swirling waters and drifting hulks and the majestic shapes of resting ships. And upon such ray as this which had made an idler of him, their interest increased tenfold and to thls>there was added a wonder which had never come into his life before. For surely, he ar gued, this great river was a high road to an Fl Dorado of which he had often dreamed: to that shadowy land of valley and of mountain which his imagination so ardently desired. Let a man find em- ployment upon the deck of one of those splendid ships and henceforth the whole world would be open to him. Alban de- bated this as a possible career. and as he thought of 1t the spell of the craving for new sights and scenes afar mastered him to tho exclusion of all other thoughts. Who was to forbid him; who had the right to stand between him and his world hunger so irresistbly? When voice within whispered girls name in his ear, he could have laughed aloud for very de- rlsion fine thing that he should talk of the love of woman or let his plans be influenced for the sake of a pretty face! Why, he would be a beggar himself in week. it might be without single copper in his pocket or a roof to shelter him! And he was just the sort of man to live on a womans earnings-just the one 10 cast the glove to fortune and of his des- peratlon achieve the final madness. No, no. he must leave London. The city had done with hlm-he had never been so sure of anything in all his life.
 II was an heroic resolution. and shame that hunger should so maltreat It. When twelve o'clock struck and Alban remem- bered how poor breakfast he had made, he did not think 1t necessary to abandon any of his old habits, at least not imme- diately: and he went as he usually had done to the shabby dining room In Union street where he and Lois had taken ther dinners together for many month past. Boriskof's s daughter was already at table and waiting for him when he entered; ne thought that she was unusually pale ana that her expectancy was not that of common occasion. Was 1t possible that she also had news to tell hinl-news as momentous as his own? Alban feared to ask her, and hanging his cap on a peg ahove their table without a word, he sat down and began to study the greasy menu.
 "What's the luck. Alb, dear-why do you look like that?'
 Little Lois asked the question struck by his odd manner and appearance.
 He answered her with surprising can dor-for the sudden determination came to him that he must tell Lois.
 "No luck at all, Lois. s.'
 Why, you don't mean?
 q do. and that's straight. There Is no further need of my services
 "You've got the sack?
 "The whole of it, Lois-and now I'm selling 1t cheap
 The girl laughed aloud. but there were tears in her eyes while she did so. what a day for them both. She was angry ai- most with him for telling her
 .'Why. if father aint a-gettin on the nronhet line-he said you would, Alb. So help me rummy I was that angry wiuil him couldn't hear myself speak Ana now it's all come true. Why, Alo uear- and I wanted to tell you
 She could not finish the sentence for sob that almost choked her. The resu- lar customers of the room had turned 10 stare at the sound of such unwonted h'- larity. Dinner was far too serious pus- mess for most of them that laughter should serve 1t. what was your father saying, Lois?'
 "That you were going away, dear and that the sooner l gave up thinking aoout you the fatter I should be
 How did he know what was going to happen?' ,.,, Ask me another and don't pay the bill. He's been as queer as white rabplts since yesterday-ddn't go to work thls morn ing. but sat all day over letter ne te- ceived. I shall be frightened or fathe' just now. I do really believe he settlhs a bit balmy on the crumpet.'
 "Stil talking about the man who stoie | the furnace?'
 "Why. there you've got it. We're l going to Buckingham Palace in a donheJ | cart and pretty quick about it. You u pc | ashamed of such fine people Alb-tather | says so. So I'm not to speak to you to begin with-not till the dresses come from Convent Garden and the horses are nawing the ground for her iidyship .i1I Iax- lnt