Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1907-05-01
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
The Fog Guide.

EnSleEI great pOllt4CdI leduelS, !
went o L:ndon and took apartments
where would be nearest the reference
libraries should need to consult. One
day while was on the street the city
was suddenly enveloped in fog. 1t
was so dense that could not see my
hand held eighteen inches from my
face. l could hear the shouts of the
drivers in the street, who at once be-
gan to creep along and even at this
pace came into frequent collision.
heard footballs about me- and now and
again some one, doubtless more used
to fogs and not to be stopped by them.
brushed against me. Suddenly l felt
light touch on the arm, and Il hani
slid down it and grasped mine.
'Show you the way, sir?'
caught at the offer eagerly. for
there was confidence in the mans tone
Get me out of this l said, "and |
will pay you WE'LL" Then l gave him
my street and number.
liz ulONcu VII III ~ paw eA'1A o"toi'A'>A
ed me. How be dared proceed at what
on clear day l would have considered
an ordinary gait could not imagine.
Now and again above the confusion Of
noises heard tapping as Of some
one hitting the pavement with stick.
Strange to say we jostled no one. and
11 l,,f T
guide pull or push me to one side or
the other in order to avoid collision.
care YOU stranger in London. sir?"
be asked.
"Yes. an Americana
can American? Then I am conduct
ing fellow cOuntryman:'
Indeed! How came YOU to he fog
conductor in I.onlon:'
II came here to find better literary
field than ours in America"
".And got strandeu?'
Eyes"
Il am literary man myself and am
here now doing literary work, but |
have an order"
you're fortunate. | had no orders.
I had some success at first. but my
wife sickened and died. and my daugA-
ter became confirmed invalid. This
reduced me to working on potboilers
and at last
Even they would not boil the pot:"
'"They did till my daughter failed me
as an amanuenSiS"-
At this moment whether the mans
mind was taken from his present work
by his miSfortunes or through careless
uess, we were nearly knocked down by
some one proceeding more rapidly than
was safe. After this we ceased our
conversation. AS to our location, had
no knowledge of it whatever. but my
guide told ME he knew exactly where
we We're. In about an hour from our
starting he led me up to a door, which
a tenement house.
'This is not my lodging house."
>said sharply, fearful that l had been
tricked.
"Forgive me-" said the man, who |
could now see was intellectual looking
but very shabby; II live here. 1 have
brought you to my home to show you
what can happen to an American who
trusts himself ON the literary sea Of
London He opened a door and took
me into room, or, rather, two rooms
communicating. In one of them on a
couch lay girl with the faring eyes
and hectic cheek Of a cOnsumptive
Il would offer you some refresh
ments," said the man. but there is not
crust Of bread here. We have nei
Their fuel nor lights, and my poor
daughter, far from having the delica
cies she needs, has not even ordinary
food"
l am taking no credit to myself in
saying that l relieved their distress. 1t
would be a tlinty heart that could re.
fuse a fellow countryman in strange
land. While / was listening to more
detailed story of their lives ray OF
sunlight came streaming in at the win
their location, left them.
One day the father appeared at my
apartments to tell me that his daugh
ter had but short time to live and de
sired to thank me in person for what
l had done for them. promised to be
there the same afternoon. | expecte:
a melancholy scene and preferred t.
get through my days work before en-
tering upon what would interfere with
that condition of mind necessary tc
mental effort.
During the afternoon went to thei)
rooms. They were alone together, the
father being the sole minister to hi:
daughters comfort The remains OF
some delicacies had sent a few days
before were on table. The invalid
was resting in a steamer chair, and |
approached her with sad heart.
can never forget the look of graft
tude that accompanied the girls words
Only an exile who had been succored
by one from her native land could have
felt as she felt. When l took my de
parture l asked her father, who spoke
only by pressure Of the hand, to let
me know more Of his daughters con
dition.
The next day received word from
him that she was dead. I went i'm.
mediately to the old man to cheer him
by the announcement that had made
arrangements for his return to Amer
lea. On leaving him laid some bank
notes on the table and called his at
tention to them. He went to the table
and felt over it till he touched them.
He was stone blind
When I finished my labors, which
I did soon after his daughters death