The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1907-08-02
lcontinued from page sikh
boy turned on his heel. The policeman
looked after him.

N'Talked like q regular young gent |
wonder why he is selling papers. Poor
lad! He lost q bob's worth at least,
and small thanks he got for IT."
Passing out of the square by the
first eastward street, Philip Arson,
with his head erect and hands clinched
In his pockets. strobe onward at
rapid pace. The lightning was less
frequent now, and the thunder was
dying away in sullen rumblings. He
was wet AID hungry, yet, although he
had three halfpence, the remaining
balance of the only sales effected that
evening, he lpassed many shops where
he could have bought food
In Piccadilly, where the cessation of
the storm created a rush of traffic, he
was nearly run over by reason of his
own carelessness and received slash
from whip, accompanied by loud
oath from an angry cabman. He shiv-
cred, but never even looked around.
Crossing Trafalgar square, he plunged
through the vortex of vehicles without
troubling to avoid them in the slight
est degree. Once the hot Breath of a
pair of van horses touched his cheek
while speechless driver pulled them
back onto their launches. Again, the
off wheel of an omnibus actually grazed
his heel as he sped behind the statue
Of Charles l.
At last he reached the comparative
seclusion of the EmbankmentA and
stood for a moment to gaze fixedly
at the swirling, glinting river
"Not here" he muttered aloud. Il
must be nearer to mother-dear old
mother! She is there waiting for me-"
He trudged steadily away through
Queen Victoria street, Cornhill, Lead
entail street, and so on to Johnson
News, in the Mile End road. Pausing
at marine store dealers shop kept
by an army pensioner, an Irishman,
with whom he had a slight acquaint-
ance. he entered. An elderly man was
laboriously reading paper Of the pre-
ceding days date.
"Good evening, Mr.. O'Brien," he
said. "Can you oblige me with
piece Of rope? I want strong piece
about three or four yards in length.
can only spare three halfpence."
X, L Lucy doC hohio Wv
the crates mostly nowadays. If have
a bit it's at yer sarvice. l wouldn't be
afther chargin' the likes o you"
Philips story was known in that
humble locality, and the old soldier
sympathized with the boy. HE has
rale spunk an no mistake" was his
verdict when others said Philip was
proud and overbearing. OBrien NOV
ed automatically about the squalid
shop. At last he found some portion
Of clothesline.
"Will that do?" he inquired.
Philip tested it with vigorous pull
ing against his knee.
"Excellently," he said. "Let me pay
you for It,"
"Arrah, go away wild We! And. bt
the powers, isn't the poor lad cowlC
an famished? Luke here, now. Ii
five minutes I'm goin' to have a cuI
o. tay."
81 am awfully obliged to you, but
could not touch a morsel am In
hurry"
Are We goin' a journey? Have "
got job?"
81 think So 1t looks like a permo
nency. Goodby."
"Gnriby, an good luck to We. Sur
tha BOY looks mighty quare. IT'S grie
for his mother has turned his head en-
tirely."
No words could more clearly expires
Philips condition than this friendl
summing up. Since his mothers buria
he had been half demented. His cur
disconnected answers had lost him tw
places as an errand boy, which h
could easily have secured. His sma
stock Of money, ridiculously deplete
by the generosity with which he me
the open hints of the undertaker's as
sistants, barely sufficed to keep him
food for week. Then he sought en-
ployment, but with such stiff upper Ii
and naughty Indifference to success
that he unknowingly turned thos
against him who would have assiste
him.
For two DAYS he was chosen to az
as van boy for a parcel delivery fir
He earned few meals, but in fit {
alteration induced by the sight OF
lady VINO was uTeSScu III d Sootui'
similar to one he remembered his mot
err wearing at Dieppe, he allowed
ham to be stolen from the rear OF Il
van. This procured his instant dl
missal, with threats. Then he so
newspapers, only to find that eve
good site was jealousy guarded by
gang Of roughs who mercilessly built
any newcomer Personal strength al
courage were unavailing against she
numbers His face was still swoll
and his ribs sore as the result of bel
knocked down and kicked at Ludga
Circus. At Charing Cross next day
was hustled under the wheels OF
omnibus and narrowly escaped dea'
So he was driven into the side stree
and the quiet squares, in which, duri
three or four days, he managed
earn an average of eightpence dai
which he spent on food.
Each night he crept back to the pc
tenement in Johnsons News, his bic
s'home" amid the solitude of emf
stables and warehouses. The keeper