The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-12-22

tongue whenever tndt old m-cat
purrs!' l asked myself as entered the
elevator and was shot down to the first
floor "Fll not put I'D with this sort
of thing much longer-how in the name
OF all that's foxy did he know that /
went to the mountains? / suppose he
thinks I'm lazy because 1 don't wish
to be boiled to death. How did he know
about the dance at Cranston's? Old
cati'
The roar and turmoil of machinery
and busy men filled my ears as |
crossed the avenue and turned into
City Hall park.
From the staff on the tower the flag
dropped in the warm sunshine with
scarcely a breeze TO lift it's crimson
bars. Overhead stretched a splendid
cloudless sky, deep, deep blue, thrill
ing, sCintillating in the gemlned rays
of the sun.
Pigeons wheeled circling about the
roof of the grey postOffice or dropped
out of the blue above to fiutter around
the fountain in the square.
On the steps of the City hall the I'M
! lovely politician lounged, exploring his
heavy under jaw with a wooden tooth
pick. twisting his dropping black NOUS
tache, or distributing tobacco juice
over marble steps and close-elipped
grass.
My eyes wandered from these human
vermin TO the calm scornful face of Ma
than Hale on his pedestal, end then to
the grey-cOated park policeman whose
occupation was TO keep little children
from the cool grass.
A young man with thin hands and
blue circles under his eyes was slum-
bering on a bench by the fountain, and
the policeman walked over to him and
struck him on the soles of his shoes
with a short club.
The young man rose mechanically,
stared about dazed by the sun, shiv-
cred and limped away. 1 saw him sit
down on the steps of the white marble
building, and 1 went over and spoke to
him. He neither looked at me, nor did
he notice the coin L offered
You're sick I said, you had bet
ter go to the hospital"
Where" he asked, vacantly-'I've
been, but they wouldn't receive me. "
He stopped and tied the bit of string
that held what remained of his shoe
to his foot
You are French?" | said.
Yes"
Have you no friends?" Have you
been to the French consult"
The consul" he replied: no. |
haven't been to the French consul"
After moment 1 said, you speak
~like a gentleman"
He rose to his feet and stood very
straight, looking me, for the first time,
directly in the eyes.
Who are yOu?' l asked abruptly
An outcast,' he said, without emo
ton, and limDed off thrusting his
hands into his ragged pockets.
HUH" said the park policeman.
who had come W behind me i'm time
TO near my question, and the vaga-
bonds answer; don't you know who
that hobo is?-An' you a newspaper
mani"
Who is he, Cusick?'' | demanded.
watching the thin, shabby figure NOV
ing across Broadway toward the river.
ON the level. you don't know, Mr.
HlIton?' repeated Cusick, suspiciously
No, ] don't; / never before laid
eyes on him"
Why" said the sparrow policeman.
that's 'Soger Charlie'-you remember
that French officer what sold secrets
to the Dutch emperor"
And was to have been shot? l re-
member now, four years ago-and he
escaped-you mean to say that is the
MANI
Everybody knows it shifted Gu
sick. I'd although you newspaper
gents would have knowed it first"
What was his nance" 1 asked after
a moments thought.
''SOger Charlie
Il mean his name at home"
"Oh, some French dago name. No
Frenchman will speak to him: some
times they curse and kick him.
guess he's dyin' by inches"
! remembered the case now. Two
young French cavalry officers we're
arrested, charged with selling plans of
Qualifications and other military Sc
crets to the Germans. On the eve of
their conviction, one of them. heaven
only Knows how, escaped and turned
up IN New York. The other was dulv
shot. The affair had made some noise.
because both young men were of good
families. 1t was a painful episode. and
| had FASTENED to forget it, Now that
1t was recalled to my mind. I remem-
bered the newspaper accounts OF the
case, but / had forgotten the names of
the miserable young men.
sold his country" observed C1lsick.
watching a group of children out Of
the corner of his eyes-'you can't trust
no F'renchman nor dagOes nor Dutch
men either [ guess Yankees are about
the only white man."
l looked at the noble face of Nathan
Hale and nodded.
"NOthin' sneaky about us, eh, Mr..
Hilton?"
l thought of Benedict Arnold and
looked at my boots.
Then the policeman said, "Weu, So
long, Mr.. Hilton" and went away to
frighten a pasty-faced little girl who
had climbed upon the railing and was
leaning down to sniff the fragrant
grass.
Cheese il. de cOp," cried her shriIl-
voiced friends, and the whole bevy of
small ragamuffins scuttled away
across the square.
With a feeling of depression I turned
and walked toward Broadway, where
the long yellow cable cars swept I'D
and down, and the din of gongs and
the deafening rumble of heavy trucks
echoed from the marble walls of the
court house to the granite mass of the
postoffice.
Throngs of hurrying busy people
passed up town and down town. slim,
sober-faced clerks, trim, cold-eyed
brokers. here and there a red-necked
politician linking arms with some IA
vorite heller, here and there a city
hall lawyer sallow-faced and satur-
nine. Sometimes a fireman, in his Sc
we're blue uniform, passed through the
crowd, sometimes a blue-coated po-
liceman. hopping his clipped hair.
holding his helmet in his white
glOved hand. There were women, too,
pale-faced shop-girls with pretty eyes,