Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-11-27
By Louis Tracy,
COPYRIGHT 1904. By EDWARD j. GLOBE. %
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ~>%>>>e>e>~o>>>>>>~ASE
Author Of ''Wines Of the Mornine,'' THE Pillal
EAht," Etc.

Su upout, ISuellllS Tue nulueS. over llle
small shops, the corner public house,
the dressmakers semiprvate resi-
dences.
At last he paused before Il somewhat
grim establishment-an mdertaker's
office. He entered. A youth was whs-
ting the latest music hail song.
Do YOU know anything of a Mrs.
Mason who used to live in this locality
about ten years ago. he asked.
Mrs. Mason? There may be forty
Mrs. AIasons. What was her Christian
name am address,
Mrs. Hannah Mason, IA Frederick
street"
The youth skillfully tilted back his
stool until he reached ledger from
shelf behind him. He ran his eye
down an index, found n number and
pulled out another book.
I'VE buried her Oh the Goth of No
vember, nine Years since,' he said cool
ly. rattling both tones back into their
places.
You did, ell? IS there anybody here
who remembers herr
Something in the husky voice of this
stark, i'll favored man caused the boy
to become less pert.
Fathers fn," he said. 'I'll ring for
him.
Father came. He hadba vague mem
DRY of the woman. Il widow with two
children-boys, he thought Somebody
helped her in her last days and paid
for the funeral--paid cash according
: to the ledger. He did not know who
the friend was nor had he any lmowl-
edge Of the children's fate. Work.
house, most probably. What work
house? Parish Of Southwark. Easy to
find. Just turn so-and-so, and so-and-
So
With grunt of acknowledgment the
inquirer passed. into the street. He
gave an eye to the public house, but
resolutely quickcned his pace. At the
iworkhOuse lie succeeded, with some
difficulty, in interviewing the master
journeyed Il long way an exception
would be made in his ease.
Books We're consulted to ascertain tile
fate of two boys. John and William
Mason, who would now he aged TWEEN
ty and eighteen respectively I-slthful
NIasons had certainly been in the
schoOls-one was there at the moment.
in fact-but none OF them answered to
the description supplied. The work
house master was sorry. The records
gave no clew.
Again the man sought the dark Sc
clusiOn of the street He wandered
slowly toward n main thoroughfare
and entered the first public house he
encountered. He ordered penny
worth of brandy and drank it at
gulp. Then he lit pipe and went
forth again.
THAT was an ugly looliin' customer
said an habitue to the larman.
"'E 'ad II flee like Il fifth act Mt the
Surrey" agreed the other.
If they knew the toast that Jocky
Mason had pledged so readily, they
would have better grasped the truth OF
this unfavorable diagnosis of his char
acter.
Ten years penal servitude, four
years police supervision, my wife dead
and my children lost, all through a.
smack on the head given me by Philip
Anson,' he communed. "Here's to
getting even with him.
1t was n strange outcome of his long
Imprisonment that the man should
have acquired Il fair degree Of culture.
He was compelled to learn in Jail to
certain extent, and reading soon be-
came Il pleasure to him. Moreover, he
picked up an acquaintance with n
smooth spoken mate of the swell mobs-
man and long firm order-a dandy who
strove to be elegant even in convict
garb. Mason's great strength and in
d0mitable courage appealed to the
more artistic if more effeminate rogue.
life when they were ut work in the
quarries.
The influence was mutual. They
vowed lasting friendship. Victor Gre
nier was released six months before
Mason, and the latter now crossed the
river again to go TO an address where
he would probably receive some news
VA AAAo lHoiSfsSSu sliiS nhSi
Greniers name WAS impaired under
inviolable confidence us that which he
would adopt after his release. His real
name, by which he was convicted, was
something far less aristocratic.
Philips driver, being OF the peculiar
type of Londoner which seems to be
created TO occupy the dicky of Il han
som, did not take his master down
Park lane, along Piccadilly, and so to
Pail Mall. He loved corners. Give
him the remotest chance of following
Il ziszag course and he would follow
1t in preference to Il route with all
the directness of a Roman road.
Thus it happened as he spun round
Carlos place into Berkeley square he
nearly collided with another vehicle
which dashed into the square from Da-
vies street
Both horses pulled up with jerk
there was sharp fusillade of what
cabmen call ''langwidge," and the 9TH
er hanson drove on, having the best of
the strategical position by a stolen
yard
Philip lifted the trapdoor
HAS he n fare, Valet
Eyes, sir, n lydy."
"Oh, leave him alone then. Other
wise / would have liked to see you
ride him off ut the corner of Brutou
street,
Vale. who was choleric. replied with
such force that Philip tried TO say
sterniy: