The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-04-18
&C HRIs.-
BY LOUIS E. THAYER.


found note lying on his desk when
he arrived at the Office Thursday
morning. He always found notes
there, for that matter, but something
about this one singularly attracted
him. 1t had been very carefully
folded, but the hand which had held
it must have been far from clean, for
dark streak showed plainly where
the fingers had been drawn across the
folds. It was addressed in a broad,
irregular scrawl
MISTER HENRY GARRISON.
The city-editor unfclded it with
impatience, but had he guessed its
contents, he would not have begrudg-
ed the time it took to attend to it.
He read: Deer Mister Clarkson !:
The doctor said today can't get
we'll and I heard him teliin' father,
on the sly, that would peg out be-
fore tomorrow. Can't you come and
see me? know you're awful busy
but I didn't know but what you d
come just to look at me. A feller
hates to write good bye,' you know,
when he's never comm back again,
and when he's goin' a long ways. If
l should die before you see me, don't
forget that l loved you and that there
want nothin' l wouldn't have done
for you. CHRIS,
No. oI Mulberry street."
Clarkson put his hat on and left the
Office. AS he rode down to the street
in the elevator he found time to think
how often the hand that had penciled
the note, he still held, had rested on
the rope at his side and governed the
elevator until it landed him in safety
on the seventh floor.
There was little sentiment about
Clarkson, but he told himself he was
sorry .thei GhSis Yesss4 sirly,s.-S ms
and hangings. had received just such
another note as Clarkson's. Chris
had always shown particular fond
ness for these two and they bad al
ways been kind to him. They re-
membered this, now, with Joy.
Side by side these two entered the
dirty hovel at No. 81 Mulberry street.
Chris tried to raise himself on his pill
low as they entered the room, but he
lacked the strength. On the wall be-
fore him hung crude lithograph of
the cruci6ed Lord.
"Halloo Mr.. Clarkson and Bill
lie, s" was his greeting, "you didn't
mind my sending for you, did you, as
long as the doctor says I can't run
the elevator no more for your"
mo, we didn't mind" they said.
"You see," said Chris, ''I've al
ways loved you two and when fell
ler's dyin' he likes to have all his
loved ones around him"
The newspaper men made no re-
mark. They felt like leaving most
of the conversation to Chris, who
now continued:
Besides, thought you must both
of you feel friendly to me, for / never
played no tricks to bother you. I
never filled your ink well with water
nor plugged your typewriters so you'd
wonder what allied 'em. And then,
too, you'll remember how eager I
allus was to fetch in news"
"Yes," said the man who lacked
sentiment, 1--WE did feel friendly to-
ward you."
"We loved you," said the man
who reported prize-fghts and hang
ings.
Here Chris strayed from his sub
ject. Pointing to the picture on the
wall, he remarked:
"I got that at Sunday-school for
learning the names of all the books
in the Bible. You see I went to
Sunday school every Sunday and that
is why 1 amt afraid to die"
Both men nodded.
"You see learned all about God
and how He loved me and allowed His
only Son to get nailed to the cross
there (pointing to the picture) to
save me from sin. I'm goin' to Him,
He ain t no respector of persons, but
loves me even if 1 am poor boy that
amt never done nothin' but run an
elevator in the Herald building for
$3 a week. And God'll take these
hands, all sore and rough from pull
ing that elevator, and He'll teach
them to play on harp"
The men made no reply, but nodded
to show Chris that they followed him.
Suddenly Chris asked /:
"Why don't you go to Sunday
SCHOOL,"
"Oh, don't know" replied Clark
son.
"Used to, ,didn' your" asked Chris.
"Once," answered Clarkson.
"Why did you stop, you must have
had some reason :"
CIarkson did have reason. He
thought how he dropped into evil
ways and bad companionship until be
had been drawn away from the church
| and all the good influences of an early
religious training.
"Why don't you go Billie?"
Billie shifted uneasily in his chair
and looked at the little pinched face
without making any reply. He saw
the old family pew in little country
church and blue-eyed little chap
sitting there with his parents. Their
he thought how worldly that same