Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-08-04
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BY o. HENRY.

together young Murray and the
captain had met and become friends
Both were at the lowest ebb posstoe
10 their fortunes. both had fallen fTo II
at least an intermediate heaven Of re-
spectability and Importance. and both
were typical products OF the mon
strous and peculiar social curriculum
Of their overweening and bumptious
civic alma mater.
The captain was no longer captain.
One of those sudden moral Cataclysms
that sometimes sweep the city had
hurled him hom high and profitable
position in the police department. rip
ping of bis badge and buttons and
| washing into the hands Of his lawyers
the solid pieces of real estate that his
frugality had enabled him TO accumu.
late. The passing Of the food left him
low and dry.
One month after his disqualification a
saloon keeper plucked him by the neck
from his free lunch counter as tabby
plucks a strange kitten from her nest
and cast him asphatward. This seems
low enough. But after that he ac'
Quired a pair of cloth top. button con
gress CATERS and wrote complaining
letters to the newspapers. And then
he fought the attendant at the mu-
nicipal lodging house who tried to
give him q bath. When Murray first
saw him he was holding the hand OF
an Italian woman who sold apples and
garlic on Essex street and quoting the
words of song book ballad.
MuYray's fall had been more Luci-
ferian IL less spectacular. All the
pretty, tiny little kickshaws Of Gotham
had once been his. The megaphone
man roars out at you to observe the
house of his uncle on grand and
revered avenue. but there had been an
lawful row about something. and thu
prince had been escorted to the door by
the butler which In said avenue Is
equivalent to the impact Of the avun
cular shoe. A weak Prince Hal. with
out inheritance or sword. he drifted
downward to met his humofless Fal
| staff and to pick the crusts OF the
streets with him.
One evening they sat Oh bench In
q little downtown park. The great
bulk of the captain. which starvation
seemed to increase. drawing irony in
stead of pity to his petitions for aid
was heaped against the arm of the
bench in shapeless mass. His red
face, spotted by tufts "f vermlion
week old whiskers and topped by a
sagging white straw hat. looked In the
gloom like one Of those structures that
you may observe in dark Third ave-
nue. window, challenging your imagi-
| nation to say whether 1t be some
thing recent In the way Of ladies' hats
or a strawberry shOrtcake. A tight
drawn belt last relic of bis official
spruceness. made a deep furrow in his
circumference. The captains shoes
were buttonless. In a smothered bass
he cursed his star Of i'll luck.
Murray, at his side. was Shrunk into
his dingy and ragged suit Of blue
| serge. His hat was pulled low. He
sat quiet and a little indistinct, like
some ghost that had been dispos.
sessed.
I'm hungry" growled the captain.
"By the top sirloin Of the bull Of Ba-
shan, I'm starving to death! Right
now / could eat Bowery restaurant
clear through to the stovepipe in the
alley. Can't you think of nothing,
Murray? You sit there with your
shoulders scrunched up, giving an i'm.
itation of Reginald Vanderbilt driving
his coach. What good are them airs
doing you now? Think of some place
we can get something to chew"
"You forget. my dear captain" said
Murray without moving, that our last
attempt at dining was at my sugges-
tion."
"You bet It wasw groaned the cap
tain. "You bet your life 1t was! Have
you got any more like that to make
heyW
IT admit we failed" sighed Murray
IT was sure Malone would be good for
one more free lunch after the way he
talked baseball with me the last time
/ spent a nickel in his establishment"
II had this hand" said the captain.
extending the unfortunate member
81 had this hand on the drumstick Of
a turkey and two sardine sandwiches
when them walters grabbed u.s."
81 was within two inches Of the
olives" said Murray, stuffed olives.
l haven't tasted one in year."
"What'll we dol" grumbled the cap
tain. 1--WE can't starve.""
Cant weT said Murray quietly.
"I'm glad to hear that was afraid
we could"
You wait here" said the captain.
rising heavily and pufily to his feet.
"Tm going to try to make one more
turn. You stay here till come back,
Murray. won't be over half an hour.
II turn the trick ri come back
flush"
He made some elephantine attempts
at shortening his appearance. He gave
his fiery m,lstache a heavenward twist;
he dragged into sight pair Of black
edged cuffs. deepened the crease in his
middle by tightening his belt another
hole and set Off, jaunty as zoo rhi
nOcerOs. across the south end of the
park.
When he was out of sight Murray
also left the park. hurrying swiftly
eastward He stopped at building
whose steps We're Hanked by two green
lights.
"A police captain named Maroney.'
he said to the desk sergeant, was dis
missed from the force after being tried
under charges three years ago. be.
Iieve sentence was suspended. Is this
man wanted now by the police?"
"Why are We asking?" inquired the
sergeant with frown.
81 thought there might lie a reward
standing" explained Murray easily
81 know the man well. He seems to
be keeping himself pretty shady at
present. could lay my hands on him
ut any time II there should be re
ward
There's no reward" interrupted the
sergeant shortly. "The MINIS not
wanted. And neither are ye. So get
out. Ye are frindly with um, and ye
would be selling um. Out with ye
quick. or I'll give We a start"
Murray gazed at the officer with se-
rene and virtuous dignity.
II would be simply doing my duty