West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-11-12
A9S!6l!RpIMJA
BY o. HENRY.
copyright. 1905. by the S. s. Meclur. ,
BY o. HENRY.

were typlcal products OF the mon
strous and peculiar social curriculum
OF their overweening aud bumptlous
civic alma mater.
The captain was no longer captain.
One OF those sudden moral cataclysms
that sometimes sweep the city had
hurled him from high and profitable
position in the police department. rip
ping off his 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 disha bihation "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 asphaltward. This seems
low enough. But after that he ac-
Quired a pair OF cloth top. button con-
gress gafters and wrote complaining
letters to the newspapers. And then
he fought the attendant at the mu-
nicipal lodging house who tried to
give him n 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 a song book ballad.
Murray's fall had been more Luci.
ferian II less spectacular All the
pretty, tiny little kickshaws OF Gotham
had once been his. Ti.S megaphone
man roars out at you TO observe the
house of his uncle on a grand ana
revered avenue, but there had been an
awful row about something, and the
prince had been escorted to the door by
the butler, which I'm 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 humorless Fall
stan and to pick the crusts OF the
streets with him.
One evening they sat on n bench in
a little downtown park. The great
bulk or 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 a shapeless mass. His red
face. spotted by tufts of vermilion.
week old whiskers and topped by a
sagging white straw hat, looked I'm the
gloom like one of those structures that
you may observe In n dark Third ave-
nue. window, challenging your imagi-
nation to say whether 1t be some
thing recent I'm the way of ladies' hats
or strawberry shortcake. A tight
drawn belt, last relic OF his official
sppdceness. made deep furrow In his
circumference. The captains shoes
were buttonless. In n smothered bass
he cursed his star of I'll luck.
Murray, at his side, was sbrunk into
his dingy and ragged suit OF blue
serge. His hat was pulled low. He
sat quiet and q little indistinct, like
some ghost that had been dispos-
sessed.
I'm hungry" growled the captain
"By the top slrloin Of the bull of Ba-
shan, Pm starving to/deathl Right
, now l could eat Bowery restaurant
clear through to the stovepipe In he
alley. Can't you think OF nothing.
Murray You sit there with your
shoulders scrunched up, giving an i'm
itatlon 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 sugees-
tion."
You bet II wasr groaned the cap
tain>/ You bet your life II was! Have
you got any more like that to make
heyT
81 admit we failed" sighed Murray.
e'I was sure Malone would be good for
one more free lunch after the way he
talked baseball with me the last time
] spent n nickel I'm his establishment"
II had this hand" said the captain.
extending the unfortunate member
81 Ind this hand on the drumstlck Of
turkey and two sardine sandwiches
when them walters grabbed us"
IL was within two inches OF the
olives" said Murray. stuffed olives
! haven't tasted one I'm n year"
"Whatll we doT grumblcd the cap
tain. I'VE can't starve"
Cant weY said Murray quietly.
"I'm glad to hear that. ] was afraid
we could"
You walt here" said the captain,
rising heavily and pufily to his feet.
I'm going to try to make one more
turn. You stay here TIL ] come back,
Murray. ! won't be over half an hour.
IL turn the trick I'll come back
flush"
He made some elephantine attempts
at smartening his appearance. He gave
his fiery mustache heavenward twist;
he dragged Into sight q pair of black
edged cuns, deepeped 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, hurrylng swiftly
eastward. He stopped at a building
whose steps were Hankcd by two green
lights.
Is police captain named Maroney.'
he said to the desk sergeant, was dis
missed from the force after being tried
Lnder charges three years ago. / be.
lleve sentence was suspended. Is this
man wanted now by the pollcef"
why are ye askingT' inquired the
sergeant. with n frown.
~ thought there might be a reward
standing" explained Murray easily
II know tho man well He seems Il
be keeping himself pretty shady Al
present. I could lay my hands on him
at any time. II there should be n re
ward
There's no toward" interrupted ths
sergeant shortly. The mans not