The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-08-16
ODE King of Diamonds

Philip tested IL with vigorous pulling
against his knee.
'Excellently," he said. LET me pay
you for it,"
''Arrah. go away wild ye And. be tn
powers. isn't the poor lad cowld an
famished, Luke here. now In five
minutes I'm going to have a cup o
tay@"
81 am awfully obliged to you, but 1
could not touch a morsel. l am in a
hurry"
Are We goin' a journey? Have ye
got a job?'
Il think So. 1t looks like a perma-
nency. Good-by."
'Good-by. an good luck to We. Sure
the boy looks mighty quare. 'Tis grief
for his mother has turned his head en-
tirely"
No words could more clearly express
Philips condition than this friendly
summing up. Since his mothers bur-
ial he had been half demented. His
curt, disconnected answers had lost him
two places as an errand boy, which he
could easily have secured. His small
stock of money. ridiculously depleted
by the generosity with which he met
the open hints of the undertakers as
sistants. barely sufficed TO keep him in
food for a week. Then he sought en-
ployment, but with such stiff upper lip
and naughty indifference to success
that he unknowingly turned those
against him who would have assisted
him.
For two days he was chosen to act
as van boy for a parcel delivery firm.
He earned a few meals. but in a fit
of alteration induced by the sight of a
lady who was dressed in a costume SIM
fI-aN- to 10
wearing at Dieppe. he allowed a ham
to be stolen from the rear of the van.
This procured his instant dismissal
with threats. Then. he sold newspa pers,
only to find that every good site was
jealousy guarded by gang of roughs
who mercilessly builied any newcomer
Personal strength and courage were un-
awaiting against sheer numbers. His
face was still swollen and his ribs sore
as the result of being knocked down and
kicked at Ludgate Circus; at CharinG
Cross next day he was hustled under
the wheels of an omnibus and narrow
ly escaped death. So he was driven in
to the side streets and the quiet squares.
in which. during three or four days. he
managed To earn an average of eight
pence daily. which he spent on food.
Each night he crept back to the poor
tenement in Johnsons News, his bleak
home amidst the solitude of empty
stables and warehouses. The keeper of
coffee stall, touched one night by his
woe-begone appearance, gave him some
half-dried coffee grounds in paper.
together with a handful of crusts.
Put arr that in a pint of wafer" ne
said, looking critically at the soddened
mess of coffee. AN when it comes to a
bile let IL settle. TIN surprise you to
1NaI FL
tastes on a cold night AS for .he
crusts. if you bake 'em over the fire
they're just as good as the rusks you
buy in tins
This good Samaritan had repeated his
gift on two occasions, and Philip had
a fairly large supply of small coal. seat
to his mother by the colliery company.
so his position. desperate enough, was
yet bearable had he but sought 20 ac-
custom himself TO the new conditions
of life. There was a chance that his
wild broodirfgs would have yielded 20
the necessity to earn a living, and that
when next situation was offered 10
him he would keep it. but the occur
rences of this stormy night had utterly
shaken him for the hour. He was on
the verge of lunacy.
As he passed through the dark arch
way leading to his abode the desolate
stable yard was fitfully lit by lightning.
and in the distance he heard the faint
rumble of thunder. The elemental strife
was beginning again. This was the
second and more disastrous outbreak of
the evening of March 49,
Although wet to the skin. he was
warm now on account of his long
and rapid walk. When he I'M
locked the door another fash OF light
ming revealed the dismal interior He
closed and locked the door behind
him. On the mantelpiece were a
farthing candle and some matches. He
CROPPED for them and soon had a light.
On other occasions his next task was
to light fire. By sheer force of habit
he gathered together some sticks and
bits of paper and arranged them in the
CRATE. But the task was irksome TO
him. 1t was absurd To seek any de-
gree of comfort for the few minutes he
had TO live. Better end IL at once
Moreover, the storm was sweeping up
over the East End with such marvel
Gus speed that the lightning now
played through the tiny room with
dazzling brilliancy. and the wretched
candle burned with blue and ghostlik.