The San Francisco call., 1908-12-27
The San Francisco Sunday Call
Diver.IOns of a Ruined cen,,em,n
CHAPTER L

'O ene apprehensione OF Philip
hirkwood ESQ., artist-peintre.
were enlivened by the discovery that
ne was occupying that singularlv dis
ressing social position which NAV he
summed up succinctly in phrase
through long usage grown proverbial:
Alone in London" These three words
= nave come to connote in our under
standing so much of human misery
that to Mr.. Kirkwood they seemed to
epNomize absolutely if not happily.
the various circumstances attendant
upon the predicament wherein he found
himself Inevitably an extremist. be-
cause OF his youth (he had just turned
z5), he took no count of mitigating
matters. and would hotly have resented
the suggestion that his case was any
Ing but altogether deplorable and for
lorn.
That he. was not actually at the end
OF his resources went for nothing; he
held the distinction a bubble, mocking-
~ fmmaterial-like the store Of guIn-
cas- in his pocket, too insignificant for
Tention when contrasted with his
feeds. And HIS base of supplies, the
american city of his nativity. whence
and not without a glow of pride in his
secret heart-he was wont to register
at foreign hostelries. had been arbi-
trarily cut of from him by one of
those accidents sardonicaIly classified
by insurance and express corporations
as acts Of God.
Now TO one who has lived all his
days serenely in accord with the die
tates Of his own sweet will, taking no
thought for the morrow, such a situa-
tion naturally seems both appalling
and intolerabIe at the first blush. It
must be confessed that to begin with
KirkwOod drew long and disconsolate
face over his fix. And in that black
hour, primitive Of it's kind In his brief
span, he became conscious Of a sinister
epparitiOn taking shape at his elbow
q shade Of darkness which, clouting
him on the back with skeleton hand,
croaked hollow salutations in his ear
Come. Mr.. Kirkwood, comet" its
mirthless accents rallied him. Have
you no welcome for me2-you, who
have been permitted to live the quarter
OF a century without making my ac-
quaintance7 Surely, now, it's high
time we were learning something OF
one another, you and l."
But 1 don't understand" returned
Kirkwood bIankly. Il don't know
you"
True. But you shall: I am the
Shade OF Care"
Dull Carer murmured Kirkwood.
bewiidered and dismayed; for the. vis-
itation had come upon him with little
presage and no invitation whatever.
Dull Care" the Shade assured him.
Dull Care am land Care that's any
thing but dull. into the bargain: Care
that's like a keen pain in your body.
Care that lives a horror in your mind,
Care that darkens your days and fla
vors with bitter poison all your nights.
Care that"
But KirkwOod would not listen fur
ther. Coura geousIy submissive to his
destiny. knowing in his heart that the
Shade had come to stay, he yet found
spirit to shake himself with a dogged
air. 10 lift his chin, set the strong
muscles Of his jaw. and smile that
homeIy wholesome smile which was his
peculiarly.
Very weil,' he accepted the IRENE
diabIe with grim humor; what must
be. must 1 don't pretend TO be glad to
see you. but-you're free to stay as
long as you find the climate agreeable.
I warn you I shan't whine. Lots Of
men, hundreds and hundreds of 'em.
have slept tight O. nights with you for
bedfellow; il they could grin and bear
you, 1 believe I can"
Now Care Knocked him with a sar-
oonic laugh. and sought to tighten upon
his shoulders its bony grasp; but Kirk
wood resolutely shrugged it off and
went in search Of mans most faithful
dumb friend, to wit, his pipe; the
which. when found and filed. he lighted
with spill twisted from the envelope
OF cable message which had been
vicariously responsible for his introduc-
tion to the Shade of Care.
It's about time" he announced.
watching the paper blacken and burn
in the CRATE fire. that I was doing
something to prove my title TO a liv-
ing" And this was all his valedic-
tory to a vanished competence. ANY
way" he added hastily, as IL fearful
lest Care. overhearing. might have read
into his tone trace Of vain repining,
anyway, I'm a sight better off than
those poor devils over therei I really
have a great deal to be thankful for,
now that my attentions drawn to It."
For the ensuing few minutes he
thought it all over, soberly but with
stout heart: standing at a window Of
his bedroom in the Hotel Pless, hands
deep in trousers pockets, pipe fuming
voIuminously, his gaze wandering out
over a blurred infnitude OF wet shin
ing roofs and sooty chimney pots: all
OF London that a lowering drizzie
would let him see. and withal by no
means a cheering prospect, nor yet one
offset he rfouincr