The sun., 1908-10-18

iOOth VA any yOunH Bonuclnhu W WiiOm
she, Mrs Crooks, should rent Furnished
room. which he. Mr., Crooks. could not
OF course, believe that she could ever be
reduced to, but be would II no had; that
otherwise II would, Of oourse. have been
entirely different In more ways than one;
that II he, Mr.. Crooks
Rufus Daboll. who had heard the most
Of this before. felt the injustice Of being
compelled to hear II again, and muttered
angrily Il wish she would choke"
Straightway the hapless old lady
began to cough. The noise Of the cough
ing was far from musical, but 1t fell on
Rufus Daboll's ears like a soothing mel
ody. 80 great was his relief. Perceiving
that she could not cough and talk stimuli
taneously he chuckled softly.
His relief, however. was Of short dura-
tion, for Mrs. Crooks's coughing soon be-
came 30 severe and her signs Of distross
80 evident that common decency COM
PEELED him to attempt assistance. So far
from responding to his efforts was she
that she gradually grew limp and pTeo-
emily turned black In the face. Perceiv-
ing this and being fairly at his wits end,
Rufus Daboll exclaimed:
Il wish there was doctor here
Immediately there was a doctor there,
and at the same instant Mrs. Crooks.
cured Of her cough as II by a miracle,
resumed her discourse. saying that IL he.
Mr.. Crooks, could possibly have fore
seen the misfortunes which had COM
PEELED her to such course. in order to
maintain herself as a respectable woman
should, he would turn over In his coffin,
cork leg and all, but at the same time
he would have confidence enough In her
to know that even II she should rent
sleeping apartments to single young
gentlemen she would never allow them to
be used for miscellaneous gatherings;
that she insisted on knowing who this
suspicious looking man was who had
Just arrived. and who was the female
person whom she, Mrs. Crooks. could not
call suspicious. since there was no room
for suspicion; that she would have her
know that II she ever appeared In her
house again with little or nothing on,
and q live wire in her hand and threw
her downstairs violently backward, she
would have the law on her; that Mr.. Da-
boil would please settle his bill instantly
and depart forthwith; that she was q
respectable-and 80 on.
(which is the patient, and which Is th,
nursei' demanded the doctor, seeing after
"a time that it would be necessary for him
to interrupt. "A
Rufus Daboll realized keenly that life
is not all slxittles and beer. even for the
young and comparatively innocent. The
tar-a1t ~ Ara Cyoolr a. In N on, a oa IN n ha-
come. to his imagination. like unto the
roar of artillery. And his gorge rose at
the thought Of paying the doctor'sfee.
Il wish was out Of this. he exclaimed.
Mrs. Crooks's discontinue at finding
herself suddenly alone was almost pain
full. Though. from the mere force Of inn
petus she continued speaking for while.
even the joy Of utterance died away when
she perceived she had no listener.
Her chagrin at the loss Of lodger who
had always paid regularly was also great,
and the remarkable stories she told there
after to her friends Of the occurrences
Of the moyning served sadly 70 impair
her standing as a jealous member OF the
w. G. T. U. Mrs. Crooks's affairs. how
ever, were thereafter no concern Of Rufus
Daboll's.
When that gentlemen suddenly found
himself on the sidewalk. in company with
the doctor, his first sensation was one Of
great relief. The doctors demeanor.
however, was somewhat disconcerting.
Sir he said earnestly, Il do not know
who you are, but az we seem to be strangely
thrown together. must ask you for an
explanation. Five minutes ago l.
'Sir,' said Rufus Daboll as earnestly.
Il desire no conversation with you.
wish you would go away"
upon my soul,' he continued to him.
self as the doctor turned promptly on his
heel and walked away in high dudgeon.
upon my soul. think must be dream
ing. Who ever heard Of heathen god
dess walking in the twentieth century
in Greek costume or something worse
and calling on a young dry goods clerk
before he is out OF bed? And what a
preposterous promise she made--that
I should have everything l wish forl
/ only wish that was true"
Even IL Rufus Daboll had full faith
in the goddess's words he could hardly
have expected any apparent result to
L1le, uut NAthoue eiiV opout
ity OF his words he pursued tho train OF
his thought as one lost in reverie. The
marvellous possibilities that occurred to
him fairly staggered him.
Gee whizi' he exclaimed. I'D be
a hot foot for fair. I'd have town house
and a country house and automobiles
and horses and carriages and money
in the bank and clothes. My! Wouldn't
Be a swell .dresseri And season tickets
TO all the roof gardens and mealsl 1
believe l. a eat myself sick.
All this he said in burst, as the stified
longings Of a lifetime crowded one another
in their eagerness for expression, but
checking himself suddenly he passed
his hand over his eyes as II badly be-
MY world But that's funny he con-
tinued. u saw every one Of those things,
Just as spoke Of EN-. like movin picture
show. l wish Maize was here, She
dearly loves a kinetosoope.'
As Rufus Daboll uttered the words
Miss Maize Jepson. suddenly turning a
corner, ran plump. into him.
Considering the fact that the young lady
held a position which kept her occupied
at the next counter to the one under
Rufus Dabolls charge In the big de-
partment store whore they both worked.
and that she was in consequence very
near to him in more senses than one. the