The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-10-07

with an tndicatory jerk or his rnuno.
Yes" said the man.
AN was that Mr.. Arson himself
who drove away in a private cabE''
Yes" said the girl.
Thanks, 1t does one good TO see
young chap like him so jolly and COM
Portable and provided with everything
he can want in the world. eh?''
Il wish | 'ad 4 bit OF is little lot"
sighed the greengrocer's assistant, with
4 side glance at the maid.
The stranger laughed harshly.
Its hard to say when we're well
off" he growled. Up one day and
down the other. You never know your
luck"
Away he went southwark. His long
vigil on the pavement near the ratings
seemed TO have ended. In Piccadilly
he took an omnibus to the Circus and
there changed to another for the Ele
phant and Castle.
He walked rapidly through the con
yerics of mean streets which lie to the
east of that busting center and paus-
ed at last before a house which was oc-
cupicd by respectable people Judging
by the clean'r curtains and general air
of tidness.
He knocked 4 woman appeared.
Did Mrs. Mason live there? No, She
knew nothing of her. Had only been
in the place eighteen months.
The man evidently appreciated the
migratory habits of the poor too we'll
TO dream OF prosecuting further i'll
Quiries among the neighbors. He stroll
ed about. reading the names over the
small shops, the corner public house.
the dressmakers' semiprivate resi-
denceS
At last he paused before a somewhat
grim establishment-an undertaker's
| Office He entered. 4 youth was whis-
Ting the latest music hall song.
DO you know anything of a Mrs.
| Mason who used to live in this locality
| about ten years ago." he asked.
Mrs. Mason? There may be forty
| Mrs. Masons. What was her Christian
name an address,"
Mrs Hannah Mason. IA Frederick
street"
The youth skillfully tilted back his
stool until he reached ledger from a
! shelf behind him. He ran his eye
down an index, found number and
ulled out another book.
We buried her on the Goth of No
vember, nine years since" he said cool
ly, rafting both tones back into their
places.
| You did, Ell? Is there anybody here
/ who remembers herr
Something in the husky voice of this
stark, i'll favored man caused the boy
to become less pert.
Fathers in," he said. "I'll ring for
him."
Father came. He had vague mem
DRY of the woman, widow with two
children-boys, he thought. Somebody
helped her in her last days and paid
for the funeral-paid cash, according
to the ledger. He did not know who
the friend was nor had he any knowl-
edge of the children's fate. Work.
house, most probably. What work
house? Parish of Southwark. Easy to
find Just turn so-and-so, and so-and
so.
inquirer passed into the street. He
gave ar eye to the public house, hut
resolutely quickened his pace. At the
work he succeeded with some
difficulty, in interviewing the master
If was after office hours, but as he had
journeyed a long way an exception
would be made IN his case.
Books We're consulted to ascertain the
fate of two boys. John and William
Mason, who would now be aged TWEEN
ty and eighteen respectively. youthful
Masons had certainly been in the
schools-one was there at the moment
in fact-but none of them answered Il
the description supplied. The work
house master was sorry The records
gave no clew.
Again the man sought the dark Sc
clusion of the street. He wandered
slowly toward a main thoroughfar,
and entered the first public house HI
encountered. He ordered penny
worth of brandy and drank il at
gulp. Then he lit a pipe and wen
forth again.
THAT was an ugly lookin' customer,
said an habitue to the barman.
"'E 'ad a flee like a fifth act at tn
Surrey" agreed the other.
If they knew the toast that Jock.
Mason had pledged so readily, the.
would have better grasped the truth o
this unfavorable diagnosis of his char
acter
'"Ten years penal servitude. fou
years police supervision, my wife deat
and my children lost, ali through
smack on the head given me by Philil
. Anson," he communed Here's L
getting even with him!'
1t was strange outcome Of his lon
Imprisonment that the man shoul
have acquired fair degree of culture
He was compelled to learn in Jail TO
, certain extent. and reading soon be
came pleasure to him. Moreover, b
picked up an acquaintance with
smooth spoken mate of the swell mobs
man and long firm order-a dandy VIII
strove to be elegant even in convic
: garb. Mason's great strength and IL
domitable courage appealed to th
more artistic il more effeminate rogue
l Once the big man saved his comrade'
{ life when they were at work in tn
{ quarries.
The influence was mutual The