The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-01-24

"A ard lot, sir" commented the po-
liceman, jerking his helmeted head
toward the vanishing four wheeler.
Right you are" agreed Kirkwood
amiably, still tickled by the Knowledge
that Mulready had been obliged to pay
three times over for the ride that end
ed In his utter discontinue. Somehow,
Kirkwood had conceived no liking
whatever for the man; Calendar he
could. at pinch, tolerate for his sense
of humor, but MuIready-! "A surly
dog he thought him.
Acknowledging the policeman's sa-
lutte and restoring two shillings and
few fat copper pennies to his pocket
he entered the vast and echoing train
shed. In the act, his attention was at
tracted and Immediately riveted by the
spectacle OF burly luggage NAVY In
blue Jumper in the act of making off
with large, folding signboard, of
which the surface was lettered
expansively with the advice, in red
against white background:
BOAT TRAIN LEAVES ON TRACK 3
Incredulous yet aghast the young
man gave instant chase to the navy
overhauling him with no great diff
Guilty. For your horny handed British
working man is apparently born with
two golden apf1orisnns in his mouth .
Look before you leap" and Haste
makes waste" He looks continually,
seldom, If ever, leaps. and never Is
prodigal Of his leisure.
Excitedly Kirkwood touched the
mans arm with a OBTAINING hand
Boat train?" he gasped, pointing at
the board,
Left 10 minutes ago, thank you.
sir"
"WeI1 hut OF course can
get another train at Ti1bury?"
For yer boat? No, sir, thank you,
sir. Won't be another tryne till morn
in. sir"
"Oh-hi
Aimlessly Kirkwood drifted away, his
mind a blank.
Sometime later he found himself on
the steps outside the station, trying to
stare out of countenance a glaring
electric mineral water advertisement
on the farther side of tho Euston road
He was stranded.
Beyond the spiked iron fence that
enhedges the incurving drive, the roar
of traffic, human, wheel and hoof, rose
high for all the 1ateness OF the hour;
sidewalks grooming with the restless
contact of hundreds of Ill shod feet:
the roadway NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., four
wheelers. motor cars, dwarfed coster
mongers donkey carts and ponderous
rumbling, c. p. motor vans, struggling
for place and progress. For St Pancras
never sleeps.
The misty air SWAN luminous with
the light OF electric signs as with the
radiance of some lurid and sinister
In Kirkwood's ears, like the ominous
purring of somnolent brute beast,
resting. gorged and satiated, ere rising
again to devour. To devour--
Stranded!
Distracted, he searched pocket after
pocket, locating his watch. cigar and
cigarette cases, matchbox, penknife-
all the minutiae OF pocket hardware
affected by civilized man; with old
letters card case, a square envelope
containing his steamer ticket; but no
sovereign purse His small change
pocket held less than three shiliings-
two and eight, to be exact--and brass
key, which he failed to recognize as
one of his belongings.
And that was not all. At some time
during the night he had lost Cor been
cunningly bereft Off that little purse
of channels skin containing the three
golden sovereigns which he had been
outstanding to pay his steamer ex-
penses. and which, IL only he had them
now. would stand between him and
starvation and a night in the streets.
And, searching his heart. he found
1t trimming with gratitude to Mulready
for having relieved him of the ne
cessity of settling with the cabby.
'sVagabond2' said Kirkwood mus
ingly. "vagabond?" He repeated the
word softly number of times, to get
the exact flavor of II, and found it little
to his taste. And yet
He thrust both hands deep In his
trouser pockets and stared purpose