New-York tribune., 1909-01-10

brought him to a table at the old side for a
sup of coffee and rye bread and brie, and, having
found this newly arrived nephew a lad pleasing
and of promise, the merowed Journalist set forth
to entertain him with the tale that had become
almost a legend of the East Side.
Yet, as he began, Uncle Feltman, having no
supernatural psychic gifts, could not know that
within an hour he and Nephew Feltman were
marked to witness with their very own eyes the
most startling episode of all in the life of Ivan
kremloff -eery, uncanny, never by them to be
forgotten In natural ignorance of what the
next hour held, the journalist put down his coffee
cup deliberately, snOothed back his iron gray
mustache with his slender hands, tugged once
or twice gently at his beard, and spoke quietly.
modulating the ordinarily harsh Yldd1sh SO that
it was musical:
IN the making of homes and at the breaking of
l. homes, he who sits over there-yes, he with the
big white muStache of a Colonel OF HuSSarS plays
MANY a part in the life around him; yet he him
self has no home, unless" Uncle Feltman smiled
gently in deprecatlon,-'u unless dlsordered
room in the rear of a dim old shop may be called
such But never, | believe would man have
loved home more devotedly; never certainly.
have | known a man who SO cherished the idea
of possessing a home and a good wife and
afectionate children; never | am sure, did man
work harder to gain this end, than Ivan hremlof'
who sits there-alone.
Uncle Feltman lighted long, thin yeIlo" Cigar
cite before he continued.
He was big, straight, powerful fellow When L
fret knew him and that was thirty-five years ago.
He wore the big nustache then, except that 1T was
brown instead of white. He had been soldier IN
The old country But for all that, the big mustache
,DDeared to be the only ferOClous thing about him.
For the rest he was like boy-a mere boy,-laugh-
mo and singing morning and night This knew OF
nm. because in those days, my dear Moses, worked
in a bookbindery long hours every day, and came at
night to a little room, and IN the next room lived
Ivan Kremloff Before l made his ACQUAINTANCE,
WAS often awakened III the morning by his singing
and whistlnq as he went away to work, and again
a+ NIGHT before he went to bed He had learned
rDbolstering was very skilful at the trade and
armed fine wages This he contded very soon after
he got to know me- Indeed, like big boy he was
bursting to tell somebody all the good news ABOUT
himself all the fair promise that the future heid Ior
him then First when | met him IN the hallway.
he had nodded to me in friendly fashion, and then
frequently he would knock at my door to invite
neLwhv to invite me here to this very place, for
cake and cup of tea He would always insist that
il was his treat, and demand to know why 1t should
not be since he earning such tlne money. lie
showed me his savings bank book, and it made my
eves widen when | saw that he had already hye
hundred dollars on deposit
I'm his big laughing, kindly manner, he carried
. contagious good humor. Over here, the walters
rushed to serve him and pass pleasant word with
him He could call them all by name, and would
ask after their children by name II they mad any:
The landlady of lodging house as Grabbed an Old
mother as ever lived yet would bld IN her croak1ng,
cracked voice to do him the favor OF darnlng his
socks ard mending his shirts 1t made no difference
with him that was a lew 1t was enough, he would
saw that | was honest, pleasant intelligent little
fellow He waved his hand in impatient dismissal
at the old home pref ejudces. They had no place, ne