The Washington herald., 1909-05-09

his face in the small mirror the oppo-
the face of a nearing forty--though Cain
nearly ten years younger than that-abject thin,
pale the hair grizzling over the ears the face OF
bookkeeper In his nghtgown of coarse flannel
ette, however Cain that there attached TO him
some of that elemental human dignity that was
lost inside the shabby clerks clothes by day.
From the adjoining cells came that medley OF
sound that announces the day: wheezes and groans,
and old limbs pressed in protest against a cold
stone floor Cain blinked his eyes. Something
stirred at the back of his mind. Presently he re-
membered and glad: the preceding even
ing he had talked with man.
With free man, no desk slave tong for
miserable pittance and crnging before his master.
free man such as he used to read about in books
a hunter from the north woods the oldest settled
section of America left forgotten and deserted in
the mad rush westward lie had come 10 New
York for the first time I'm his life upon some bus
connected with his son; and he had spoken Of
a wonderful free life when Cain encountered him.
hilarious and slightly tipsy, in Washington Square
The hunter asked TO be directed to a hotel. Cain
looked at him doubtfully, timid and shy because
of the unexpected greeting while some wretched
remnant of the clerks pride of station suddenly
grew rampant This mans clothes had surely never
seen the inside OF any tailors shop. The cap upon
his head was-coonskin. His shoes were raw
hide. In his pockets, he said, were nnety-hve dol
rive been drinking spell, but l trust you
friend" said the hunter
How do you know" Cain blurted out sheepish
ly, half ashamed that stranger should read in
his face that nervousness that had constrained
him with no fXed principles in the pain OF mteg-
rity.
The hunter took him by the sleeve and P8wSa
friend doggone it, look at your clothes"
u live at a sort of hotel" said Cain, after a
pause, but can't recommend you there. It's for
poor men. It's clean and very comfortable, but
you1l have TO wash in public"
why hell friend" answered the hunter,
haven't washed in Gods public streams this fifty
years?" SO Cain led him to his hostelry and
there when they had drank coffee they sat till
the lights went out in the great spacious smoking
room with the floor of green glass, where patrarchs
played chess,
'Whats your business frend?" the hunter
asked. And somehow Cain found himself telling
him
n AIN was the poor New York son of poor New
~ York father. He had been a bookkeeper.
Just why only God knew, that he had learned
no trade and ht for nothing else Did 1t not
cramp him, sitting bookkeeper's stool, did not
his eyes ache, poring over columns Of figures, till
he obtained no pleasure in his work? Why GER
tainly; but who found pleasure in work? That was
mans daily portion and lot which made his
evenings and Sundays blessed to him. lie had
worked his way up, With painful slowness, from
FIVE TO fifteen dollars week, spending his income
freely, never thinking of putting by. Presently he
gaged to be married Then he lost his job
somehow and when he failed to get another the
girl threw him down, That five years ago.
Cain was thirty-one now, too old TO begin ire on
five dollars a week again-and nobody wanted TO
hire a bookkeeper at fifteen. Besides, after he
had been out of a job six months his credentials
became less than much waste paper. After n
while he came to acquesce in his condition; he
disappeared from the ken Of that world that wore
collars Of linen and attached cuffs; and the under
world swallowed him.
"How do you live now, triendV asked the hunter
wonderingly.
Cain addressed envelopes. It quite profess
sion he explained, and when one knew the ropes
one was seldom unemployed more than few days
at time. There perhaps three hundred men
in New York who had taken to addressing enyel-
ones as a permanent occupation. 1t was hard on
the arm and shoulder when you began, but after
the first couple OF months the work became me-
chancal and the hand wrote automatically, the
eye following the list, each movement adjusted
with the nicely Of a machine. So that one came