Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-11-23

81 wish could believe It." Duncan's
grasp was firm since he felt more as
sured of some humanity latent in his
late employer. However. goodby."
"Good luck to you" rang in his ears
as the door put a period to the inter
view. He stopped and took up the
battered suit case and rusty overcoat
which he had left outside the Junior
partners Office, then went on. shaking
his head. Much obliged" he said
huskily to himself. "but what's the
good Of that. There's no room any
where for a professional failure. and
shafts what I am-just a ne'er-do-well.
I never realized what that meant
really before, and it's certainly taken
me a damn long time to find out
But 1 know now. all right"
Despondently he went down to the
sidewalk and merged himself with the
crowd, moving with it, though thou
sand miles apart from it, and, presently
diverging struck across town toward
the Worth street subway station.
"And the worst of it is he's too
sharp not to find it outfit he hasn't
by this time-and too decent by far
to let me know if he has. It can't go
on this way with us. / can't let him.
Got TO break with him somehow-now
today. l won't let him think me
what I've been all along to him. Bless
his foolish hearth
There was no depreciation of Kel-
logg's goodness in his mood, simply de-
termination no longer to be a charge
upon it. To contemplate the sum to-
81 1f ha IL I,aI 81 a
KelloCg's hands since the day when
the latter had found him i'll and half
starved. friendless as a stray pup, on
the bench in Washington square stag
gered his Imagination.
He could never repay it, he told
himself. save inadequately, little by
little-mOstly by gratitude and such
consideration as he purposed now to
exhibit by removing himself and his
distresses from the others ken. Here
was an end to comfort for him, an end
to living In Kellogg's rooms. eating
his food, busying his servants, spend
ing his money, not so much borrowed
as pressed upon him.
There crawled in his mind a clammy
memory of the sort of housing he had
known in past days, and he shuddered
inwardly, smelling again the effiuvia of
dank oilclOth and musty carpets, OF
fshballs and fried ham. of old style
plumbing and of 50 a week humanity
in the unwashen raw, the odor of mis-
cry that permeated the lodgings TO
which his lack of means had intro
duced him. He could see again, ana
with a painful vividness Of mental vi
sion. the degenerate "brOwnstone
fronts that mask those haunts Of
wretchedness. with their flights or
crumbling brownstone steps leading
up to oaken portals haggard with flax
ing paint, f1anked by squares of soiled
note paper upon which ineXpert hands
had traced the warning. not Abandon
hope all We who enter here but Fur
nished rooms to let with board
And to this he must retIrn, to- that
treadmill round of blighted days and
ioyIess nights must set his face.
Alighting at the Grand Central sta
ton. he packed the double weight of
his luggage and his cares a few blocks
northward on Madison avenue ere
turning west toward the bachelor
rooms which Kellogg had established
in the roaring Forties, Just the other
side of the avenue-Fifth avenue
The elevator boy, knowing him OF
old. neglected to announce his arrival,
and Duncan had his own key to the
door of Keloggs apartment. he let
himself in with futile stealth. As was
quite right and proper, KelIogg's man
Robbins was in attendance. Il Stupe-
fed Robbins. thunderstruck by the I'M
expected return of his masters friend
and guest. Good Lord"' he cried at
sight of Duncan. Beg your pardon,
sir, but-but 1t can't be your
Your mistake, Robbins. Unfortu-
nately it is" Duncan surrendered his
luggage Mr.. Kellogg in?"
"No, sir. But I'm expecting him any
minute. He'll be surprised to see you
back"
Think so?' said Duncan duly. "He
doesn't know me If he is"
"You see. sir, we thought you was
out west"
$50 you did" Duncan moved to-
ward the door Of his own bedroom,
Robbins following.
at was only yesterday 1 posted
letter to you for Mr.. kellogg, sir. and
the address was Omaha"
81 didn't get that far. Fetch along
that suit case, will you please? want
to put some clean things IN it,
Then you're not staying in town
overnight. Mr.. Duncan"
Il don't know. I'm not staying here
anyway" Duncan switched on the
lights in his room. Put IL ON the bed.