The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-09-27
BY w. G. shepherd.
AN, But FINDS OTHER TRUE ONES BACK HOMIE AG

IiOOF Oh MIS-. cannon boarding
house. which, though choice, was
not half so fine cas- the big plain
room at home that he had called
his own.
He>kept this room until he lost
his job and couldn't pay his rent
one week. When he came home
that night he found be had been
moved to "a small. rear room.
Maybe the boss had been right
in firing him; he had kept late
hours. But he had been forced
Ito keep them. Unless he went
down to the theater every night to
get Amy Leroy, the pretty little
show girl who also lived at Mrs.
Bannon's, she would have to go
home alone. And she was too
fine girl for that, Wilson
thought. She was young, but the
world had buffeted wisdom into
her; she told him she loved him,
too. He hadn't told her he loved
her, as yet, because, back at home
there was Jane Belknap, who was
only waiting for him to make his
fortune and come and take her.
But there was a fascination
about Amy Leroy he could not ex-
plain. She was a good girl; she
had told him so, herself:
Wilson got mad when Joe
Weinstein, ticket speculator,
who lived at the boarding house,
told him to look out for that
girl. She'll fool you" When
Fred MerKle, : the bald-headed,
broken-down newspaper, man,
with world of wisdom and no
illusions in his head, said the
same thing he got mad again.
He couldn't find a job. Another
rent day. rolled around, and at
night he found himself moved in
to the smallest room in the place.
found his clothes down in the par
lor where ae hid sat on that won
derful day of his arrival in New
York. three months before, wait
ing for the landlady. One of the
pianos in the parlor wasn't a
piano; 1t was a folding bed, and
there Wilson was to sleep.
Its the sidewalk for me next"
he said.
Merkle came in, and then Vein
stein. Tom, embarrassed, went
out.
ITS been a terrible day." said
Weinstein. II picked the wrong
show and I'm almost broke. How
much money have you got?"
Twelve dollars" said Merkle.
I've only got nine," said Vein
stein. Give me your IL. There's
roulet wheel around the corner
here and I've got a bunch that If
/ play 13 we'll win"
But the IL is all I've got," pro-
tested the worldly wise Merkle.
you might as we'll have moth
ing as only $12," said weinstein.
And, perhaps, just because Merkle
was worldly wise, he handed over
the IL, and Weinstein, though 1t
was near midnight, dashed out.
Merkle went to bed Only cur
tains separated his room from
the parlor where Wilson was to
sleep, but Wilson hadn't noticed
this.
AS Wilson came in he heard
Amy Leroy's voice in the hallway.
Don't" she was saying.
Don't. You mustn't kiss me
yet"
Wilson waited until she passed
the parlor door, having said good
night to a man in the hallway.
Then he stopped her. Il
Iv,nt fn1 a
was Jimmy Michaelson. He's
rich, and / can't go along being
poor any longer. You might as.
well know it; he's going to put me
in flat and keep it for me-"
Wilson begged. He had given
up Jane Belknap for her; he had
staked his all on her; he habit
known she was bad. Then, sud
denly, as she smiled weakly al
him and said, ooh, don't make
such fuss about thing like
that. You can see me once in a
WHILE" he realized that she was
woman who never could UNDER
stand"
She went out, pouting, because
fae had scolded her for running his
life. ~ A Fl
Things were black for THE
tcountry boy. He forgot that he
was all in the world his mother
had to live for; that without him
she would be~entirely alone.
He fastened rubber gas tube
to the jet above the piano-b
Say, have You got any more
of that rheumatism medicine?''
1t was Merkfe. standing be-
tween the curtains, in his ragged
bath robe,
Wilson was flustered,. but he.
went over to his trunk and got
out the bottle of homemade med
lcine which his mother had put
in his outfit.
This is a hell of world" said
Merkle. II don't have anything
| out pain and suffering.
1t wasn't an ordinary thing for
Merkle to grumble. Long ago he
had found out that grumbIing
iidn't help. =
Sometimes" he added, slow
~. " think I'll end it ALL He
thrust. out his hand to Wilson to
| shake.
IF you don't see me again.
why goodby," said Merkle.. GRIM