The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-06-14

WLH IFl kY1sF glInpses Of bis own trIg
r,~ ss.saiiuos reflected in the
mirrors Of shop windows
M5W%<AAAAs d passed He knew
EA iaat he ought to be feel
iag serious ard little
ashamed, btu his thin, flexible lips uoaid
quErk back fo j curve of happy content The
man Ellen Joyce had said yrs " to couldn't
despise himself E-even though the condition
she had addeil to the word lci: him hUmblcd
and bcwildcred, she had tod him that she
didn't Ike his j1b Mould he did he care
enough for her to iind different work
Care. There was nothing he wouldn't do,
nothing he couldn'tdol He fairly stepped of
and up on air as he swung out from the side
walk at 4 crossing. Why, he had
thought Of forty things to do, in as many
hours; and all be needed to advise his choice
was talk with Eddie Nelligan, with whom
be had talked oyrr all. the big and little things
thai had come to him since small-boyhood.
Car after car pounded past as He walked
back and forth on the curb. The Last had
been one later than Eddie usual car, and
dusk was gathering, as he stood to watch the
next oncorning car. But no Eddie Nelligan
dropped Of
Hi! Where's Nclligan -ain't Eddie Mel
ligan OF YETI" he shouted The conductor
lesned far out To answer. but Il wind cut out
alTsave home and pretty sick"
Martin stood where he was for an instant
gaping after the lcssenfng lights; then turned,
stared al the narrow brick canon Of street
! ahead, and-rousing all at onee-siarted at
d swinging pace for the Nelligans' What had
Rose been about not to let him know And
what had he been about, to lei any woman
even Ellen--fuddle him into forgetting his
chum for 50 many weeks! Two at d time he
took the stairs q the tenemcnts FIRST fight
and second-but turning to the third was
stopped, foot and breath. From the floor
above, muffled but unmistakablc eaine The
shriIl wailing and after babbiing moan Of an
anguished woman II was Rose Nclgan's
voice. . After long minute he took
the third fight, holding to the rail, going
heavily, and hallway looked up--to see Eddie
Nelligan's self in his conductors 5ap-and
Uniform standing before his own closed door
gripping the knob with his left hand, facing
the stairs and not moving.
"Haht" Martin Breen's pent breath left
him gustily. "Theye y'arel heard-I
thought y'was sick"
Eddie Nelligan looked at him without see
ing till the moaning beyond the door quieted.
It's the kid, !" he said then, slowly Hes
got the dipther'a. They took him in the
ambulance, two hours ago" His hapS
vrung the knob. An want here!"
The door OF the other tenement that gave
on the box Of hall was opened gently, and
neighbor Otto Gutmann-his own bass vioi
made hesh-cane out to them. Ic was in
his shirt sleeves, held fork in one fzf, pink
hand and wiped the other, professionally, on
the striped apron that draped him from arm
pits TO knees. Eis gross, good face was very
red, and light, warmth and sayory smells
flooded after him into the dim, Geld place.
He hushed his voice TO a mellow rumble.
Hello, Marty--you make diss fellcr COON
in % me. Ny woman iss nit kosie- he
can't e. in. got some goot hot supper. al
retty-it iss bedder to eat sonediag ''
1T sure isl" Relief cracked Martins
voice as be reached. half jestingir. to the
hand that held the knob; but at lhc touch
Eddie Nelligan fell back, his right arm COM
ing up
Cut il out-get alongl" he raspcd /
amt a-" A new sound checked him the
neglected girl baby that had come 70 the Mel
lgans but six weeks back began 20 cry lus-
tily. Martin slid his hand up to the shoulder
Of his friend.
"Yes y'are, Eddie. Yer goin' feat an
drink an'-buck upl-7'cause y'gct tuh.
See2" And constrained by his hold, bis
eyes, and that helpless, reminding cry, Eddie
Nelligan let himself be led
1850" mmmured the sympathetic Otto.
INT you COON, alsso, Marty can cook
bedder as can blay, bet youl"
1t was, therefore, with genuine distress
added to his unrelieved predicament that
Martin-three hours later and an hour late
rarg the Joyce bell. There was no white
papcred, gltoorded box Of sweets in his
hand--bc had forgotten the custom in his
hurry; and rerniniscence OF the stout fra
GRANGE of Otto's frying and beer and tobacco
clung TO bis garments despite the vigorous
cleansing Of the wind Miss Ellen emerged
from bis embrace suspiciously alert and over
poweringly the lady.
I'D most decided you wasn't ec.ning"-
her tone was chin. "But Shouldn't have
sct up to wonder why--rve ha,: 50 many call
ers to-day I'm most tired to drath. It's just
70 evry Sundy." Bu: The Obvious deduc-
tion that there were those to make his def
ciency marked was beyond Martins troubled
mind -nor did bis edoring and suppIicating
gaze atone for the blunder Of his literal
reply.