The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1911-01-29


knowledge concerning abnormal work
ings Of the human heart. He made his
way swiftly to the young mans side
and took his arm. Come with me at
once" he said in the low but command
ing voice that his walters had learned
to fear.
'Pinched." remarked the young man,
looking up ut him with exprcssionleSs
eyes-"'pinchcd by a painless dentist.
Take me away and give me gas. Some
lay eggs and some lay none, When is
q henT'
Still deeply seized by some inward
grief, but tractable. he allowed Quigg
to lead him away and down the street
to little park.
There. seated on n bench, he upon
whom q corner Of the great CaHph'S
mantle has descended spakc with kind
ness and discretion, seeking to know
what evil had come upon the other,
disturbing his soul and driving him to
such i'll considered and ruinOus waste
of his substance and stores.
II was doing the Monte Cristo act
as adapted by pOmpton, n. j, wasn't
II" asked the young man.
"You were throwing small coins into
the street for the people to scramble
after" said the margrave.
That's it. You buy all the beer you
can hold, and then you throw chicken
feed to- Oh, curse that word chick
en-, and hens, feathers, rOostcrs, eggs
and everything connected with it,
young sir" said the margrave kind
| ly. but with dignity, though | do not
| ask your confidence, | invite it. |
know the world, and | know humani-
| ty. Man Is my study, though / do not
! eye him as the scientist eyes beetle
! or as the philanthropist GazeS at the
objects Of his bounty-~through veil
| Of theory and ignorance. 1t Is my
pleasure and distraction to interest
myself in the peculiar and complicated
| misfortunes that life In q great city
visits upon my fellow men. You may
| be familiar with tho history of that
! glorious and immortal ruler, the Caltph
/ Haroun-atRaschid, whose wise and
beneficent excursions among his peo-
| pie in the city Of Bagdad secured him
| the privilege of relieving so much of
| their distress. In my humble way l
walk in his footsteps | seek for ro-
/ nance and adventure In city streets,
| not in ruined castles or in crumbiing
| palaces. TO me the greatest marVels
of magic are those that take place in
| mems hearts when acted upon by the
furious and diverse forces of crowd
ed population In your strange be
havior this evening / fancy q story
turks. | read In your act something
deeper than the wanton wastefulnesh
of a spendthrift. | observe In your
countenance the certain traces of con.
sumings grief or despair. repeat
\ invite your confidence. ] am not with.
out some power to alleviate and ad.
wise VIII you not trust me?'
Gee, how you talkw exclaimed the
young man, CLEAN of admiration
supplanting for a moment the dul
sadness of his eyes. You've got The
4 Astor library skinned to synopsis Of
1 preceding chapters. l mind that ole
Turk you speak of. / read The Ara
bian Nights when / was a kid. III
was kind of Bill Devery and Charlie
Sehwab rolled into one. But, say, yot
might have enchanted dish rags ant
make copper bottles smoke up cooI
giants all night without ever touchint
me. My case won't yield to that kim
of treatment"
"If I could hear your story" salt
the margrave. with his lofty, serious
smile.
THE STORY OF THE YOUNG MAJ
AND THE HARNESSMAKER's RID
DIE.
"I'll spiel 1t in about nine words,
said the young man, with deep sigh
''but I don't think you can help nj
any. Unless you're a peach at guess
ing it's back to the Bosporus for yo7
on your magic linoleum.
.I work In Hildebrant's saddle ant
harness shop down IN Grand street
I'VE worked there FIVE years. / &c
SIS week. That's enough to MARI.
on, amt It? Wen, I'm not going t
get married. Old Hildebrant is one 0
these funny Dutchmen know tn
kind always getting off bum jokes
He's got about million riddles an
things that he faxed from Roger
brothers great-grandfather. Bill Wal
son works there too. Me and Bi
!. have to stand for them chestnuts da
i after day. Why do we do it? Wei
: Jobs amt to be picked off every Al
i heuser bush And then there's Laurt
! "What7 The old mans daughter
Comes in the shop every day. Abou
]. nineteen and the picture Of the blon
{ that sits on the palisades of the Rhin
j and charms the clam diggers into th
!. surf. Hair the color of straw mattin
! and eyes as black and shiny as th
i best harness backing Think of that
g 'Me? Well, it's either me or Bi
! Watson. She treats US both equa
r Bill is all to the psychopathic abou
i her. And me? Well, you saw me pla
ing the roadbed of the Great Marco
e Way with silver tonight. That was o