The Washington times., 1911-01-18
CHAPTER XII.

THAT night Tom confessed that he
had privately saved a few dollars
from his money; and from the
Morgan's fiat he brought David 3
overcoat and several OF the other ar
ticles they had pawned. David's con-
science demanded that the savings
should not be used, and he wondered
what right they had to their own prop
erty, redeemed with stolen money. But
need conquered ethics. \ day or TWO
later the landlady demanded her rent,
giving choice between payment and the
street: the money went to her. Hunger
pressed them; the redeemed articles
began to return one by one 10 the
pawnshop.
and though still weak, he began to
creep about the streets, looking for
work. He believed success impossible
and Immediately success came.
The great stores were enlisting armies
OF temporary employees for the holiday
asOn. and as at this time there are
not enough first-Class men and women
TO fill the ranks, they were accepting
the second-class and the third and the
heard of this chance, and, Quailing at
heart and expecting nothing, Joined the
line of applicants at one Of the depart
ment stores.
'What experience. ntIldlluttl IIiC
superintendent when David reached his
desk.
None" said David.
The superintendent glanced him over
and saw that his face was good.
Work for nine week?
He scratched on a slip OF paper and
handed ii to David.
start in at once in the Checkroom.
David reeled away from the desk;
FTE,TfN n a
the advent of the impossible by eating
20 cents worth of food, and his excited
hope, fearful, daring, kept sleep from
mis- eyes all night. He knew he was
only a temporary man, but MS more
reasoned that II he gave exceptional
satisfaction he might be retained after
the great post-Christmas discharge. II
retained permanently, he. might work
his way up in the store, and II he CouId
remain only few months at least, he
would then be able to say, when seeking
new place and asked for his record,
II worked last for Sumner & Co. re-
fer you to them" His hope told him
that this position might prove the foot
hold he sought.
Toward the end of his fourth day here
a woman for whom he had just laid
upon the counter several packages she
had checked two or three hours before
gloves was missing. Weary and eXas-
perated from her day among the jostling
shoppers, she berated David in a
loud, angry voice. He suggested that
possibly she had not checked the parcel.
that she might Lave checked it in some
other store. that perhaps she had or
dered it delivered and had forgotten it,
that possibly she had dropped it.
Nothing of the kind! She knew what
she'd done with 1t! They'd been care
less and given II to some other woman
David, still very courteous. suggested
that possibly 1t had been picked up and
taken to the lost-and-found desk. She
might inquire there.
She would not She had left 1t here!
She had been robbed!
She was departing ragefuHy. but
David followed her, and by using his
best persuasion, secured her gruding
consent to wait till he himself should
inquire at the lost-and-found desk A
minutes later he returned with the
package: She could say nothing more,
for on the wrapper was the stamp of
the desk and the hour the parcel had
been turned in. She made a curt
apology-it came hard, but still it was
an apology-and went out
David had his reward. The head OF
his department. attracted by the wom-
ans angry voice, had drawn near and
looked on unseen. He now came for
ward THAT was we'll done, Aldrich, -
ne said. Il couldn't have handled her
better myself"
David grew warm. Yes, this place
might prove his foothold!
A similar thought came to one Of the
other four men in the check-room. This
man. regular employe. had recently
been reproved several times for negli-
gence and discourtesy. and he knew
that his hold on his place was precar-
ious. The fear now struck him that at
the great discharge he might be sent
away and this new man, Aldrich be
kept.
His witseset to work. He now remem-
bered that David had evaded questions
about his past. Perhaps in 1t there was
something that would change his chiefs
opinion. That night he followed David,
warmed by his strengthened hope, from
the store, and made inquiries in David's
tenement. Just a Door man who had
been having a hard time-this was ali
he could learn. He hung around the
tenement. and presently David came
down and walked away. He followed.
After several blocks David stopped be-
fore St. Christopher's Mission and gazed
across the street at II. The shadowing
man wondered. Then the thought sprang
up that in there they might know some
thing about this man A1drich.
He entered.
The next morning David was sum-
moned to the superintendent office. He
was still aglow from the commentator
of yesterday. But the superintendent
face struck him cold. Are you the
David Aldrich who stole 5000 from ST.
Christopher's Missionf" the supeyipten.
A. AIrR