The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-02-16

SVEN.
ASK for me at the window. III be
there somewhere. I'll look for you. -
Swell went back to the billiard room
and picked up few halves and quar-
tiers before o'clock. Then he d.
vided the days spoils with the pro
prietor and strolled scross town 70 the
| theater. Whalen was in the little
gaudily decorated box office when he
reached IL.
Here you are. then" he said heart
lily. Come along in" He led Swell
past the ticket-taker and into the dim
mouse me place was heavy with to-
Dacco smoke and crowded with men
and women. On the white drop a
series OF moving pictures were Waver-
ing and pickering. Somewhere an or
chestra was playing. Whalen led Swell
10 box near the stage. stop at the
office as you come out" he whis-
pered as he left, and wen have a
nip together across the street"
That was the beginning of the
friendship. After that they fell into
the habit of eating together in the
evenings after their pool. Swell act
ing as host whenever Whalen would
allow him the privilege. But that
wasn't very often.
Put up your roll, my boy" VIVA
Dack with one of his own big-bedia-
monded paws You'll need II. II
comes to me easy like, and like to
spend II on a friend"
Maybe I do, too" responded Swell
with one of his infreQuent smiles Big
Joe laughed. pleased
"Meanin' me, Ell? Say, laddie, you
and mes got quite some friendly, ain Z
we? Well, say. 1 like you. hanged II
don'ti 1 sort Of took TO you the
first night 1 see you And then. the
other day. when you let me win them
be grouchy-"
Swell started and Whalen chuckled.
so You thought 1 wasn't on, en- ?
Why. boy, see how IL was the SEC
ond time We played
Then what did you let me take
your money for2" asked Swell
''Why2 Cause I wanted TO. I got
my fun and 1 was wulin' to pay for
II; see? That's Big Joe WhaIen, al
ways was and always will be. No, you
all right. all right. But you didn Z
try TO put no harpOon In me, ano
that made a great big hit with me.
son; il sure did"
November passed. with it's rains
and fogs. and SwelTs hope OF spend
ing Christmas with Nellie grew dim
mer and DINNER as the days went by.
lie was making money. but II came in
driblets. and was hardly more than
enough to keep him going, even
lnOuSn ne Sllll loUEeQ AT Ane same
place and allowed himself few lux
uries-
Swell got i'll. Splashing around Chi
Cago streets in December without an
oVercoat isn't conducive TO health
and Swell came down fiat on his back
with grip. The illness for the while
weakened his moral backbone. IL
went back to the billiard parlor but
the heart had gone out OF his play
| ing, and his earnings were 50 small
! that the Italian proprietor grumbled
and charged him with holding out.
Whalen made him buy a cheap over
coat and wear IL. and by the middle
| of the month. by which time Christ
mas was in the air and the shop win
dows were bright and gay with holi-
! day attire. Swell began to feel him
| self again. New York was now con-
stantiy in his thoughts. There were
times when he told himself that II he
could get back there with little
money I'm his pocket he would be sat
isfied TO take any Job he could find. no
matter how hard or mean. He began
10 get II into his head that the world
was down on him. and that life wasn't
/ worth much to a man like him. And
he got TO worrying about Nellie, too
| lie hadn't sent her any money for
two months. and New York was a
bad place for pretty girl without
money. He imagined all sorts OF I'M
pleasant things. things that made him
grip his hands and sent the blood
rushing into his head. In plain Eng
llsh. Swell had lost his nerve. and
that's not a good thing to have hap
pen TO you when you are In SweIrs
pFedicAment and you're Onh' twenty