Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1911-08-18
(Copyright, lp9. by [
CHAPTER /.

sooner ! chuck 1t the better!'
Caught in the swirl OF the busy
city's midday rush. engulfed in Broad
ways swift moving flood of hustling
humanity. jostled unceremoniously
by the careless indifferent crowds,
discouraged from stemming further
the tide of pushing elbowng men and
women who hurried up and down the
great thoroughfare, Howard Jeffries,
tired and hungry and thoroughly dis.
| gusted with himself stood still at the
corner of Fulton street, cEsing the
| luck which had brought him to his
present plight
1t was the noon hour, the important
| time of day when nature loudly claims
her due, when business affairs, no
matter how pressing must be tenn
porarily interrupted so that the hui
man machine may lay in a fresh store
OF nervous energy. From under the
| portals of precipitous office buildings,
mammoth hives of human Industries,
which to right and left scared dizzily
from street to sky, swarmed thou
! sands OF employees of both sexes
! clerks stenographers, shop girls, mes
! senger boys all moved by a common
| impulse to satisfy without further de-
lay the animal cravings of their phys
| zeal natures. They strobe along with
| quick, nervous step. each chatting and
| laughing with his fellow, Interested
| for the nonce in the days work, ma
| king plans for We'll earned recreation
! when five o'clock should come and
the uptown stampede for Harlem and
| home begin
The young man sullenly watched
! the scene, enyious of the energy and
activity of all about him. Each one
in these hurrying throngs he thought
bitterly to himself. was a valuable
unit in the prosperity and welfare of
the big town. No matter how humble
his or her position, each played a
| part in the business life OF the great
city. each was an unseen, unknown,
yet indispensable cog in the whirling,
complicated mechanism of the vast
world metropolis. Intutively he felt
that he was not one of them, that he
had no right even to consider himself
their equal He was utterly useless
to anybody He was without position
or money. He was destitute even of
shred of self-respect. Hadn't he
promised Annie not to touch liquor
again before he found a job? Yet he
| had already imbibed all the whisky
which the little money left in his
pocket would buy
lnvoluntarily, instinctively, he
shrank back into the shadow of a
doorway to let the crowds pass The
pavements were now filled to over
| flowing and each moment newcomers
from the side streets came to swell
the human stream. He tried to avoid
observation, fearing that some one
might recognize him, thinking all
could read on his face that he was
a sot, a self.confessed failure, one of
life's incompetents. In his painful
self-consciousness he believed himself
the cynosure of every eye and he
WINGED as he thought he detected on
certain faces side glances of curiosity,
commseration and contempt
Nor was he altogether mistaken.
More than one passer-by turned to
look in his direction, attracted by
his peculiar appearance His was a
type not seen every day III the com
mercial district-the postgraduate
college man out at elbows He was
smooth-faced and apparently about Is
years of age His complexion was
/ n.s a
have been handsome but for a droop-
ing, irresolute mouth, which denoted
more than average weak4css OF char
acter The face was tniI., Chalk-like
In its lack of color and deeply scanned
with the tell-tale lines OF dissipation.
Dark circles under his eyes and a
peculiar watery look suggested late
hours and oyerfondness for alcoholic
refreshment His clothes had the cut
of expensive tailors, but they were
shabby and needed pressing His linen
was soiled and his necktie disar-
ranged His whole appearance was
careless and suggested that reckless.
ness of mind which comes of general
decentralization.
Howard Jeffries knew that he was
failure yet like most young men
mentally weak, he insisted that he
could not be held altogether to blame
Secretly. too he despised these sober,
, industrious people who seemed con.
tented with the crumbs of comfort
thrown 10 them. What, he wondered
idly. was their secret Of getting on?
How were they able to lead such well
/, regulated lives when he. starting ont
with far greater advantages, had
failed? Oh, he knew well where the
: trouble lay-in his damnable weak.
! ness of character, his love Tor drink
: That was responsible for everything.
But was it his fault If he were born
-, weak? These people who behaved
themselves and got on. he sneered
= were calm, commonplace tempera
i ments who found no difficulty In con.
i. trolling their baser instincts. Thsy