Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-05-24
asked the consul gen.

Mr.. Melton?" asked the consul gen.
eral.
The time had come for the explana,
ton that Deck would have preferred
not to make, but which he knew was
inevitable. He didn't finch, however
Twisting one side of his long brown
mustache around hiE finger, he look
eye.
I'm a gambler" he said quietly.
The consul generals brows rose
slightly, but only for a moment, and
expression of courteous attention. He
was a man of wide experience, who
knew much Of politics, and he had
known some gamblers in whose per-
sonal good faith he had the utmost
confidence.
"Ah!" he said. 1t was merely an
expression Of interest.
you see," Deck went on, when
Jerome went in after the strong cam
paign talk he made, concluded that
the wise game would be to pull out and
let him make a record. Then, after he
had made good with the people who
backed him, and had shown them that
he was all right from their point of
view, 1 thought the row would blow
over, and we could open up again all
right in a quiet way. My partner
didn't think so. He said that 1t was
all campaign talk which wouldn't
amount to a damn, and that we'd bet
ter buck through anyhow, and not lose
our trade by showing any lack of
nerve.
$50 we split, and came over here
to see some Of the things that I'd been
reading about in the newspapers all
my life. Well" he added, as he drew
long breath, I've seen 'em, and now
I'd like to o,rest my eyes on the Tender
loin once more"
| The consul general wrinkled his
forehead and refiectively drummed
with his fingers on his desk. Some
how this frank, outspoken gambler
with his clear, unfiinching gray eyes,
had won his sympathy. He would like
to help him; but the way to do so, ex-
cept by paying his cabin passage, was
not clear. This method he naturally
did not care to adopt. There were too
many calls of this kind for him to be-
gin to open his purse to them.
Really, Mr.. Melton" he said, final
ly, II hardly see what I can do. The
government furnishes no funds, you
know, to relieve such unfortunate en-
barrassments as yours"
Yes, know" Deck slghed, resign
edly. II wasn't expecting that, but I
thought you might give me a tip how
to help myself"
WELL" said the consul general,
thoughtfully, its possible that some
freighter might take you over In con-
sideration Of a little clerical work you
could do for the captain. There's cap
tain l know pretty well who will sail
in about a month, and I'll speak to
him about you."
About a month";" Deck laughed
mirthlessly. why, Mr.. Consul Cen
eral, I'll be eating sand out Of these
iron bins they have along the streets
here before that time"
"Oh, cheer up!" urged the consul
general, encouragingly. Remember
the saying they have here: In London
you can get more for a penny and
less for a pound than in any place in
the world One can live on very little
here If need be. At any rate, If moth
ing turns up, come in every few days,
and I'll get you fixed up somehow
yet"
When Deck stood in the gateway Of
st. Helen's Place again, he drew long
breath The outlook was far from en-
couraging.
"A month";" he muttered, as he fin
gered the few coins in his pocket.
Good Lord, a month";"
He leaned against the stone post,
and looked listlessly at the traffic that
surged by. He was thinking Of Broad
way, with the clang OF it's cable cars;
of the narrow, quiet streets that led
from it, in one Of which was a suite
of rooms that he could still call home.
He could almost hear above the other
noises, the roar of the Sixth avenue
elevated trains, as they rushed up and
down the busiest island in the world,
and, as he thought in the home-sick-
ness that his discouraging situation
increased, the best island in the
world Some people acquired the Eu-
ropean habit, but he thought, as he
gazed at the strange faces and heard
the strange accent about him, one
trip abroad was enough for him. The
next time he felt like travelling he
| would
Some one touched him on the
shoulder, and he turned to find the man
who had been In the consul generals
Office standing beside him. He was
very short, scarcely more than five
feet tall, and Deck, from his liberal
six feet of height, looked down on him
as he would on a child.
You vos III hardt lugck," said the
little man, with broad smile Of ex-
cessive affabllity.
| Yes" replied Deck, shortly The
Jew was not the kind Of a man with
whom he cared to discuss his personal
affairs.
MY name is Goldstein, Simon Cold
stein," continued the other in the
tone of a man who wanted to culti-
vate an acquaintance. I'm an Amer
igan, too"
| "Oh, yes" returned Deck, with a
tinge of sarcasm. II recognized that
at once by your accent. From lower
Broadway"
| Goldstein smiled broadly.
You musdt haf seen my sign in the
streedt-Goldstein & Kronenheimer,
eh?" His shoulders shook with his
heavy laugh Il am cheweler, you
know; wholesale chewelry."
"Yes?" Deck was not especially in
| terested,