The Washington times., 1912-08-13

bright sunlight, went along their
various ways as though there were no
such such, thing as care or anxiey In the
To one man, however, who was stroll
lns about the Town Hall Square, with
| his hands thrust deep into the pockets
Of the morning msttsred little or Moth
Ing, He was broadly built. brown
faced individual, roughly dressed IN
clothes that seemed to have seen much
| Immersed In sea water, and the fact
| that his peaJacket was tightly but
toned up about his throat argued that
| he either wore no shirt, or that his
| linen was not exactly presentable.
His boots were scanned and split, and
| he dragged his feet a little as he walk
ed, as though he were slightly footsore.
| His clean -shaVen face and hard, keen
eyes scowled at the people that he met.
and once or twice, as he stood on the
curb In front Of the postoffice, he spat
on the roadway at his feet In apparent
contempt or derision.
II needed no second glance at him to
tell that he was down on his luck, and
hated all the world in consequence.
AS the clock of the town hall struck
II, the man turned and walked slowly
into the postoffice. He approached that
part Of the counter were callers letters
are delivered. and. leaning toward the
clerk in attendance. asked in a low
voice II he had anything for John Lind
say.
| IneTe was something IN MS tone wnlcn
suggested that he had made the same
application more than once before, with
disappointing results: his question, in
deed. was uttered In spiritless and
imply that he asked 1t as a mere mat
ter Of form. and expecting nothing in
answer to II but a blank negative, The
clerk medaey npnisd turned nG to
duced dirty envelope, which he turned
over gingerly.
From where?' he asked.
The mans eyes glittered for a sec.
ond, and he half stretched out his hand
| for the letter.
Ought to be from West Aartlepool,"
he said.
The clerk tossed the letter across the
counter. Indifferent to anything con-
nected with its recipient.
Lindsay's hand trembied a little a.
he picked II up. He stepped to one side
and tore the envelope apart with rough
haste. There was a half sheet of paper
inside. with a few lines of writing up"1
II. He scarcely glanced at this: his
eyes eagerly devoured the sight of the
two folded postal orders lying within.
Lindsay opened them hurriedly;
something like relief came into his ex-
preston rs he realized that two COLDER
palm. He walked over to the counter.
seized a pen, filled in the blank spaces,
took up the money which the CLERK
handed him, and walked out again into
!
He glanced at the clock. Five min
utes had made a change in his fortune,
Lindsay turned away to the left, and
went doggedly through the crowds ur-
leads from Plymouth to Devonport.
Presently he turned into a public house
and called for pint of ale.
There we're some pork pies in a glass
shade or the counter. He took one out
and then another. and ate both hungri
lY. When he had drunk the ale hs
called for a second pint. and helped
himself to a third pie, and went on eat
ing and drinking with a steady persist
ence. The barman looked 1T him with
smile.
Got a bit OF a twist on. eh?" he said,
jocularly.
TO eat for a whole tw.nty-four hours. /"
answered Lindsay. with growl.
Here, give us one Of your best smokes
"a strong 'un, mind"
The barman produced a box of rank
looking cigars. Lindsay picked out one
and threw down sovereign. He count
ed his change carefully. and rang a q
shilling piece which formed part of It
before sweeping the lot into his pocket.
Take a smart 'un to do YOU" said
the barman. laughing.
You're about right, young man an
swered Lindsay.
He lighted the cigar, sighed with
pleasure as its fierce odor caught his
nostrils. and went out into the street
. without word or a nod.
There were still buster crowds there
5 soldiers. sailors, marines, all jostling
each other in a good-humored rough
+ ness. Lindsay took no heed of them
/, save to swear or curse when one or an
/ other rubbed shoulders with him; he
, walked on and on until he came nearly
= to Devonport.
Suddenly he stopped. the cigar fell
from his lips to the pavement and lay
unheeded. and his eyes fixed themselves
q
which lay prominently exposed in shor
then picked up the cigar in an absent.
minded fashion and replaced 1t in his
mouth.
As he looked into the shop window
he blew out great clouds OF smoke; his
e broad chest heaved with excitement ane
e agitation. For a long time he gazec
, with sudden exclamation.
i IT'S the same" he said. He liftet
. his hand and wiped away the swea
from his forehead. The same, by
Well"
p He stepped still further back ant
. looked curiously at the shop front.
IT bore the name Aaron Josephs" OF
: the sign. and the goods displayed II
i the window indicated that the proprie
= tor was one OF those general dealer
. who trade in the strange articles OF f1ot
' sam and jetsam that som TO hand II
e the course of everyday life in maritim
of all sorts of odds and ends. from oil
:. skins to foreign coins, but to the maj
y, staring into II with such rapt attention
= there was only one object there whicl
Il seemed worth looking at.
n That object was a small box. fash
ioned of some dark wood and bound a
the corners with heavy brasswork. Il
= size It was somewhat larger than a Gig
ar box. but there was something abou
its appearance which suggested weight
The wood of which II was made glis
tened In the sunlight. but the bras
" mounting was as dull as though II ha
not been polished for some time Lind
say looked at II again and again, an
& his eyes grew keener with every look
> and his heart increased its beatings.
:. His face wore the expression OF a ma
II who had sought for something in Vair
'e given up the search as hopeless. an
ID suddenly came across the very objec
a of his desire.
- Yes. it's the same" he murmured a
d last The same after ten years! Well!
y Lindsay turned away suddenly an
walked slowly down the street, His fac
- lost the expression of astonishment an
;. assumed that of anxious thought. II
II sauntered along, the cigar still burnin
N In the corner Of his mouth, and hi
ir hands once more deep in his pockets
Va his forehead puckered into lines an
20 creases of serious deliberation.