Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1914-07-21

tate that 1t would hurt for even the
old servant to see him. The negro
understood.
II know, missy, I'll do des ez yo' say
but TO- de Lawd's sake do take care
OBJ yo'se'f What could | say to Marse
Enoch If anything happened to missy?'
"Nothing's going to happen, good
old JASON" cried the girl, as she ran
down the steps.
The officer was waiting at the cor
ner. He beckoned the cabman to pull
up where an electric light would not
shine into the carriage, then he
stopped for minute at the window.
I'll stay near by and keep my eye
on you. When you see your party
signal me. I'll give your cabby the
order, and he can drive around a
block or two and take you up Tenth
street. Then slip out and get your
your-friend that way. There amt nc
chance of him seeing you come up be.
hind, as he would if you crossed the
street"
Has the bread line begun to gather
YETI" she asked.
Hardly, MAJ There's few
stragglers hangin round Them that
come first get the first chance, of
course, only it's nasty night to wait
outdoors with an empty stomach
Dorcas glanced at the handful OF
men covering in Swallowed corner.
A sudden fear seized Der, the feminine
terror of midnight streets
You don't imagine" she whispered,
that l shall have any trouble? 1t is
possible l am making a mistake in the
man. Are there dangerous characters
among them?"
mot exactly dangerous said the
officer slowly. III they're dangerous
it's from hunger. 1t amt once year
you find crook in the bread line. It's
too easy to spot them, waiting as they
do for an hour or two in that light"
Thank you," said the girl. She
crouched behind half-drawn curtain
il the shadow of the carriage, watch
ing eagerly the gathering Of homeless,
hungry men. They began to creep to.
ward the bakery from every direction,
most of them with q shambling step
that told of ill-shod feet or shamed
reluctance to beg for food. The skies
had been lowering for hours, and just
before midnight the first storm of the
winter came down. 1t began with keen,
tiny needles of ice, but they stung and
froZe, for the wind drove them in
merciless, piercing flurries. The loi-
tering men crowded together and
turned their faces sullenly from each
furious cloud of sleet. Hunger was
bitter enough without the storm.
Dorcas watched through misty eyes.
She wondered at the still patience of
the throng. Below her in a basement
warm red light burned, and through
an open door the wind blew the fra
GRANGE of boiling coffee across the
street. She saw man thrust slim
white-faced boy into shelter between
the wall and himself.
"If I were starving I couldn't be pa
tient and courteous she thought.
"The smell of food would madden me.
l would batter door down"
She started suddenly, then for q
moment she scarcely breathed. Down
Tenth street slouched tall, stopping
figure. The man wore shabby over
coat which covered his body almost
to the feet; its collar was turned high
about his neck and an old SLOUGH hat
Swallowed his face. Dorcas could see
hofv ht1f icf1 linz
The keenest detective searching for
Andrew Merry would not have glanced
twice at the figure; Dorcas' eyes fol-
lowed it with grave perplexity. She
had been startled into recognition the
night before when the man pulled the
shabby hat down over his face. She
caught a glimpse of Merry's long,
white, slender fingers and noted an
impatient, peculiarly graceful gesture
which was characteristic of him. Dor
cas- had seen it frequently, sometimes
when he was on the stage, sometimes
while he had talked with her.
He paused before facing the glare
of Broadway and pulled the hat brim
carefully about his face; it might have
been for shelter from the singing
blasts of sleet or for better conceal
ment. Then he seemed to gather him.
self together with energy born of des-
pair. He stepped quickly forward and
took his place at the end of the bread
line. A hundred men stood between
him and the beneficence of food. 9th
ers were closing in behind him. Here
and there one man turned to speak to
another; the man Dorcas was watch
Ing stood immovable. He thrust his
hands deep in his overcoat pockets,
his eyes were fixed on the whitening
sidewalk beside him. Dorcas turned
to the opposite window and nodded
with an eager gesture to the officer
His hand went up. He spoke to the
cabman in low voice.
Drive round through University
place to Tenth-then. up toward
Broadway. Pull up halfway down the
block" i
The man turned his horse and
moved down the street.