Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-11
WOMAN PRACTICAL ART(
THE DAILY STORY
sspETE,,


on all-fours. Then ascending to tho top
of boxcar with the agility Of cat,
he lay painting beside the footboard.
The city rose from the yards as from
an amphltheatre. They were bathed in
dust, though a red cash still showed in
the West where the hostile sun withdrew
after day that had filled the hospitals.
| The heat was intensified by reflection
from the labyrinth of rails and tho metal
of the rolling stock switch engine
coughed unseen far down the yards
where harsh, Earring sounds accompanied
the shunting and coupling of cars. Lam
terms danced and flickered in jerky undu-
lations.
Pete was saturated with perspiration.
| lie pressed mis- chest against the slope of
the car roof, where 1t fell away from
the footboard, to still the pounding of
his heart His temples throbbed his
mouth was dry as ashes. and he breathed
with wheezy sobs Yet, in the midst of
his torture, he listened with a sense so
sharpened by predatory habit and pres
ent danger that the physical conscious
ness of 1t added to his pain.
AS Yet ne OHTeu nOl lnONt. NOiScS
foated to him. mufiied and indlstinct,
and he strained his ears to catch what
was being said, or, falling that to gather
from their tones some clue to the iden-
tity of the speakers. A burst of laughter
relieved him. The police would not
laugh.
The revolver. thrust into the tight
hipped trousers that he wore in common
with his type, pressed against his ribs
as he lay ON It. He drew 1t out and
placed it under the footboard. WITHIN
easy reach. There were still three car
tridges in IL. The other two had done
their work-done it we'll, he hoped, with
a grim tightening of his thin lips.
Mulligan had been looking for 1t since
the section mems down-the-river picnic,
when Pete proved himself the better man.
as everybody had declared. Mulligan de-
served 1t, too. Couldn't he have taken
a beating without making such rumpus
about IT., and then spinning Old Man
Leary whole string of lies? And Leary
was Just on the point of adding his con-
sent to Norah's and letting them hit 1t
off together on the next picnic down the
river. Even the priest had been spoken
to with Leary's knowledge.
Oh, well; there was no use whining
about It now. Mulligan was soft on
Norah, too, as everybody knew, and that
was the real bone of contention and
ton boss, who was supposed to have
pull with the division superintendent him
self. The end was as plain now as If
pronounced in the crisp tones of judges
sentence. Mulligan was in the Doctors
hands and good for at least a month in
the hospital. When he came out he
would marry Norah. who would be mad
through the lies told her, and-and-well,
he, Pete, would either have to skulk
around in hiding or give himself up and
take his medicine. And, of course, he had
forever lost all chance of job on the
road with Mulligan.
Pete dug his nails into his palms and
writhed. Remorse he had none He would
have done 1t all over again. What had
happened was. from his viewpoint, in
evitable, the one honorable thing. He
would resist to the last, of course. Now
that Norah was lost to him. what was
the use of livinE7
They search the freight yards, though
they seemed to have lost the scent. The
growing darkness favored him. Perhaps
he might venture now on a change of
position.
He raised his head. The switch engine
still puffed and the uneasy reflection of
lanterns glimmered in spots their bearers
hidden by intervening cars. The tracks
shook with the vibration of trains passing
on the main line. To the north massive
ONeTnunS the NaTu where IL mar
rowed. Under the arc light that snapped
and fiickered above II two policemen were
posted, their faces black under the
shadow of their summer helmets.
He was about TO descend between the
cars when the sound OF approaching feet
arrested him, even as his hand closed
upon the top rung of the iron ladder to
swing off. He noiselessly cooked the re-
volver.
The car door rolled open, there was
scramble and the crack of a match
within. Pete lowered his weapon and
peered downward just as a dark form
emerged from the interior, closely fol-
lowed by second. There was that in |
each shambling figure which needed no
more than outline to declare the tramp. |
They stood leaning with their backs |
against the sill.
Hes goin' to croak," asserted one of |
them. me for Beertown."
You've lost your nerve. Its nothin' |
but the heat. L seen kids like that be-
fore"
II tell ye he's goin' to croak," reiter-
ated the first voice. Listen to MIN |
breathe"
There was a short silence
You're a chump," the other struck in |
presently. Didn't we find him lost near
the yards, an lock him in the car for |
safe keepin'? What have we done? |
took care of him An |
won't his folks make good when we |
write 'em now we rescued little Willie |
from hoboes up the line? 1t ought to