The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1915-03-06

And see that you serve no
more slops." was his parting in
junction. mo more grease and
dirt. mind, and a clean shirt oc-
casionally. or you'll get tow over
the side. Understand"
Thomas Mugridge crawled
weakly across the galley floor,
and short lurch OF the Ghost
sent him staggering. In attempt
ng to recover himself. he reached
for the iron railing which sur
rounded the stove and kept the
pots from sliding off; but he
missed the railing. and his hand,
with his weight behind il, landed
squarely on the hot surface. There
was a sizzle and odor of burning
flesh. and sharp cry of pain.
"Oh, Gawd, Gawd, wot ave /
done?" he walled, sitting down in
the coal-box ad nursing his new
hurt by rocking back and forth.
wy as all this come on me? 1t
mykes me fair sick, IL does, an /
try so ard to go through life
'armless an 'urtin' nobody"
The tears were running down
his puffed and discolored cheeks,
and his face was drawn with pain.
A savage expression fitted across
it.
"0h, 'ow / ate i'm! 'Ow | ate
inn" he gritted out.
"Whom?" asked: but the
poor wretch was weeping again
over his misfortunes. Less diff
cult II was to guess whom he
hated than whom me did not hate.
For i had come to see malign-
ant devil in him which impelled
him to hate all the world /
sometimes thought that he hated
even himself. so grotesquely had
life dealt with him, and SO mon
strously. At such moments a
great sympathy welled up within
me, and | felt shame that | had
ever joyed In his discontinue or
pain. Life had been unfair to
him. 1t had played him a scurvy
trick when It fashioned him into
the thing he was and It had played
him scurvy tricks ever since.
What chance had. he to be any
thing else than he was? And as
though answering my unspoken
thought, he walled:
II never 'ad no chance, nor
'arf a chance! 600 was there to
send me to school, or put tommy
in my 'ungry belly, or wipe my
bloody nose for me, Wen | was a
kiddy? 90 ever did anything for
me, her? 90 ] s'y?"
Never mind, Tommy" | said,
placing soothing hand on his
shoulder. Cheer up. It'll all
come right in the end. You've
long years before you, and you can
make anything you please of your
| self"
TITS a lie! bloody lie!" he
shouted in my face, flinging off
the hand. It's lie, and you
know 1t. I'm already hyde, an
myde out of leavin's an scraps.
It's all right for you, imp. You
was born a gentleman. You never
knew wot it was to go 'ungry, to
cry yerself asleep with yer little
belly gnawin' an gnawin', like a
rat inside yer. 1t carn't come
right. II l was president of the
United Styles to-morrer, 'ow
would 1t fill my belly for one time
wen was kiddy and it went
empty?
low could 1t. sly? was
born to sufferin' and sorrer. I've
been in orspitaI arr my bleedin
life. I've 'ad the fever in Aspin-
wall, in 'Avana, in New Orleans.
near died OF the scurvy and
was rotten with 1t six months in
Barbados. Smallpox in Ono
lulu, two broken legs in Shang-
hal, pneumonia in Unalaska, three
busted ribs an my insides all
twisted in Frisco. An ere l am
now. Look at me! Look at me!
My ribs kicked loose from my
back again. I'll be eoughin'
blood before eyght bells. 'Ow
can 1t be hyde up to me, l arsk
'0o's goin' to do It? Gawd? 'Ow
Gawd must ave 'ated me wen e
signed me on for a voyage in this
bloomin' world of 81"
This TRADE against destiny
went on for an hour or more, and
then he buckled to his work,
limping and groaning, and in his
eyes a great hatred for all Gre
ated things. His diagnosis was
correct, however, for he was
seized with occasional sicknesses,
during which he vomited blood
and suffered great pain. And as
he said, 1t seemed God hated him
too much to let him die, for he
ultimately grew better and waxed
more malignant than ever.
| gaaaral do a,a saassad L.