Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-14
The Daily
Short Story
A NIGHT IN A METROPOLIS.
By Alan Hinsdaie.

spots: there is artificial illumination.
but the great living current does not
cease to flow.
| One night / lay awake listening n
a clock in a church tower strike the
| hours. There was also confusion Of
sounds. the principal one being the
| passing. OF elevated trains some dis
lance from me at intervals OF a few
minutes.
When the clock struck two | rose
| dressed myself and went out on the
street. The longing was the same as
at MONDAY. In my wanderings
reached an embankment of the Hudson
river that had been made into a park
Sitting on bench I gave myself up
to meditation. Years ago savages had
looked down on the black stream as
was now doing. A time would come
when not one Of those who made I'm
the stream OF life behind me would be-
alive. And yet the human current
would roll on. Where? Who knows
The day may come when the waves Of
an ocean may roll over Manhattan is
land as it rolled ages ago.
/ was conscious of someone sitting
at the other end of the bench On which :
| rested, and turning my head saw a
woman. There was. lamplight enough
for me to tell that she was a girl
Il somewhere between IL and 20 years
old. did not like the close proxim-
ity with a woman at that hour and
was about to arise and move on when
she addressed me-
Don't co." she said, II haven't
friend in the world l have come from
the center OF that city OF sin and sor
row, of good and evil, to find rest from
suffering / find you here alone, and
you fear me-"
She bent her head down, concealed
her face with her hands and moaned
There was no acting in what she did
or said. Such grief as hers was not to
be counterfeited. I asked her TO tell
me her troubles. She said that she
was one OF the many tributaries to
the great human stream ever moving
| on the island. The flow Of country
girls to the city like the current it
feeds never ceases, despite the count
less wrecks. She had wandered all
day looking for work and found none.
She was tired and hungry and when
|, night came she had no money with
|. which to buy food or place to sleep.
She had come to the river far from
g the mad throng, where she could at
2 least suffer alone
r you mean" / said shuddering, "that
a you have come to the park embark
d ment where you may find a bench to
v rest on
+ She made no other reply than means
: and tears. / took money from nv
y pocket and handed it to her She re-
9 fused it.
S ut will avail nothing now" she
i said. 1T would have awaited nothing
Il had it come sooner. When day comes
] would have been doomed to go from
store to store, from factory to factory.
T. looking for work. / am not able to
o continue the dreadful tramp. Besides
/ / have reached q point where anything
" seems more merciful than that merci-
l., less flow of humanity"
.e With this she leaned back on the
,e bench and was silent, motionless. 1t
f. occurred to me that the most practic-
p able thing TO do would be to go for one
,e Of the city's men appointed for such
s. work. Rising / told her to remain
p where she was and | would return
/ with someone who would take care Of
n her during the night, and on the NOR
n. row | would interest myself on her be-
{. half.
In l left her and going short distance
s; found policeman whom I told that
:; had found despairing woman who
r needed the city's care
THE towns full of EN-" he said. Il
wouldn't advice you to get mixed up
: with one of them. You'll only get
- yourself in trouble"
II "Ill look out for that" I replied
H tits your duty as policeman when l
H call upon you for aid in such case 10
II give it."
il He reluctantly came with me. We
Il had not far to go. l had kept my eye
II ron the figure On the bench, and when
=. we started for it / saw it plainly.
in But as we advanced it seemed less
a distinct instead of clearer.
in Where are you going?" asked the
policeman.
:. ITO the bench" pointing.
s ai Il thought you were taking me to a
al woman"
:, SO l am, don't you see her leaning
On against the back of the bench ?"
~ There's no woman there"
~ ~ ! looked again The policeman was
20, right; the bench was vacant.
g ! was too astonished to reply.
~ stood staring at the point where had
!. left the girl.
q, She's given you the slip said the
hi cop. TITS the old story. AS soon as
a. she saw you come for me, she Lit out
Ia You're not the first young innocent
that has been fooled that way
| had nothing TO say, but / was no
influenced by his words. went to mi
IL room. Daylight was pouring in at tbs
% windows. Throwing myself on the be.
tried TO snatch a little sleep, bu
- failed
.Ie All that day tried to Danish my ex
If perienee Of the night. but it would no
ID be banished. On the elevated train ii
we the afternoon took up an evening pa
nd per. One of the first items that caugb
in my eye was statement that a younl
ak girl had drowned herself the night be
fore, at the point where I had seen
what?