Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-09-28
III lCont1nuedl

well, I'll tell you" said the other,
laying out knives and forks. ITS this
way. Twenty years ago this was what
they used to call q 'squAtters' village
There was fifteen or more shacks here
with rag-pickers, push-cart men and
scissors-grinders and. such-like living
In tham-and goats! Goats all over
the place! They used to be lot Of
such places uptown here, though they
amt hardly any left now. I come here
from the south with my wife. We was
tin-peddlers, and drove, all the way
from Louisville. Kentucky, in a wag4
on. We come to zee her mother, who
was dyin'. Well, we hadn't a cent
more'n would feed US, and when the
horse died, we hadn't no way to gel
back, 30 when I found this place, we
moved pur wagon in, the both of. uE
Ia-pullin' at it, and set 1t up in a
vacant corner. We lived in It for q
while, and I just tell you. I had to
fight the whole village-the men, that
is. for the right to stay"
He laughed a. little at the recollec-
ton of those mighty, battles, and his
face grew younger. 7
II was a big young Teller, then" he
vent, on. and used to q hard life. SO
they didn't give me much trouble. ]
kgot to be kind OF boss. after q while,
and started in on junk. It raj a great
place in them days. You had ought to
have seer It. Fights! Why they was a
regular thing. And feuds. too, and
oompettion-no end. But we used to
There was an old Irishman-a fish
monger, he was-could play the f1d-
die somethin' grand. Many's the fine
night we had dancing to 1t! And in
summer we all would be sitting out
side a-smoking u pipes and talk
ing, and the women keeping up a
chatter from doorstep to doorstep.
they talked of her; and a fine big
beauty she was, too. with her red
mouth and fine breast and the little
gold rings in her ears. And the time
the police anne after Door George
Tell, the scissor-grinder. 1t was said
he killed a man with a pair of shears,
down by the gas-tank district, but we
many a tale I could tell of them times.
and many a. person I knew here them
"And now" said Adam.
them, this many a year." said Jerry
sadly. Property went up in value
about here, and some big estate
e,saysd the as place scs tts Al, the s.s rest 3v were
where, I was left, being the boss
like I told you. And the party that
was h new owner picked me out of
the rest n gave me permission to
stay, rent free! and act as sort Of
care-taker like, in return, until the
place should be built upon. They ran
up the apartment beyond, and the
street. And then the owner. a fine
old gentleman he was too. died. The
lawyers kept me on the same way, and
here I suppose I'll stay till they
build-and then poof!" He made an
expressive gesture as Of one blowing
smoke into space. 81 liked 1t fine till
my girl went. and now I'd get away
too. it only I had the chance"
He sighed again and waved his hand
towafd the table, an invitation which
Adam vas not slow to accept, and the
W sat down to eat. An enormous
white Persian cat came in from the
wood-shed. exactly Is though she had
been awaiting the announcement OF
dinner, and settled herself upon the
shoulder of her master, who fed her
while he ate. She was a superb crea-
ture. and Adam, who liked all ami
mails. noted that she was a thorough
bred. However, he made no mental
comment about the incongruity of her
presence, feeling that nothing could
surprise him further. All through the
meal, the host, evidently still in the
6ioW VI his TSLnIniSCcnCeS, mUCtere0
to himself and to the cat, and the
burden Of his theme was his own po-
tential wildness More than once he
referred to it.
by golly," said he, virtue can
only be kent cinched just SO long. I
been a. good man all my life, but it's
only because I amt never met the
right temptation. When 1 do, it may
o.verbower me, though I'll fight it, Yes
street, g
Adam said nothing to this, and
when the meal had been consumed
to the last crumb, and the cat was
licking the plates, he lit the very last
cigarette: and a back by the stove,
while his host amused himself by
playing the hand-organ: a perform
ance which filed the little room with
maddening sounds. but which seemed
to delight Jerry intensely. Tune after
tune he ground out, waltzes and one
steps and syncopated medleys. until
the rafters rang again with it. And ali
the time he patted its sides and cluck-
ed at it w1stfully.
II dc love music!!" said he when. to