Middletown transcript., 1919-09-13
eGame ofLiving
y
By s. B. HACKlN
By 8. B. HACKLH

Robert Buckley paused in his leis1
urely walk down Bradlaw street and
seated himself on one of the imposing.
stone steps Of the church on the corr
ner.
1--WE got to rest a minute" he said
half aloud, flaming himself slowly
with his straw hat. 1T doesn't take
much exertion to use fellow up wien
he's only three days out of the hos
pital-but it's glorious to be out
again! John says it's pretty quiet on
my beat-me for duty in couple or
so days now!"
A pretty young girl came out of the
church and paused half moment un-
certainly on the upper step. The
young man, in his swift, involuntary
glance, felt his heart leap. He rose
hastily and stepped aside. She start
ed down the steps, but her eyes were
misty from crying; she stumbled, miss!
Ing a step. Buckley caught her full in,
his arms as she fell.
'"Thank you-oh, thank your" she
faltered as she stood erect. Il was
very awkward!" !.
She passed on down the street, but
he had seen despair in the eyes she
raised to him. He looked after her
with a strange construction Of the
heart.
'That was my girl!" he said to him
self as he walked slowly back the 9th
er way, "and I don't even know her
name or where she is going! And oh,
good Lord, she looked like she wanted
to dep
A month before, the old insurance
man for whom Hester Moran worked
had died-the city was overcrowded
with workers-the girl had not found
another job. On this Sunday she had
shrunk from going to the little church
she regularly attended, and SO had
gone to big strange one; but In this
great church it seemed to the little
stenographer every one was "rich In
lands and money" there were but two.
pennies left in her purse, and, after
Tuesday night, her rent would b" up.
No money, no work, and nowhere to
go!
With despairing bitterness in her
soul, Hester had risen and slipped out
Of the church.
"I'll try again tomorrow and Tues
day." she said to herself-''perhaps
WedneSday-then-"
Monday and Tuesday were one con-
tinuous tramp. She had asked for
work at everything she could do. only
to be turned down everywhere. III the
dusk Of Wednesday she stood In the
lobby of a great Office building, re-
solved to make one last try. "Stenog-
rapher wanted" the slip of paper she
held in her hand read, "Room 6O9."
The stylish, elderly man into whose
office she was admitted gave one look
ut the newcomer, and turned to the six
girls waiting to talk with him about
the Job.
"No use waiting" he flung at them
Il can see none of you will dol"
With a gallant air he set chair for
Hester in his inner office and drew his
own big chair close up beside it.
you'll suit me to IT, duckie," he
remarked. "Tve been looking for
something slick like you, and I can
see with one eye you're live wire"
Sickened, Hester edged her chair
away.
"How much does the place ray"
she asked.
"Five dollars at first!"
But la girl can't live on that"
"Who expects you to, sweetness1
locker like you doesn't have to live on
IS. Why, you might get es much as
twenty a week il we hit it of together.
That's what my last stenographer
got"
He reached over and squeezed her
hand. Hester rose, her cheeks aflame
with helpless wrath.
''That's the last insult I'll ever re-
ceive," she assured herself when she
was in the street again, "the very
last"
The smell of the bakeshop's fresh
rolls sickened her hungry stomach,
empty since her breakfast of crackers.
at the foot Of the stairs that led to
her room she paused tempted to bOr-
row a slice Of bread from her land
lady, but she clinched her hands and
climbed the steps.
Il won't be hungry very long," she
thought.
1t was close on midnight when she
crept out to the park, where the strong
tide beat against the sea wall. The
night was warm and sultry, but tile
girl shivered as she crouched on a
park bench.
ave got nobody" she defended her
self to conscience; nobody to care"
But as she spoke, there floated be-
fore her excited brain the face Of the
young man who had saved her from
falling at the church steps.
He'd never hurt a woman" she
thought; che looked good. I could
have loved him! I wish had known
him and he had wanted mel"
A clock not far from the park struck
twelve. The young fellow in police
mans uniform, standing on the sea
wall, heard light step behind him.
Then a small white figure slipped past
him like a bird and flung itself into
the water. He let himself swiftly into
the washing tide and struck out for
the sinking white figure. In little
time he was back at the base Of the
wall, and John Tweedle, another off,
Ger, whom his cries had brought, was
helping him.
LET me, Bob; you're not fit to If
her again." Tweedle demonstrated, as,
with q prayer In his heart, Buckley