Elbert County tribune and Elbert County banner., 1920-11-26
CHAPTER I-continued.


four years of age, John worked in
Dory street. John was a marked
| man. He did not drink often, but he
chose the most fatal occasions for it.
The grpy shadows beneath his eyes
deepened Con learned to cut bread
and light the fires--a rather solemn
young person. who was well aware
that his father was not always the
same. His eyes were blue, large,
ready to trust. In his consciousness
The matter If home remained orld-
wide.
He ventured down to the steam
ferries and pondered the mystery of
their endless coming and going. He
loved the strength OF horses as they
hauled heaping loads over the cobbles.
He wondered what made the loads so
heavy. And where had everything
come from7 The fire-engines were de-
lightful. At night, when they passed
below the window and he could not
get up, he lay beside his father and
wondered what might be burning, and
imagined how the smoke would come
out and blacken the stars. and the fire
crackle and curl up high, as the fire.
men worked from the street Was 1t
big building burning? Who was get
ting burned up? What would they
have done II they hadn't been burned
up to-night7
On some occasions his father would
talk, but he was asleep all the while,
and how could he know what he was
sayingf Con listened and 1t was like
Bill the Chink. He could not under
stand the words of either of them, but
1t was wonderful to hear. There was
a rhythmic pulse to these night words
of John Lexington, and upon It Con
was frequently carried into magic
dreams.
"I'm going"
The father usually said this to the
boy In the morning. and 1t did not
mean he was going to work. Con
understood SO much, but no more.
John Lexington said It more and more
often.
Con himself became marked for
different" At the age Of six he felt
It. he did nearly everything the boys
in the Dory street neighborhood, even
the soiled little yellow boys whose
play was weird with forty centuries of
Asiatic wickedness: but Con was Lot
always admitted. He could fight and
climb, was generous and bold. But
the clear light in his eyes betrayed
him; he was different.
At length he realized that things were
said concerning his father which he
could not quite fathom. John seemed
tired and always very gentle, drowsy
but never ready for bed. Their little
kitchen was clean. The bedroom
smelled like Father himself. friendly
personal scent. rather like cinnamon
and whisky. This went with the
gray-shadowed eyes. and grew more
perceptible when John began to stay
at home every day, being out Of work.
Often, now, John Lexington would
take the child between his knees and
look for long time steadily into the
blue eyes. Con found that this was
better than talking. He received his
father Into an open heart, giving him
utter devotion. John slept great
deal when out of work. His eyes were
shadowed and sunken.
They returned to Dowagiac. The
house was rented by strangers. but the
slovenly woman next door was there
as always, her sparse black hair stand
ing out at angles from her head. 1t
seemed size wore the same snagged
apron. stiff with grease. She moved
out to the sidewalk to shake hands.
"You amt looking well-and is this
the babyf"
She nOnchalantly plnched Cons
cheek, and he coldly suffered her
touch.
John Lexington did not reach the
cemetery. As he was leading his son
to that hill the blaze Of an August
sun mastered him. His vitality was
gone. had left him long since. Con
crossed the street to ask at house
for water, because his father was
down and could not get up. Dowa-
giac's new ambulance thus found Its