The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1920-04-01
Under tbs same conditions do you
believe you could have made more
Of life than Con Lexington made of
h;s7
CHAPTER ,-continued.

In Frisco again. with the boy nearly
four years of age. John worked in
many strange places. They lived near
Dory street. John was a marked
man. He did not drink often. but he
chose the most fatal occasions for it.
The gray shadows beneath his eyes
,leepened. Con learned to cut bread
and light the fres--n rather solemn
young person. who was we'll aware
that his father was % always the
same. His eyes were blue, large,
ready to trust. In his consciousness
there was no such thin. rs stranger.
The matter If home remained world
wide.
tIe ventured down to the steam
ferries and ponhered the mystery of
their endless coming and going. He
loved the strength uf horses as they
hauled heaping loads over the cobhles.
He wondered what made the loads so
heavy. And where had everything
come from? The t%ire-cngineS were de-
llghtfu'. At night. when they passed
below the window and he could not
get up, he lay beside his father and
wondered what might he burning, and
imagined how the smnkt would colne
out and blacken the stars. ANA the fire
crackle and curl up high. as the fire.
men worked from the street. Was it
a big building burning? Who was get
ting burned up? What would they
have done if they hadn't been burned
up tonight?
. On some occasions his father would
talk. hut he was asleep all the While.
and how could he know what he was
saying? Con listened and it WAS like
Bin the Chink. He could not under
stand the words OF either of them, but
it 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
hoy in the morning. and it did not
mean he was going to work. Con
understood so much. hut no more.
John Lexington said it more and more
often.
Con himself became marked for
different" At the & Of six he fell
it. He did nearly everything the boys
in the Dory street neiglborhood. yer
the soiled little yellow boys whose
play was weird with forty centuries OF
Asiatic w%ickednesS; but Con was moi
always admitted. He could fight anl
climb, was generous and bold. But
the clear light in his eyes betraye,
him; he was different.
At length he realized that things were
said concerning his father which HI
could not quite fathom. John seemed
tired and always YER gentle. drows!
but never ready for bed. Their LITTLE
kitchen was clean. The bedroom
smelled like Father himself. a friendl.
personal scent. rather like cinnamon
and whisky. This went with tn
gray-SlladOwed eyes, and grew NOR
%rerceptibIe when John began to sta.
ut home every day, being out Of work
Often, now. John Lexington woul'
take the child between his knees an
look for a long time steadily into til
blue eyes. Con found that this wa
better than talking. He received hi
father into an open heart, giving hil
utter devotion. John slept a grea
deal when out of work. His eyes wer
Swallowed and sunken.
They returned to DOwag;ac. ri,
house vas rented by strangers, but til
slovenly wo,na mex door was ther
as always, her sparse black hair stant
ing out at angles from her head.
seemed she wore the same snagge
apron. stiff with grease. She nov
put to the sidewalk TO shake hands.
"You amt locking well-Hml is til
the babyy
She nonchalansly pInchah Con
cheek, and he co'diy suffered he
touch.
John Lexington did no, reach II
cemetery. AS he was leading his Sc
to that hill the blaze of an Augu
sun mastered him. His vitality W,
gone. had left him long since. c.
rrL@,a] the street to ask at a hOu
for |9tcr. because his father ";
dow" and could not get up. Dow
giar'I new ambulance thus found