The Hayti herald. (Hayti, Mo.) 1908-1922, 1920-05-06
CHAPTER i-contlnued.

SF1NF IN l-NontiIIbCu.
?
In Frisco again. with the boy nearly
four years Of age, John worked In
many strange places. They lived near
Dory street. John was marked
man. He did not drink often, but he
chose the most fatal occasions for 1t.
The gray 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
there was no such thing as stranger
The matter II home remained world
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 from2 The fire-engineS were de-
lghtful. At night, when they passed
below the window and he could not
get I'D. 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 II
a big building burning? Who was get
ting burned up? What would they
have done IL they hadn't been burned
up tonight?
On some occasions his father would
talk, but he was asleep all the while,
and how could he know what he was
saying? Con listened and it was like
Bill 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 1t 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. Cor
understood so much, but no more
John Lexington said II more and more
often.
Con himself became marked fo
different" At the age of SIX he fel
II. He did nearly everything the boy
In the Dory street neighborhood, ever
the soiled little yellow boys who's
play was weird with forty centuries o
Asiatic wickedness; but Con was no
always admitted. He could fight an
climb, was generous and bold. Blu
the clear light in his eyes betraye
him; he was different
At length he realized that things wer
said concerning his father which h
could not quite fathom. John SCENE
tired and always very gentle, drows
but never ready for bed. Their littl
kitchen was clean. The bedroom
smelled like Father himself, friendl
personal scent, rather like cinnamo
and whisky. This went with II
gray.shadowed eyes, and grew MOI
perceptlble when John began to ste
at home every day, being out OF wor
often. now, John Lexington wou
take the child between his knees aT
look for a long time steadily into Il
blue eyes. Con found that this WI
better than talking. He received h
father into an open heart, giving hi
utter devotion. John slept gre
deal when out OF work. His eyes we
Swallowed and sunken.
They returned TO Dowagiac. TT
house was rented by strangers, but q
slovenly woman next door was the
as always, her sparse black hair stan
ing out at angles from her head.
seemed she wore the same snagg
apron, stiff with grease. She NOV
out 10 the sidewalk TO shake hands.
"You amt looking well-and is Il
the baby|
She nonchalantly pinched Coz
cheek. aud he coldly suffered h
touch.
John Lexington did not reach
cemetery. AS he was leading his 6
10 that hill the blaze OF an Aug
sun mastered him. His vitality v
gone, had left him long since. {
crossed the street TO ask at a hol
1or water, because his father
down ami could not get up DoV
atae,s nsyg ambulance thus found