The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1920-11-04
Under the same conditions do you
believe you could have made more
of life than Con Lexington made of
his7
CHAPTER l-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 1t.
The gray shadows beneath his lcyes
deepened. Cen 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 If 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 50
heavy. And where had everything
come fromf The fireengines were de-
Iightful. 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 blscken the stars. and the fire
crackle and curl up high, as the fire.
men worked from the utreet. Was II
a big building burningf 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
snlk, but he was asleep all the while,
and how could he know what he was
saying? Con listened and II was like
Bill the Chink. He could not under
stand the words of either of them, but
II was wonderful to hear. There was
a rhythmic pulse to these night words
OF John Leyington, 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 50 much, but no more
John Lexington said 1t more and more
often.
Con himself became marked fol
different" At the age Of six he fell
At. He did nearly everything the boys
in the Dory street Deighborhood, ever
the solled little yellow boys whose
play was weird with forty centuries o.
Asiatic wickMlness; but Con was no
always admitted. lie could fight an'
climb, was generous and bold. Blu
the clear light in his eyes betrayed
him; he was different.
At length he realized that things wer
said concerning his father which h
could aot quite fathom. John seemed
tired and alwsys very gentle, drows.
but never ready for bed. Their llttl
Kitchen was clean. The bedroom
smelled like Father himself, friendl
personal scent. rsther like cinnamon
and whisky. This went with tn
= gray-shadowed eyes. and grew NOR
perceptible when John began to sta
at hcme every day. being out of worb
Often, now, Jshn Lexington woul
!, take the child between his knees an
look for a long time steadily into tn
blue eyes. Con found that this wa
:, better than talking. He received hi
= father into an open heart, giving hir
> utter devotion. John slept a grea
deal when out OF work. His eyes wer
shadowed and sunken.
:. They returned to Dowagiac. TIL
4. house was rented by strangers, but tn
= slovenly woman next door was ther
;. as always, her sparse black hair stant
I. ing out at angles from her bead.
seemed she wore the same snagge
apron, stiff Win grease. She move
out to the sidewalk to shake hands
"You amt locking well--and Is tn
the baby?"
She nonchalsntly plnched Con
cheek. and he coldly suffered he
touch.
John Lexington did not reach Il
cemetery. As he was leading his SO
TO that hill the blaze of an Augu
sun mastered him. His vitality W,
gone, had left him long since. CO
crossed the street 10 ask at a houl
Cor water. because his father WI
down and could not get up. Dow
aiaCa new ambulan "a thus found 4