Evening star., 1922-03-19

you, put Eine, you come nome now,
said Kugler.
'oh. what will I do. Mr.. Dorgane"
walled Effie. Should do like Papa
wants should, or should I go of
with Polo?"
Dorean respected the divine rights
Of love, but also he had an old-fash-
ioned respect for the rights Of parents
with their offspring.
II guess maybe you better go with
your papa. Efie. I'll talk to him"
"Yes. you'll talk. and everybody will
talk. and I'll be dead" cried young
Polo. Get out Of my way, all of
YOU"
Already he was in the drivers seat
and backing his machine out. 1t went
rocking around the corner.
MORGAN heard that Polo had been
discharged by the taxi company
for speeding through trafic and
smashing the tail-lights OF another
machine; tho that he had got q po-
sition as private chauffeur In the su-
burbs, been discharged for impudence.
got another position and been arrested
for joy-riding with q bunch OF young
toughs from Little He'll. He was to be
tried on the charge of stealing his
employers machine.
Dorgah brushed his citizens clothes.
poo, and went to call on the employer.
who refused to listen to maundering
defenses Of the boy, declaring he
would press the charge.
Dorgan called on Polo, In his cell.
IT'S all right" Polo said. I'm glad
I was pinched. I needed something to
stop me, hard. 1 was going nutty.
and il somebody hadn't slammed on
the emergency, I don't know what
would have done. Now I've sat here
reading and thinking, and Tn right
again. I always gotta do things hard.
booze or be good. And now I'm going
to think hard, and I amt sorry to
haye the chance to be quiet"
Indeed. Polo looked like young
zealot, with his widened eyes and up
lifted face; and as Dorgan left him.
the officer inufmared an awkward
prayer Of thankfulness. Dorgan
brought away a small note in which,
with much misspelling and tenderness,
Polo sent to Effie his oath OF death-
less love. To the delivery OF this note
Dorgan devoted much skill and loyal
ty, though 1t involved one bribery, to
get q youth to toll Kugler away, and
one shocking burglarious entrance, to
reach the room where Effie was locked
up. a prisoner OF bitter paternal love.
Dorgan appeared as character wit
ness at the trial. but Polo was SEN
fenced to three years In prison. on a
charge Of grand larceny.
That evening Dorgan climbed, pant
ing. to the cathedral, and for an hour
he knelt with his lips moving, his
spine cold, as he pictured young Polo
shamed and crushed in prison, and as
he discovered himself hating the law
that he served.
One month later Dorgan reached the
age-limit, and was automatically re-
tired from the force, on pension. He
protested: but tho retirement rule was
inviolable.
X X i +
DORGAN went to petition the COM
l. missioner himself. 1t was the frst
time in five years, except on the occa-
sions of the annual police parades,
that he had gone near headquarters.
and he was given a triumphal recep-
ton. inspectors and captains, report
ers and aldermen, and the commits
sioner himself, shook his hand, con-
graduated him on his forty-five years
of clean service. But to his plea they
did not listen. 1t was impossible to
find a place for him. They heartily
told him to rest. because he had
earned 1t.
Dorgan nagged them. He came to
headquarters again and again, till he
became a bore, and the commissioner
refused to see him. Dorgan was not a
fool. He went shame-facedly back to
his shack. and there he remained.
For two years he huddled by the
Are and slowly became melancholy
mad-gtay-faced, grayhaired, a gray
ghost Of himself.
From time to time. during his two
years Of hermitage, Dorgan came out
to visit his old heiehbors. They well
coined him, gave him drinks and news.
but they did not ask his advice. SO
he had become living ghost before
two years had gone by, and he talked
to himself, aloud.
During these two years the police
force was metropolitanized. There
were q smart new commissioner and
smart new inspectors and a smart
new uniform--a blue military uni
form with fiat cap and canvas puttees
and shaped coats. After his first view
Of that uniform, at the police parade,
Dorgan went home and took down
from behind the sheet-iron stove
photograph of ten years before-the
force of that day. proudly posed on
the granite steps Of the city hail. They
had seemed efficient and impressive.
then, but-his honest soul confessed
it-they were like rural eonstables
beside the crack corps Of today.
Presently no took out from the red
wood chest his own uniform. but he
could not get himself to put on its
shapeless gray coat and trousers, its
gray helmet and spotless white
gloves. Yet its presence comforted
him, proved to him that, improbable
though It seemed. the secluded old
man had once been an active member
Of the force.
\ X 4 X
WITH big, clumsy, tender hands he
' darned q frayed spot at the bot
tom Of the trousers, and carefully
folded the uniform away. He took out
his nishtstick and revolver, and the
sapphire-studded star the department
had given him for saving two lives