The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-07-22
FL ANlln AinSleX
1zklaSe Thief
NJ gt1thl!1 !! rs 1$oa!eS Roche
Copyright 1914, NEA Service Inc y
tNNhR( nulb Naf 0AnNeg we'd Ndnn|
Roche

eighteen months OF maInutrltlOn cul-
minating in what promised to be
actual starvation, untitled man for
manual labor? Oh, could work like
a giant for ten minutes, but after
that brief time / became as weak
as newborn kitten. But these
were matters that pride kept me
from divulging to Mrs. Cannon. She
had troubles of her own; mine did
not concern her.
"Well, there amt nothing more
for me to say. II you can't pay me
you'll have to go. That's all there
is to that" She put her hands on
her hips and stared at me.
had never in all my life done a
thing which the world calls dishon-
orable. l should have been able to
look anyone in the eye. The con-
seriousness Of virtue should have
sustained my glance. Instead, it
fell before her truculent stare. Then
! made up my mind.
"All right, Mrs. Cannon; I'll pay
you tonight" l told her.
"lt's tonight now" she reminded
me Suspiclously.
81 mean in an hour" explained.
She eyed me unbelievingly. Then,
reluctantly, she said; Don't think
you can put anything over on me.
l get my dollar in advance, like
it's due, or out you CO.
| NODDED to her apologet; cally,
humbly. She pursed her lips, started
to say something, changed her
mind and let her words become an
indistinguishable hmurmut, turned
and waddled down the hall.
| mounted the stairs. say mount
ed, but I mean climbed them by the
most desperate effort. Silver zig
gag lines appeared and vanished be-
fore, my eyes; tiny points of light
grew into great molten moons and
then faded suddenly into darkness.
Nausea attacked me, and con-
quered it only by miracle of eff
fort.
At last l reached my own room
on the top floor. 1t was hardly
more than a cupboard. There
was no window; skylight gave
what light and ventilation there
were. There was no chair in the
room, nor any carpet. The walls
had once been papered, but now
there remained only few strips;
grimy, cracked plaster, met the eye
on every side
Yet even this refuge was to be
denied me, unless found means
Wherewith to meet the debt that
living in these quarters incurred. l
had come to this room, Sitting my
contempt with difficulty. Now it
was as desirable as an apartment in
a palace.
Dizzily / clutched at the wall and
worked my way around to the bed
and sat down upon it. ! was shak-
ing and perspiring. 1t was bad
enough to be hungry, but to be
homeless also, was uncomfortable.
Well, / would do the thing had
sworn never to do: ] would pawn
the miniature, painted upon ivory,
of my mother. For the oath that
had made to myself, as my other
possessions passed into the hands of
the pawnbroker, that / would die
before | parted with the last re-
hinder of different days, was no
longer binding. My duty to Mrs.
Cannon twas paramount.
had shabby, worn oht suitcase
in the room. l had thought when |
came here that owned the irreduc-
IDLE minimum Of clothing possible
to cover ones nakedness; but | had
seen vanish, one by one, the articles
of clothing and of the toilet that
had thought Indispensable, not to
luxury but to life. Now, save for
a shirt, an extra pair Of socks and
a collar or two, the suitcase was
empty-save, of course, for the ivory
to which l have referred.
My dizziness passed after mo-
ment, and l opened the case and
took out the miniature. | had no
idea what a pawnbroker would con-
slider the thing worth, but 1 knew
that it was worth millions to me;
for when l should part with it, II
would also part with hope.
Looking at it, my eyes blurred,
not with the tears of weakness, but
with tears of grief. ! seemed to see
my whole life pass before me. II
was a drowning man, sinking in the
waters of failure and despair. 7
l saw myself as a child, winning
my mothers smile by some playful
prank. l saw myself at fashion
able prep school, at college, in Paris
playing the part of wealthy young
dliettante. l could neither paint
nor write nor compose, but / flat
tered myself that had a cultured
taste for all of these. Then saw
myself reduced to sudden poverty
by the failure Of a trust company
to which the care Of the estate left
me by my father had been confided.
remember the blank bewilderment
p