Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1924-03-07
CHAPTER III-continued.


situation, she admitted, from any
angle. Why she should remain In II
at all was not clear to her, now that
q sudden possible jar in her daily
routine had resulted in her asking
herself the question. Why should she
tonight, exhausted, be going home TO
prepare the evening meal In that
dingy place, for that man-no relative
of hers-that INDECENT, goOd-loOking
scamp, as one would say in the ian
guage of the eighties, who had mar
RED her young widowed mother, and
whose only present tie to her was
through the painful downward process
of Incidence and self-indulgence and
idleness, and latterly much worse.
which had converted the dandy Of the
earlier time to the dissipated old
drunken ruin of a back street of to-
day?
Home. she thought bitterly-was
there anything to be called home but
dead memories in that place which
she was now entering at the beginning
of another weary night? Not one she
thought-and then warmth Of feel
Ing and a light of anticipation in her
eyes contradicted her. There still was
at least Rags.
A dog, of course, has always been
the poor mans proverbial extrava-
ganc.-
She passed exhaustedly up the
stairs of the old ''walk-up" fiat house.
so-called, to their four small rooms In
the rear, slipped in the key and
place, crowded to distraction with the
long-kept furniture Of larger rooms.
The opposite of what she had hoped
was true. The man was there; the
dog was gone.
where is he?" she demanded. wor-
ried as always by the chance of his
escaping into city streets.
"Where-what?" he returned hazily.
"Rags?" she said, hei face thinner
and wearier as she watched him.
1--WE sold him." he said. straighfen-
ing up with dlgnity-the derby mean
while going to the floor.
"And now" she said. standing mo-
tionless before him, you are drinking
up the price of him.
"Thas right" he said to her, he
iisagreeablel Tha's right-be dis
agreeable ~ he said, moving his right
hand with weary oratorical effect.
after all I've done for you. ~
The girl went out into the small
kitchen, in her black dress, to as
semble but not to cook the evening
meal
whatever this may be-" she said.
her mind of course always upon the
odd and challenging avenue of escape
which she was about TO hear of. I'm
through here. absolutely through"
And she passed out and closed for
the last time-tnough naturally she
did not herself expect quite that-the
door of the place, that stuffy ware
house of old family furniture, Of old
memories.
1t was now ten minutes of eight.
She had just about time enough TO
reach the meeting place by the hour.
She did not seas il was intended
that she should not-the large man
who had been waiting down and
across the street from her door for
the past half-hour. and who followed
her now at a distance as she went
through Forty-second street toward
the west.
Here" announced a clear voice she
recognized. and she turned and saw
the man she was TO meet al the IL
brary entrance
Suppose we go up" he suggested.
Into the art museum. It will he both
quiet and public there. We can talk
at any length. entirely undiSturbed."
VERY we'll" she answered him. and
eas soon there listening 10 him. in
side the quiet sleepy. half deserted
arr museum. as he told her his ex-
:raordlnary business.
"Y0u are not contenied now exact
", in your posit.onf" he asked.
"rm not. no. said Mary Manehes-
ter sharply.
"And how is Il at your home-your
lies al homer he asked her nova
rather peculiar question. she thought
And as she told bim she bad again
that feeling that she was telling HIN
ding chat be already knew.
"You might he willing he suggest
20 neNi with thai meaning smile. 70
hsyf an entirely d'0erenf ifeT
"NiNlng she eglel RIO change
IN do an> ihlng az ail fhafs decent
Ne sw|lfi pxa'n
40 DION le Wade hfr $40 pr0ntf
ltseyaN0na nRiNlsNl ~ sAuaor
llnaf} nrF
~ Hm a inNfu A|W A0nlNsHlf
- saf f'IN IIH fo'i NN.HNf Ni
lnAls MNN NIli.s0N' aWNr M lf
lInf NN|lf IN.It. IIII HI INIr II