The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-02
"The Beast"

His face was moist with a warm perspiration
which seemed to disturb him. Drops Of sweat
kept trickng continuously down his forehead which
he wiped away with soied handkerchief. There
nothing unusual about his appearance, yet al
most everybody who passed by eyed him curiously.
He big fellow of reddish complexion. Thick
arms corded by prominent veins dangled from a
pair of sleeves attached TO a blue jacket His head
topped by misshaped felt hat, was pulled tightly
down almost covering his bushy eyebrows.
He stood silently a well defined corner of
9th Avenue, gazing diffidently into a restaurant
window. His eyes focused upon an exhibition
of food lying behind the blue stained pane. The
luscious nutriment inYtingly displayed, aroused in
him strong desire to eat, for he hungry and
with thirty cents in his pocket. Thru the window
he many small tables covered by white table
cloths and ornamented by brightly cOlored plates
and Enthusiastically labeled wine bottles. Around them
sat grey-faced leslmey smoking the profits
of other mems toll and stencil eyebrowed women,
all engaged in meaningless conversation. For it is
in places such as these that platitudes born
and imbibed in Bacchanaian rites WATERS clad in
white aprons, hurried down the aisies They carried
silver trays of food, transmitting a Favored aroma
which the hungry unwillingly inhaled Each
breath aroused in him fresh pangs of hunger which
he vanly tried to subdue One of those smiles that
OfttmeS serve expression of contempt flickered
across his face.
Only the furtive glances of policeman directing
traffic in the gutter restrained him from crashing
his heavy fist thru the window and making off with
the enticingy arrayed vctuas.
1t dawn Of a summer day when a slight
wind, pregnant with cool morning dew blowing
from the North River breezed gently into the open
bedroom window of Steve McHugh's waterfront flat
The room was small and it seemed to absorb the
incoming moisture as a sponge absorbs water, damp
ing the four plastered walls from ceiling to floor
In nearby bed, woman moved restlessly about
1aE Jtvs.~
peered thru the window Seeing that it was morn
ing, she moved into sitting position, and began
waking man sleeping beside her.
Get up Steve" she drawled. @1t's late"
Receiving reply, her hands fell upon the heavy
form, and began shaking it violently
"Come Onl Time to get up she repeated
"All right, shut up! | heard We the first time"
replied thick voice from beneath the covering
And few seconds later, a stawart figure his face
Swathed IN sleep, stood beside the iron bed He
stretched his arms in sdeward motion and yawned
McHugh donned a pair of saggy trousers. and
walked in his stocking feet to the window. In the
distance, he the still waters of the North River
flowing calmly flotilla OF ships floated idly
at anchor Many of them, large and small crafts
all chained to each other and rotting hourly from
disuse.
There was a strike of longshoreman going on IN
the harbor, and McHugh watched the tie-up of in
dustTy with vague satisfaction, for he was one
OF the strikers. He kept peering into the calm of
busy street not yet arisen from its slumber listen
ing occasionally to the rumbling of train rolling
along the West Shore Railroad. His eyes were
glued upon a familiar sight, Andrew B. Berry Ship
ping Co.. which hung over a nearby pier.
His reFerie was suddenly broken
Il suppose you'll be wanting your breakfast sery-
ed drawled his wife, entering from the kitchen
well, there amt nothn' in the house to eat to-
day" She stared idly at him as he allowed the
words to sink into his head
I'm be gettn' my strike benefit tomorrow so
stop yer yowln' you'll be after wakin the
children"
"Strike benefit she echoed "And a lot O. good
thatli do ye with OWN the butcher as nuch'
Here she lifted her apron and after wiping her
wet hands. burst into n complaint about inability
TO make ends meet to which McIIugh had long since
become accustomed. He understood vaguely that
the complaint justified, yet disliked to be re-
minded about it. His many thoughts turned to a
giant puzzle which zig-zagged unevenly about He
picked up his hat laying the table and left the
lxy tha A., e