Evening star., 1928-09-10

william Dean Howells. ls37-Is2o. was an
Americsn enc novelist f s;,. His .pha moSn famous oooN
It was long past the twilight hour,
and 1t was too late for visitors, when
a writer was startled by a ring at his
door. in the vicinity of great maritime
city. When he answered the bell he saw
an utter stranger on his threshold-a
gaunt figure of forlorn and curious
smartness towering far above him, that
jerked him a nod of the head and asked
if Mr.. Hapford lived there.
The face which the lamplight revealed
was remarkable for a harsh two Gays
growth of beard. and single bloodsnot
eve: vet it was not otherwise a sinister
countenance. and there was something
in the strange presence that appealed
and touched. His clothes were tragl-
cally cheap, but the strangers manner
put both his face and his clothes out
of mind, and claimed deeper interest
when, being answered that Mr.: HAP
ford did not live there, he set his brls.
tling lips hard together and signed
heavily
"They told me-" he said, in hope
less wav. that he lived on this street,
and I've been to every other house. I'm
very anxious to find him for I've a
daughter living with him, and I want
to see her. I've just come home from
a two-year voyage, and I find she's
about all there is left of my family"
Somehow-perhapS because ne
thought he saw material for good
yarn-the writer was moved to ask the
man in. The invitation was readily ac-
cepted.
my name is Jonathan Tinker" he
said, "and the girl want to find Is
Julia Tinker. You see, I shipped first
to Liverpool, and there I heard from
my family; and then shipped again
for Hongkong, and after that I never
heard word: I seemed to miss the
letters everywhere. This morning, at
4 o'clock, left my ship as soon as
she had hauled into the dock, and hur-
ried up home. The house was shut. and
not soul in it and didn't know what
to do, and sat down on the door,
step to wait till the neighborS woke up,
to ask them what had become Of my
family. And the first one come out and
told me my wife had been dead a year
and half, and the baby I'd never seen,
with her; and one of my boys was dead:
and he didn't know where the rest OF
the children was. but he'd heard two Of
the little ones was with family in the
city"
pretty rough!" commented the
writer.
IT hunted about the whole forenoon
| in the city," the man went on land at
! last I found the children. I'd been gone
so long they didn't know me, and some
how I thought the people they were
with weren't overglad I'd turned up.
Finally the Oldest child told me that
Julia was living with Mr.. Hapford, on
this street, and started out here to-
night to look her up. If can find her,
I'm all right. can get the family to-
gether, then. and start new"
1T seems rather odd" unused the
writer aloud, that the neighbors let
them break up so, and that they should
all scatter as they did"
well. 1t amt so curious as 1t
seems" was the reply. There was
money for them at the owners all the
time; I'd left part of my wages when /
sailed: but they didn't know how to get
at it, and what could a parcel of chill
dren do? Julia's good girl, and when
find her I'm all right"
1t was story to attract the sympathy
and aid of any human being. The
writer. anxious to help. went out with
| the stranger and together they called
at house after house, looking for Mr..
Hapford. In vain, for there seemed to
have been no such person anywhere in
the vicinity.
They even looked the name up in a
directory, without success. Jonathan
Tinker told sad story of his voyages,
of his hard life as second mate, and
particularly of one captain who had
| been a difficult master, Finally, seeing
that nothing more could be done that
night, he said he believed he should
go down to the vessel and sleep aboard
if he could sleep. The writer prom
| ised to aid him on the morrow
Here was story to the writer's hand,
ready made-a romance Of real life!
He was elated at the thought. and
chanced to peet aaboy in the night on
his way back to his home. Immediately,