The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1942-03-10
DRAKE - AT WORK
CHAPTER XIII

AAM0A 4e AA4Nf AAAAa ANAGAAN%NANAeeh
hook like . tramp. III be q bum II
somebody doesn't give o . job"
"Tltrnern give you q job, Il
you'll take it."
I'm take It."
"what are all your tony friends
NJ on Union street going to say9"
Drake laughed. Mr.. Monaghan
vas unable to sense the bitterness
and humiliation and scorr In the
eound.
@Ill get you a Job, Drake. You
\ San depend on me-"
'SThank you--sir."
Drake arose. "I'm going home.
He turned at the door. IF I get q
lob down here, I'm going to sell
the place uptown. It's already
mortgaged. Then I'll have q little
hit Of money anyhow. I'm going to
Sonne down here somewhere to live"
"And say"
Eyes, sir?"
"You1l have TO cut out nkker."
| * won't drink any more. ]
IAN right son. wen see how
you do"
ing here?" Randy came cheerfully
! into the room.
Drake flushed darby. Eyes, !
know how look, Randy. I was
In the calaboose last night"
"Drakel What did you do?"
4 Drunk. I wasn't arrested. Sam
winters Just - just locked me up
SO wouldn't freeze"
"Oh, Drakel"
1T won't happen again, Randy
Your pas going to get me q Job
Of some kind
Randy's glance yelled q little
It was q strange look - Drake
didn't understand 1t. 1t was q far
away look, almost impersonal, but
steady as a lamp set on stone.
Go UP stairs. I'll bring you
some hot water. You wash and
shave, and I'll fix you something
to eat. Then you're going to bed
and get some Sleep"
Jaw
"Do as I sayl I've got to talk
to you"
Drake went heavily up the
stairs. Mr.. Monaghan knocked the
ashes from his pipe. He had never
quite known what to make Of his
tomboy daughter, but at this mo-
ment he felt that he understood
her better. She lokoed exactly like
her mother as she stood watching
Drake.
Mr.. Monaghan kept his word, and
Drake kept his. Mat Turner, an old
acquaintance of brakes Uncle
Rhodes, was reluctant at first. He
didn't believe too much in the ear
nestness and sincerity of brakes
resolution, but Monaghan persuaded
him. Drake wa sgiven ronedscript
Job as switchman, and general
helper around the freight Office. He
never set foot In Fritz Bachman's
lunchroom again or took another
drink.
The bank sold the Livingstone
house, and Drake paid his debts.
There wasn't much left but Drake
put 1t In the bank and managed
to live on his wages. He had O
room ct Mrs. brakes railroad
boardinghouse and spent as much
time with Randy as possible.
Drake lost his casual, laughing
manner, and part Of his good
looks was lost with 1t. He wasn't
happy, and showed 1t. But he was
healthief looking. He had Drowned
and Redeemed quickly into that
lean, leathery weathered appear
ance that railroad men always
have, and which is peculiar to
them.
He had never seen Louise Cor
don again. The thought Of her
crossed his mind once in a while
"a tingling anger mixed with a
faint desire.
Drake was not ashamed Of his
Job, or Of the necessity that drove
him to It, but he hated the
thought Of the talk which he was
sure went on about him. He hated
traintilne because he hated to see
anyone out Of his former exist
ence. Several times he had de-
cided 10 write and tell Paris the
whole story, now that the worst OF
II was over, but he put 1t Off each
time. He wasn't sure that the
worts Of 1t was really over. AS
soon as he arranged something
else, and felt that ne was on his
feet bit more securely - then he
would write. It would amuse Par
ris, he was sure, to think Of him
really going to work. It would be
a happy day when Paris returned
He wondered, the least bit I'M
easily, II Paris would want To
come down here and talk to him
and Randy. He wasn't sure how
Paris might feel about Randy
now that they were all grown up
but he put that doubt quickly
aside. It was q disloyal thought
Paris wasn't made out Of the
slnoddy STUFF Of Kings Row.
he smiled happily to himself
slapped himself lightly on the
thigh, and gave his head side
ways Jerk. Just q little more than
O. year now and old Paris would
be- backl