Show J b 1 M A FEW HARD HARB LUCK STORIES fc i 1 i j jJ A J Some Tales les Told ir t by Men Mer Who Had Hadr r Yea Weathered red the e Gale ale tE E l tE tEL K P L I 1 IT WAS started by b a chance remark I It IT oat jat t the she dinner table le Two middle aged brokers had ha been Joking each other about being squeezed that day dayon dayon on the marKet marR t and hb he ot of the tle iron iro gray hair and anI youthful eyes indulged In a most plebeian cian wink at his bis vJ vis vla as he said Never Nevern mind old man it was noth rh nothing J h hing ing compared with rith our first speculation that night ht in Boston The table awoke on the instant The moment was ripe for reminiscences You see It was this way Bert and I started out in the world together giving giving g v ving ing up small clerkships In L to make our fortunes in the nearest big city which happened to be Boston Bo o But we found that the world so socon con confoundedly confoundedly easy to conquer r and a d with wit no acquaintance in the city and no valuable references we were here soon on ow our uppers We knew nothing of life lI lIin in town and were about as green as could be But we were w re too proud to Yo 1 i so go home S I Finally there came a a day when hep we w were desperate We had slept in a warehouse shed the night before beo pod ana na woke to face tace a dreary rain in Money WEl we w had none and we were afraid l that if 1 we ve applied to the police wed be booked book d i as va So we d decided to spend the 1 day in the commons and watch for money or articles of value alue that people but ut might drop It was a forlorn hope we followed it through ugh puddles and showers getting fainter each ea moment I for tor lack of food It a day for tor dropping valuables and night found us In sad straits still We were in no mood to talk but at last for the sake of o saying something I said to Bert BertWell BertWell Well VeIl I guess Its about time for forus forus forus us to take to a dark side street and an 1 hold UP UD the first man that comes a along 1 Bert took me In earnest and Ill nevor never forget the expression on his h s face lace when he stopped stepped in our dreary peram perambulation perambulation perambulation and faced me It was absolutely absolutely absolutely tragic Oh I say George not Just yet Lets wait walt a 8 a little longerI l longer I 1 doubled uj P with laughter la g t rand and as asI asI asI I bent over ov r Som th ng an on the pavement caught my eye It was as a aWe dime We Ve both clutched at it Two sand sandwiches sandwiches I j Or two cups of coffee Or Orl two small pans of beans Which should it be Then the spirit of plunging plunging plunging ing which has since Bince brought my part partner partner ner coin of the realm seized him bim Said he Lets shake for it If you get it I buy tire tIle grub If I get it I shoot craps 1 with It with the first fellow I meet I He won and we repaired to the nearest cheap lunch joInt where whre w Ne he actually did find a man who would gamble amblo on on the enormous sum of at ten I cents He doubled our capital and we had lunch i 1 iThen Then what Well that th t seemed to tobe tobe tobe be the turning point pont of our careers The proprietor of the joint had Spotted us and before we had finished our I meal we were telling him our story He put us In the way V y of at work By and by we came o our o r senses and let the folks at camel hom know now about it and Berts father tickled d with our grit gave us a start C t Cs Ii tn n S 00 i s 0 S Next Net said the hostess With a laugh The manager of a flourishing mercantile mer mercantile cantile concern leaned forward My 1 wife heaven rest her soul sout once helped me out ut of the tightest hole we were we e fever ver in he began It was ina in ina Ina a midwest t city then in i its youth that I stranded as a lift ll insurance agent How we manage m to to E exist for a few weeks in a furnished t twill I will VIII not attempt to describe but Wb vie finally got down to our last 5 My wife while doing our paltry washing ashing remarked Just see what a lather this soap makes It is the best brand I ever j used Peggy Pegg r I exclaimed that soap must save us C Im going to do it up in little packages and sell it t on the streets after dark as a lightning cleanser cleans er or Now how can we turn the trick The family washing was suspended then and there and she sat down with me to figure it out Before long my last S 5 and I were on the street I bought three dozen bars of the soap which Is white and of a brand that you OU all know kno a roll of tinfoil some tisHue tissue sue Hue ue paper and several fine small sponges Once back In our room my wife and andI I 1 went to work hard haid and fast for afternoon was at hand Taking the 4 sponges we wet them thoroughly and rubbed them hard over oer the soap until they were saturated with suds Then without rinsing them we placed them above the stove to dry Next we care carefully carefully fully tUlly scraped off the th bars the imprint of the washed the sur surfaces surfaces faces to make them perfectly smooth and glossy cut each cake into five small flat ones mes and wrapped these carefully in tissue and tinfoil That night nl ht I took toek up my stand on the cor corn n neche soap in tinfoil piled plIed on one hand and the dry dr sponges with a basin of water on the other Vell Wall I proceeded to demonstrate th quality of that soap until the eYes eves Of tf the entire crowd seemed to bulge out Of or course when the sponges were wet the old lather got in Its work and then when I barely touched it on the sample cake there was something som doing all over my hands and clear down to the ground Did I sell soap Well V ell rather and at z 50 toots cents pt a ca Cake ke too And at the solemn hour of at midnight I boarded a tram with the proceeds of the scheme anti i quietly stole bOck bank to the old farm tarm 0 4 OI O 0 I fibre is a reminiscent glow in the eyes of Mr Stevens said the host waving his hia hand in the direction of a a singer who Instantly be became became bel l came the center of oC Interest He be began besun sun gan tIm Co Im from New England as you know and my family was opposed to tomy tomy tomy my adopting the musical profession proCession So I promptly ran away and Joined the chorus of a second rate opera com company company company pany Of or course the company selected San n Francisco the Jumping off place te stranded In and with my ut tor tar inexperience I was soon up against it in dead earnest One day I got a date at a variety house though I felt fel that th t I make good as the they suy say In the th profession If I survived my 1 first appearance as a soloist I would wouldn do n well This thought with the fact tact that Id had nothing to eat cat for tor y hours plunged me into the thed d once more when I r heard a awall awall wall In a feminine voice Oh q dear the stage manager sa says ys I I cant even e n rehearse hearse r because I r have h ve no orchestration for my song What shall I do l Hunger aunger Is a marvelous Inspiration My brain worked work fast I approached the be young woman a typical variety hall singer and said Perhaps I can can assist you I am Prof or Stevens of Boston If It it does not require too much work I will make maken an n orchestration for you The girl almost hugged me In her delight for rehearsal hour was at hand I VOh Oh that will be lovely she cried ITh The song Js ts dead easy How quick can you do it I r will give you 3 If It have It ready for the rehearsal I t glanced through the song with eyes that saw not stole some sheets of ot blank music paper from a nearby music stand and asked for twenty minutes min minutes mint utes in private Then I shot out to a chop house bouse and scattered d notes not over oer t that paper any ny old d I I t way ay and and on any ol old alii line linear or space I 1 I j I never once ran through thra ch h the tune What was the use I knew no more mor about orchestration O r n than does our hostess i Japanese i spaniel aniel an leI But B ut I got the he 3 1 per er agre m ent nt and escaping the pro prof f Jha thanks 1 of the singer nto the street There would be le no j I hea l for for or ree dollars in i the t e I hand land j L was vo lCT ft d f prospective va va variety i t rI ty engagements and besides Idid I did I Inot not ot think it would be healthy for lor me we when the leader of the orchestral orchestra tried that music r rA r rA rA A little tle later I slipped around Q the f e front of tie the house hou houg passed passe the scrub scrubwomen SC b Women women and secreted myself m hr the the dart d st corner of of the auditorium I will hill evdra again In hear such discord as ashen when hen the i in IQ upon th h lt t tsin sin inkers turn and the memory of or ke profanity which rent the air when the leader eader realized the true state of affairs aff frs Is s unparalleled In my personal history Later when good fortune came my way vay I sent the young woman her 3 and md explained my desperate need at athe the he time Sh son on Broadway now in a musical comedy com dy I dined with her he the theother theother other ther other night and we made merry over he the th q day y when she had money and I had none one o 0 2 0 0 s The tale of ot woe was taken up by byan an ann actor whose name appears in large type ype on op the play bills I top was once stranded in San Francisco and nd had to choose between clean linen and nd a square meaL The Theatter latter atter I 1 bad had not dared to take for more hours than tl an I care to mention here herer be because becaUSe because cause I was down to just 75 cents and was actually afraid to spend It But I also alBo realized V that my soiled linen nen advertised my dire straits straits to any manager I approached so at last last the scales cales Upped tipped In Jn the direction of ofa a clean shirt But pt how was I r toj t tc get It t a acol col colar lay lar ar and a pair patr ot of Ot cuffs for 75 6 cents Wearily 1 walked w Streets treet and at laSt ast found a shirt In vivid red polka dots the size ofa jf silver quarter r which wl ch was so cheap chea that 1 T was enabled enable to too invest in collar and cuffs c i I cannot t tell tei You fou of the fhe joy of laying laY j aside my col colar Jar lar ar which had been turned to ed twice al ah readY and my shirt l if ift It t belonged belon to a Weary V Winy illy Then but clean I r drift drifted drifted ed d into a a group of newspaper men who With vita characteristic openhandedness Invited me to have lunch with them Among them was a 8 d hap chap who had bad written a play but could secure no hearing for tor It I offered to read ead It and as an actor give him a afew afew few ew friendly tips From that Instant he took me unto his bosom so to speak Half of what he had was mine ing ng his hall bedroom for which I was most grateful Now the funny part of it was that the he play proved really good and by dint din t of hard work we secured an an angel angel angel gel and I got together a company most of them caught like myself on the coast and we toured the state The angel anger never got back his money but buthe the he playwright received his royalties and some local fame while I and my V fellow players staved off starvation until one by one we found berths in good companies that were going back backo to o New York 00 S S The woman on the right of the host asked for the floor and got go it of course courser I r know a woman now prosperous who once turned her thoughts to sui suicide cide ride and was saved by the infectious comedy co of a dear little comedienne long since sini a gone to her last reward This woman had written on small papers in a western state and full of nf t and really capable she made mad her way y to Denver But instead o Qt pf securing a place on a daily paper she sh found herself each day nearer the penniless pen condition In thos those times free was unknown In Denver and she was desperate At last she was down to 2 Moody almost distraught In n a whimsical moment she rushed off to the theatre spending 75 cents for a arear arear arear rear balcony seat Patti Rosa was the attraction and Joe Cawthorne was her support The woman who had felt that she must go to the theatre and forget or throw herself into Cherry creek laughed until she cried and went home ham e I with a sense of cheer and determination determination tion that was not to be depressed depres sed by byan byan an empty stomach The next morning she bought a good I breakfast and went to an office known as the Helping Hand where strange women could secure positions presumably presumably presumably ably on their personal word and honor I The only thing offered was a post as housekeeper and the woman of ot pen and pencil Jumped at it IL Fortunately her prospective cUve employer r was a semi s ml Invalid and was as ready to Jump at as the woman was vas at work She began her duties that same aft afternoon afternoon afternoon and here was where the Amer American AmerIcan American ican womans adaptability shone forth She had not done housework for years ears but she studied her cook book Into the small hours of the night devised menus superintended the cooking ca catered catered catered to the whims hims of the semi invalid kept a comfy corner for tor the he t head of the house when he came home tired I and an by her tact hid the fact that housekeeping was not her long suit It was the husband w i ho first suspect suspected ed that she was a bit out of her sphere The wife was too wrapped up in her herself herself self seli to notice anything One day the theman theman theman man bluntly asked the housekeeper to tell him the truth about herself and she did frankly Now I hold that that man man deserves the title of one of natures noblemen because when he was being looked aft after after after er as he admitted he never neer had been in years and when his home was run running running running ning smoothly he deliberately sacrificed sacrIficed feed all this to recommend the woman he deserving serving d of oC better things to his personal friends high In Denver newspaper cr circles and she left his house not however without some feel feeling feelIng feelIng ing of genuine regret to take up the thew work w rk that she really loved Kansas City Star |