Show I TODAY'S TODA YS Y'S SHORT STORY II Fiction by Americas America's Gre Greatest lesl Writers i II rw br b bW lt W Tuk A A. 01 dl U f I DICKERY RAT DOCK f i 4 By William Hamilton Hamilton Osborne i t r Dicke rs th tho o dock rat ought ht to have been en down upon tho wharf where ho belonged d but ho w was J not Ho had hall a fit It Itt of t tho the btu blues brought ht on chiefly by a vacuum somewhere in his interior ant and when c hew he ho had tho the blues ho he preferred to slay ilay at home and ami sulk a n. bit was WM a spacious apartment about eight II by ten In the Innermost of or an tenement In choice domicile the tho dock rat lay Jay rot rat full length th upon the floor floor there there was Imo no chair chain There ho lay and aud ruminated 3 j Gee but Im I'm hungry he remarked Why tho dickens dont don't that woman how up Jut Hut that's always th the tho way with Ith women durn tho luck This remark was unproductive o of or an any rc response as DIckery wa wn all alon alone Vickery was not an old man unless man unless JS VICkery m may mY bo he cO considered l old old hut hut m. m but he had I women down do to a fine point according I to his own Ideas Suddenly he heard a step tep on UJo landing without He ne cocked his head headon heallon on one ono side and a n. sigh of oC I relief Tho The woman he had referred to now stepped across s the threshold and antI en entered entered entered en- en this the arena urna of ot events Hello there then Sarah Bernhardt exclaimed DIckery Youre Touro bloomin late What luck Tho woman stood Blood for tOI a moment looking lookIng look look- Ing down upon him Sho She was not old cither unless either unless great ago asro Is attained at 14 1 years cari She was lM Dickery's sister ulster Sho She wa was taller than ho was and amI looked almost a a. woman and she possessed a not Unwomanly face She vigorously on n n. piece of oC gum dim a pl piece c of or-It or it will you suggested suggested sug sug- I starved tar Dicker Dickers DIckery Im Int most molt that's about what I am Jn Tho girl looked at at him Is astonish astonish- men ment mente you Ou pick Ick up no nowhere nowhere nowhere no- no where she Inquired Not on your our life Maude Adams Adam answered Dicker Dickers DIckery I been heen around all tho the morning but theres there's loin doln I not not down at the docks nor I else If Ie I could have ha hit a nickel or I two Ill Id v had some somo grub rub ready for you Aint you had neither I I had just a II bite returned the girl Irl and I caught c. on to this piece picco of or gum um up tho the street but Im I'm hungry as a alJe bear lr Como on lets let's go so out ant and see what wo we can pick up They went They sought their usual stamping grounds the grounds the piers plerN They were a n. queer looking couple Tho The girl with her tall spare pare fi figure and her long long- cast off orf skirts might have I been taken talen for mother As Asa AsI a matter maUt r ot or fact she sho was all the mother he had hall s tho lurk luck k com nett Dickery er I a as th they went elt along Here was ns I J a a. match this afternoon after after- goin oln into a noon with noon with a paper o o o. tobacco fer a prize to too too um oln an Im I'm 1 dished shet out of oC It IL I aint worth a darn arn without to rot eat Im I'm out of ot It that's all an It was WM 3 o'clock in hn tho rho afternoon a a pleasant da day In summer Alongside of oC the old ramshackle wharf that Dickery ant and his Lis companion had selected ranged a long long- newly built recreation pier It swarmed with people all hanging hanging- over tho the railing to catch a breath of or fresh tresh salt water air and to see sec what the they could coult sec DIckery Dicker and his sister watched them Some of ot them watched DIckery ery and his sister and the girl g who had aspirations aspirations aspirations toward the st stage e. e assumed a few airs an and graces to bo ho learned nowhere but from a Bower Bowery drama But them wore not wore not many who looked her way or that of or Dickery Th The crowd crowl in general was engaged eng In watching something down at the end of tho limo dock Look a 1 there exclaimed the time girl on that gain goin on DIckery looked A couple of It photographers photographers raphers wearing badges bearing the name of or a well known New York newspaper newspaper news news- paper were bus busy th the new I recreation pier and th the crowd crowll upon it slue They were making ug the tho setting for a big bg Sunday article Dickery who wn was accustomed to such sights turned listlessly away I dont don't care t-o t o much about cm cri he remarked hut but I wisht I J had In mo me insides Id I'd feel better Tho The girl ITI drew row a n breath sharply in In- In war ward DIckery er looked at her There was a n hei heightened 1 color in 11 her checks She grinned at nt 1 In a mysterious sort of or way war but hut with much In her hr manner manner man man- ner that was dramatic Leave Lea it to mo mp he Ime whispered 1 bending down to DIckery On Ondo o. o more moro slip slie glanced toward the camera men Th Whey They were still taking pictures Up On n the till recreation pier the thron throng 1 was crowding near I the rail to he be the hotter better seen and photographed A As the l I two men shifted their to some sonic nt now new w point the crowd would surge I toward that point Suddenly something darted swiftly I pa past t the two men Up on tho the pier Iller a n. woman screamed and with her hN finger er The rime crowd gazed And AmI what hat they th- I saw was that a woman had sped tho full length of or the old dock doc and now stood on the eI very ed edge e of tho the string piece ready to ca cast t herself Into tho time water vater below She gave e a a a. great re t sigh sigh sigh-a a hollow sigh of or despair an and weariness Im tired of or life she exclaimed with a n. strange strange- wall waft in her h r. r voice Goodbye AntI Ant then she hl Ial leaped into hito the swirling a wat waters rs down below As AI she he leaped a great reat hout shout rose from rein ti till thu people The Tune two men turned an and anO looked d aghast Savo Sayo her nave tavo tier her yelled the crowd d cro sinking But tut no man moved mo u ery everybody olly waited wait wait- ed cd for the tile other fellow In the midst t of or ii il ii however i l Young un boy boji- boji sprang to the time piers pier's j end and 1 looked but ut only for tor an Instant It was Dickery the dock rat raL Then without an instants instant's hesitation ho sprang after aCler tho the receding figure of the drowning dro woman Stroke after stroke brought him 1 crowd held Its n nearer al' al r to her Tho The with wonderful wonderful won won- The camera men won won-I their presence ence of or mind focused machine upon the rescuer ant and the tho woman m I It wa was an opportunity not nol to be missed Suddenly time the crowd cheered a joyous joyous joyous joy joy- I ous cr cry went UI up The young oun swimmer had reached the woman seized her and was towing h her r back A man stood ready with a rope rop and when DIckery reached tho the pier ho and his charge were hoisted up Jp Gee said aid DIckery spluttering and blowing and on an empty empl too Its It's too much of or a good thing They They- surged ur ct around him him him-Dickery the tho lifo liCo saver aver The Tho two camera men mn were foremost in the tho crowd This was wasa a story the they could not arto afford to miss In tho midst of or it all a II cop ap nl- nl At sight of him the young woman would o suicide sprang to her feet and amI sped tEd up the pier toward the street Before Defore any of or the time crowd could stop her she sho was out of RI sight ht Darn shame shamp said alt one of or the newspaper newspaper newspaper news news- paper men Ill bet she uhe had a a. good in to tell toil all right all right II She She i.- i. had mad l but t she didn't seem inclined to Hn linger er behind simply for that pur pur- purpose ur- ur to Dickery flO pose I So they clung The They asked his hiM name and a age e 11 He lie told them They he wormed out of or him his lils private history Dickery pause paused They were working him ho thou thought ht Me fe Insides ho loo announced needs neds up They took him them and filled him uP up Then the they took him down to the newspaper off office and a n. an man man an expert in that Interviewed line line interviewed him Dicker told him all ho he knew ana and much more that he ho dud dill not he w went cut into elal elaborate explanations regarding I his parentage o arid amid his eventful career It aint said when they thc brought his W tn tale down downto to the event ent of or the tho dl day Ive I done dono ono It afore I J pull em cm out sometimes sometimes-she's sometimes she's the eleventh one ono Ive I've pulled Juliet I g do it to keep me nie sr stroke e in shape hap Dicker Dickery scratched his head and ana tried I Ito I to think what heroes usually said inthe In Inthe In Inthe the Finally ho lw hit lilt It I II I Ionly I Ionly It ain aint t ho went on I only done HIM me dut duty duly The rho men were radiant Thc They se secured so- so eI e- e I cured a n. page imago full of or material an and tho entire city would know know on on Sunday Sunda that Dickery was a hero Dickery didn't euro so 50 much about aboul that but hut when they pulled out a n. ton ton- dollar hilt bill and pre It on him his Ho lie heart overflowed o with gratitude devoured crullers all nIl the way home hornc Ho lie found a n. very wet young lady Jad- there thero when ho hI arrived She Jau laughed as S h hl pulled out a 0 few tew bills and some change I told you to It to me she sho said saM Was Vas I right Dickery grinned Yes Yen l fa May Irwin he returned admiringly ad- ad youse was all an right Buta But say say a- a aho ho added wont won't bo be tired or of Ufo lifo whilst were we're out a n. spendin this here will Bet yer sweet lifo I wont won't H replied the time girl |