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Show I THE ANGEL M BY H. N. WALL, In COLLIERS. H Tho troublo about angelo Is that usually H thoy aro such monotonous boros wo are H glad to dlsbollovo In them; but this angel HH Is dlfToront; thoro Is no doubt about his H reality. H James Mosxidgo Is uartondor In the H saloon Into which I dropped one hot Tuus- B day night in August. Tho place was cool, H the lights shaded, and the electric fans Hj wore pounding tho atmospltere Into the H somblanco or a hroozo that tho marc H rortunatc of humanity wcro oxporlcnclng H In reality at tho Leach or In tho moun- H tnlns. Tho "Mocca," as It was called, H was a grateful oasis after tho muggy, B sticky liotncss of tho street, and, with a H sigh of roller, I sank Into a big oaK chair B by one of the llttlo round tables. H James straightened up as I pushed back M the swinging door. Ho had bcon standing M with his whlto-coated olbows on tho bar, H his bald front between his hands, looking H fixedly at some small object, Hat on the K bar, which I could not discern. H Seeing who It, was ho grunted: "Hollo, H kid' Haven't soon you for n week." H "No, I went to tho show last night, m and I don't poison mysolr drinking liquor H in the morning hours. Kindly bring over Hj the whisky you koop In that Mt. Vincent H bottlo, ico, scltzor and two glassos, an H It please you, Jainos." M Mogrldge looked across In thc mirror nt M tho reflection or the clock that hung B abovo his head. "Past ten. Well, you H know I ain't In tho habit or drlnkln' on H duty; but scelif the tlmr and that Its m with you, kid, hero goes." H Ho dived under the bar and produced M a bottle. H "Concornln' your indlvush slurs, this, H I would have you know, is Mt. Vincent j whiskey," ho said, placing It on a tray, H "as what tho labol calls for. What you Hj get horo, wo got In tho somo packago, H sec? And ir this don't suit that hlgh- H eultoored and oducatod tasto or yours, Hj it'll be becauso you'vo vlshlatod It hangln' H around thoso cheap Park now dumps." H As ho spoko ho dropped some lco and H lnmon pool Into two bar glassos, picked H up a siphon, and brought It over to tho H table with tho whisky and tho smallor H glasses ho had already put on tho tray. H I had oponod my caso and hold It out, H rillod with good Turkish clgarottos. H Jim turnod up his noso. "I will smoko," H ho said, "but not thoso corfln tacks that B smoll Hko a nlggor drossod up for Sunday Hj and slttln' In a 1 Ivory stable. I knew a H guy wonst that used that brand. Thoy H koop him ovor on Long Island now, and H ho spends his tlmo bulldln' llttlo houses H out or cards and recltln' that ho Is tho H Queon or tho May. Whon I smoko, I want H a man's smoko, I do!" H Ho walked around behind tho cigar caso H and solcctod u box or tho blggost, blackost, H olllost, most gold-banded Connoctlcuts H that It contained. Ho hold out tho box H to mo, gruntod as I shook my head, and soloctod throo ror mysolr. Two or them H ho stuck in his right vost pocket and tho H othor In Ms mouth. I.'o did not light up H at once, but turnod tho rank roll ovor and H ovor in tho corner or his mo. 1 whllo ho Hj pourod hlinsolf out a vory modest potion H of Mt. Vlncont. I rollowed suit, and, as H tho soltzor rizzod in tho glasses, I said to M him: m "What In thunder wero you looking nt H so hard whon I (.me In, Jim?" H Her colorod a little up on his high cheek H bones, wlioro tho skin strotchod tight as ,H parchment, and, fishing in his loft vest M pocket, pulled out a plcturo. Sot in a H llttlo oval rramo, about the slzo or tho H pocket mirrors tho agricultural Implement H manuracturers give away at fairs, was a H miniature painting or a young girl, a vory H beautirul young girl, or not more than JH twenty, llmnod up with loving euro and skill. Tho dark eyes lookod at ono rrank-ly rrank-ly and fearlessly- rrom tho plcturo. Tho hair, also, was dark, and tho Nno, ex-qulslto ex-qulslto reaturos, tho polso or tho head, .tho round and slender throat rising rrom sonie rilmy whllo sturr, all showed birth nntf breeding, it was rather an odd article art-icle ror an old, bnld-hcadod bartender to bo carrying. It reminded mo or tho girls I Had known in my old home, south a thousand miles rrom theso hard and garish gar-ish stroots. "Whoro on earth did you got this, Jim?" I said in astonishment. "It's a plcturo or a queon!" "That's what It is," ho answered rov-orontly, rov-orontly, with a strango husklnoss in his usual Joorlng voice. "That's what it Is, a plcturo or a queen. And sho give it to mo, Hko them queens or old ust to give gages to their knights I've road about om. You know I klnda Hko to read thorn historical novels nights I ain't on," he added doprecatlngly. "Well, Sir Knight, mothlnks I scont a talc In this, gadzooks, 'odsblood, or tho ravorlto words or tho novel you Hko best! Spit It out , Sir Jim," I gibed. "Now, look here, kid, ir you got Trcsh ovor this, you won't know nuthin about It," said Jim, rather hotly. Then cooling cool-ing himsoir with his highball: "You keep your chin in, and I will tell you what happened to Uncle Jim last night. Hut Just as quick ns you start that buttln' tongue or yours into tho narrowtlvo, It's all orr; sco? "It was Just about this tlmo last night. Tho place was empty. There's no sonso In our keepln' open thoso summer nights arter nine, anyhow; but tho boss thinks ir wo closed thore'd bo a lino outside tho door waltln' their turn to got in to buy wlno. Ho had como In himsoir, tho boss, and was slttln' right horo at this tahlo, rigurln' on tho buck or an onvolop. Tryln' to cstlmato tho gonoral run, ratio, and avorago or knockdowns, I guess. "I was tryln' to extract somo news rrom the 'Tologram' by tho way, I seo Matty won his gamo today, good old wnr horso to try to rollovo my onguco, whon tho doors swing and in comes a young rollow, about your build, slim, dark and klnda wild lookln' " 'Say, says ho, in a rush, 'could you let mo have a llttlo port wlno in a bottle and a piece or Ice? I do not Hko to ask strangors ror things; but I have not a cent to my name and my wire has ralntod rrom tho heat. I live Just around tho corner, and I will pay as soon as I can. I shall bo gratorul all my lire' "Heforo I could answer, tho boss turnod round and butts In. His rigurln' couldn't liavo ploasod .him. " Say, bo,' ho says In that rough way or his, 'can't you glvo us a nowor talo than that? I've boon hoarln' about sick wlvos and sick mothors and sick bublos dyln' Tor n drink ovor slnco I been in tho biz, although I must admit that port wlno and lco Is a llttlo change Usually plain old boozo, hot, cold, or lukowarm, Is satisfactory, ir I passod out a bottlo to ovory panlmndlor that trlod to work mo ror a rroo drink, I'd soon havo a rod riag hangln out Tront Tor a sign." "Tho young rollow stirronod up Hko tho boss iad struck him, ond turnod a bit whiter .n ho was whon ho como In, ir possible. I noticed his clothes woro old but clean, and ho didn't look Hko ho crookod tho olbow. "Ho started toward tho door, but stopped. stop-ped. 'My God, man, can't you seo that I'm not a tramp?' ho cries out. 'Do I look Hko a man who would try to docolvo you ror a little wlno? Are you brute enough to let a woman die ror want or a II. le help? I'll pay you Just as soon as I can, I toll you! "Tho boss lookod klnda shamod. You know, -ho ain't bad at tho bottom, jttst rough, and I could sco he had Jumped without thlnkin,' without mcanln' any-thln' any-thln' ronlly, and that, on slzln' up his man, ho knew ho was wrong. All tho same, ho couldn't back down gracorul. He says to me: "Jim, you take a quart or that XX port and put n piece or Ico In a baskot and take buddy hero homo, ir It's straight, leave tho sturr nut ir ho don't show up the goods, you heat his sassy little head orr. Hoar?' "I grinned, grabbed a bottlo or port, took a twenty-pound chunk or lco out or tho box, and, without changln' my white coat, I went out with tho boy ond down tho streot. Tho kid passed his hand across his drlppln' rorohoad. " 'Thoy'ro awrul,' ho says, 'these big citlos. Wo'ro rrom South Carolina and wo'vo boon horo since last winter. I'm nn artist, a painter. That Is, I thought I was,' ho goqs on, bittorllke; 'but it docs scorn liko that I work Is no good. I can't soil It. Our room Is Just around tho cornor rivo nights up, ho says. "The place was ono or them old rook-orlos rook-orlos that ought to havo boon torn down years ago narrow, dark, dirty halls ; closo llttlo rooms; tho whole place musty and smollln' or sweat and boiled cabbage. Thoso rivo nights wcro a pull. Ho took mo to a bit or a room about as big as our broom closet, and with most as much rurnlchoor. Ono gas Jet, with tho burnor pinched togothor so thoy couldn't get extravagant, ex-travagant, gave Just enough light to seo how bare tho place was. On a sort or couch, mado or old boxes, I guess, and covered wth somo bcdclothln' a slip or a girl was lyln. "Yes, this ono In the plcturo, only sho didn't look it. Sho had on a cheap whtio dross, her hair had como loose, and sho had tho whltcnoss or death on her; no roses In her chooks liko whon this paintin' was done. On tho rioor bcsldo her was a bit or ombroldory, hangln' to a couplo or them hoops that womon use to do 'om on. Sho didn't mako a movo or a sound whon wo wont in. "'Where's a glass?" I whlspors. "I thought sho wns all In. Tho young follow glvo mo an old chipped glass, I busted orr a ploco or lco, uncorked tho bottlo and pourod out somo or tho wlno. "Tho poor boy stood thoro, his raco Hko tho ond or tho world has como. I slippod my arm under tho girl's shouldors and raised her up. Sho must havo wolghod about nlnoty pounds; but sho was still hroathln'. I didn't know whether sho was or not whon I wont in. I prossod tho glass agin hor lips and got a llttlo or tho wlno down. Sho stlrrod n bit and oponod hor oyos. Man, thoy wero Hko stars starin' out rrom hor whlto race! I gave hor tho glassrul, sip by sip. Thon sho sank back on tho couch, hor chooks a llttlo roddor, and broathin' moro rogular. "'Horo,' I says to tho lad, 'whon'd she havo anythln' to oat?' "This mornln',' says ho; 'but It wasn't much, and wo havon't had very much Tor a good many days.' "I pullod out a small bill and passod It over to hlrn. " 'You Jump," I ordered him, 'over to tho Capitol City lunch room and got a pall or soup, and somo milk, and oggs, and ham sandwiches, and picklos and oh, boll,' I says 'I don't know what you ought to got to reod tho starvln' woman, but you got It and bring it back,' "So ho wont, and I sat thoro and watched watch-ed hor till ho camo back. Thon wo glvo hor a llttlo moro or the wlno nnd rod hor somo broad and broth slow. Protty soon sho sat up. " 'You havo boon so good,' sho soys. "To whom aro wo Indebted for so much klndnosB?' "Yos, sho did, Just liko that. 'My namo is Mogrldgo, ma'am,' I says, 'but you ain't Indebted to me at all. Tho pleasure Is all mine. I didn't rorget my manners ir I was all shook up. " 'I reel so much better,' sho answers mo; 'I roally think I was dying. To sny wo aro not indebted!' Sho reached out and took her husband's hand. 'We shall never Torgot,' she said. She lay back again and closed her oyes. 'I'm all right now,' sho said, low, like a tired kid; 'hut I'm vory weak. I think I'll go to sloop a little.' And she did. , "I sat there Tor a while and talked with the hoy. Seems he and his wlfo como rrom old ramlllos down In South Carolina, poor and proud, you know. They v had gonerals and governors to burn Tor relations, or rather had had, for most or tholr near kin were (load. Those that woro lort didn't hnvo nothln'. Tho boy ' ha'd boon making a fair livln' In a Charles ton office; but ho had made up his mind that his pictures would sell, and the pair or Tool kids had como North so ho would ho noar tho magazines and art dealers. He had sold a few drawln's to tho runny paperB, but not enough or them to live on; .thoy had spent their little money, pawned their things, goin' rrom bad to worse all tho time. It seems the girl could embroider embroid-er beautiful and do Taney work. For the lqBtv two months all tho money thoy had halt como rrom the salo or 'that. Sho had worked herseir sick over It; -but In the summor she couldn't sell enough or 'cm to live on. "'Why In Gawd's name didn't you lot tho palntln' drop and go out and get a man's Job?' I asked him. "Do you think I haven't tried?' ho Mashes back at mo. "Tho trouble Is, I know how to do only orrico work and draw and paint. There doesn't seem to bo a bit or work in this whole big city ror me!' "Just then somethln' struck mo. 'Say' I asked him, 'do you think you could paint signs and show cards and make Taney letters, and things llko that?' " 'I never tried,' says lie, 'but I'm sure I could. I have asked at some or those places, but thoy had no positions open. "'Well,' says I, 'a Mr. Grant, who has a business or that kind near here, was In tho place this arternoon, and he was tollln' mo that ono of his men had been orr on a bat. No's a habltchual soak and Grant's goin' to riro him. I bellovo you could get tho Job. I'll go with you to see him in tho mornlnV " 'Man,' cried tho boy, 'you're an absolute abso-lute angol. You'll bo savin' both our lives. Pray God I can got tho Job!' "So wo wont around to seo Grant this mornln and ho put the boy on. And tonight, to-night, about soven o'clock, tho lad was In Ihto and said ho was comln' along Tine with tho work and could mako good oasy. 'And I'll soil somo drawln's yet, now our dally broad Is sure,' ho says. An' I bo-liovo bo-liovo tho norvy llttlo cuss will, too." "Well, ho took a llttlo packago out or his pockot. 'My wiro war.s you to havo this,' ho says. 'It's a picture I painted or her last summor. It Isn't vory good, or worth anythln,' but It's the host girt In our powor. '"No it ain't,' I says; 'hor thanks aro that, nut I'm proud to havo It, all tho samo, ir you think you want an old bum or n bartondor to havo your wiro's plc-turo. plc-turo. " 'Lord, man,' ho says, 'wo don't caro what your buslnoss Is. We don't think or you that way. You romombor what I told you last night you woro.' " Jim pulled out a match, loaned back, and startod a malodorous conriagratlon or his Connecticut. Ho chuckled. "Maybo somo other rolks thought I was an angol last night,' ho laughod. "Tho boss got mad bocauso I was gone so long, closod up tho placo, and locked mo out. I had to go all tho way homo in my whlto coat. V "Dut thoso kids cortalnly got closo to mo," Jim slghod rorioctlvoly. "I s'posc I'm tho original oasy mark. I always was a good-hoartod son-or-a-soa " Tho baizo door swung opon. in shurriod a robust vagabond, dirty, pimply raced, with mattod hair and bleary eyes. "Say, bosp," ho whlnnod, "couldn't yuh set a poor workman out or p. job up t' a llttlo drink?" Jim rose like a role- id spring. Ho swung tho hobo around, grasped both or his arms abovo tho elbows, and with noat-noss noat-noss and precision kicked tho Intruder through the swinging doors and out into tho night. Ho came back and sat down, not breathing a bit rastor. "Yes, kid," ho went on, "tho troublo with mo Is that I'm too damn good-natured. good-natured. I certainly fell Tor those kids!" |