Richard Forrest, Bachelor — page 75: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

66 “LOOKS LIKE FATE.” “Hello,’’ he said, pointing upward. ‘‘What on earth is that fellow doing? Everybody’s watching him.”’ The man in question was tearing up bits of paper and letting them flutter slowly down to the floor below. Quite a little mock snow-storm was descending close to their heads. “By eracious!’’ exclaimed Eldridge, ‘‘I believe the fool’s destroying money. See, he’s thrown his pocket-book down now.’ Just then they observed two men step up to the careless individual, and a struggle ensued, but it was short-lived, and presently the donor of halved and quartered green- backs was led off, much against his will. | ‘“That’s the crank I saw in front of the Sub-Treasury Building at noon, wrapping his coat around the feet of Washington’s statue, saying, ‘Poor George is cold,’’’ vol- unteered a bystander. ‘‘They say he is a ruined broker.”’ There was a general laugh at this, and then the little group began to disperse, when all at once there was the sound of a heavy fall near by. Several men sprang forward Eldridge among the number. A tall, slender old man with snowy hair and beard, who had been standing near by, lay prone upon the hard floor, motionless. A crowd, which it was almost impossible to beat back, gathered around, entirely forgetting stocks and bonds for the moment. ‘Who is it?”’ That was the question in everybody’s mouth. “Stand aside and give him air,’’ commanded Arthur, . who had been the first to reach his side and had lifted the heavy, senseless head to his knee. Gomichbookszcom