The Argosy, October 1906 — page 35: what you’re looking at

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

<2 they couldn’t be worse’ =< ‘Pm broke,’ a = me what to do. I’ve ‘got to eat and I’ve got to sleep, yet I have no désire either to seek charity nor to be run in/as a ~-vagrant.”’ ' The earnestnéss of his manner as Ee matle this vigorous presentment. of his case-went a long way toward convincing the -hobo. of* his sincerity. - “ Say, but that is kind of tough lines,” he remarked sympathetically. “‘ Broke, an’ witha lame wing® into the bargain. An’, to top if-all, green to little old New York. No- wonder you feel sort of down -in_the-mouth, pardner. But, say, I'll \put you wise to somep’n; youse —ain’t “nearly so worse off as you thinks.” °F guess that’s: true’ under almost any circumstances,” admitted Horace laugh- ingly. “We are all of us apt to magnify our treubles = while. we- are © passing tthrough them;-but that does not make them any-easier to bear while we are in _ their grip. It is only another way of “saying, ‘Things are never so bad that eZ 22 “No ;*that: ain't what I mean,’ “rupted. ‘the other eagerly; ‘ ‘you don’t “catch on:to my idee...What I was dri- vin’ at was this: don’t your An’ you b’heves: “it, too. Vet, all the time you’ve got what 2 would be a small fortune to a feller like pe = eo Ne ow, away om, your person at this. very minute a watch, an’ maybe a ring,.or a gold = pencil-case, or some trinket of. the ‘sort, -that-you- ain’t given a thought to yet; but which, if properly handled, -could be turned.into enough to buy you your chuck-an’ your sleepin’ acconimodations for many a Tong day. Aim’t that so?” - “No; you are mistaken,’ - returned ~ Clarkson. “ Outside of my sleeve-but- “tons and/my studs, I haven’t a thing _which I could pawn. See?” And he turned his pockets inside out, oné@ after — another® “to “Show that he was speaking : the truth.. As a matter of fact, Horace had de- layed purchasing a watch and the other little articles of value which go to make up a man’s equipment until he should have arrived in New York; for of course | all his former possessions of the kind = had been turned over to the executor of ee the dead Sylvester Guse. ON THE SPUR OF THE ” inter- - You says to yourself, "TH belt you’ ve “got stowed 3 MOMEN = ‘Sho, that’s. too. bad,” -commiserated the tramp, satisfied at last that the young _ man was as destitute as he. claimed. “ You're in-a worse fixtn what I thought you were. Still,” brightening up, ‘“ there is, aS you say, the sleeve-buttons and studs ; and you ought to be able to get somep’n on them duds.* I know a place over. on Bleecker Street where they” I] trade-*em in with you fer others, an’ give ~ you pretty fair boot. If you’d take as suit like mine, they’d give you maybe: as much as ten or twelve dollars.” Horace ‘gave a’ glance of extreme is: favor atthe -other’s tatterdemalion as- pect. - “No, I thank you,” he said détidedly. = These clothes are the only capital I have in theworld; and, if I ever expect to get a job, I’ve got to be able to put up a front:-when I go around hunting for it. -At- least, I am going to hang on to them as long as I possibly can. I'll _ not let them go to-day, anyway,” with dé fiant resolution...“ I fave” enough to buy me my supper ; -and surely there is some™ = place in this great city where a stranded= man Can-<get a bed.” 3 4 “ Cettainly there is,’ responded the — derelict. promptly ; ; “dozens of ’em. But if you ain’t- goin’ to hock the clo’es,”’ he cautioned; “ I wouldn’t advise you to try the Municipal Lodgin’ -House, . They’d spot_ yourin a minute, an’ begin to ask _ questions: that maybe you wouldn’t like to answer. Besides, you can’t hit them™ for more’n three nights a month without gettin’ sent up to the Island; an’ it’s well to hold: them three nights” in reserve in case you have to usé “em. _ A What you'd better try to-night,” he advised, “is one of them church grafts. They ain’t so inquisitive there, and I will - say for ’em that they give you a pretty fair hand-out in the way of a breakfast in -the morning. PS ll tell you,’’ with friendly interest, “you be here about seven o'clock to- night and I'll take you with me down to the one I’m goin’ to. It ain't no Waldorf-Astoria, but. it’s bet- ter’n snoozin’ out of doors, an’ -I can steer you so that you can get in without very much-trouble. Eve. got to leave you now,’ he con- tinued, rising and stretching - himself. = I've got a friend that runs a saloon over on the Bowery, an’ he said maybe GOMIcboOoks (<8)