The Argosy, October 1906 — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

he’d give me the job of Sweepin’ out there mornings. I want to go over and see him about it.” Clarkson watched him as he shuffled off between the trim lawns and glowing flower-beds, and wondered if «he could -ever degenerate to such a state as that. Verily, though, he was taking’ the first step. When a man comes to the point of - accepting the charity of a free lodging- house, he has gone .a long way toward the. apathy of pauperism. Horace may have been, and no doubt was, extremé in this view; but it muSt be -ftemembered that from the time he was a little child he had paid as he went, and he: had always entertained a pro- found contempt for the man who was unable to. do so. Still, in-his present condition, it was a case of Hobson’s choice. To pawn his clothes would merely give him a little - temporary _relief, and would definitely eut him off from the chance of raising his fortunes abéve their present low ebb. To sleep On a park-bench would | “probably result in his ending up at the “station-house under a charge.-of. va- grancy, or if he escaped that, the. ex- posure might produce ‘serious complica tions from his injured finger... And to think of securing quaxters’ sat where» else upon his present capital would be as futile as to~return to ‘the Hambletonian A - With a sudden startled ejaculation, he “sprang to his feet. The Hambletonian! Good -~ heavens, he owed them for the use of a bedroom and bath for an entiré day, and he did not have a._penny wherewith to pay them. More than that, his razors, his brushes and combs, his toilet articles, and his changes of linen were all in their keeping. To attempt to get his satchel would inevitably draw suspicion toward’ him, resulting in his arrest.as a common hotel beat. 2 CHAPTER IX. A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY. “ Ir never rains but it pours, they say,” muttered Horace; “and certainly things seem to be getting moist with me. Here, in addition to all my other troubles, % e / THE ARGOSY. suddenly find that. I am ‘suit of a crime. I don’t know just what the penalty for / beating a‘ hotel-bill may be, but, what- ever it is, Lam unquestionably eligible to it.” And yet. he was distinctly puzzled what. to do to keep from getting. worse into the mire. At present, he was only liable for one day’s lodging; but, unless he notified them to the contrary, the hotel people would hold»the room-for- him for a rea- sonable time,'and the bill would be_pro- portionately increased. Yet, if he presented himself there to give up the room, what could he say? : Merely that he was unable to pay; and, ef in default of a Valid excuse, would be, peremptorily marched off to jail. Then suddenly the thought — of the telephone occurred to*him,~ Blessed \in- vention! “Without: ~ acquainting with his reasons, he could relinquish his them: ?- a -_ - room over the wire, and instruct. them to. ~ hold his grip as*security until he should ~~ call around to séttle. — Their natural inference: would-bé that “he had -been unexpectedly calléd out: of —_ town for a day or so; and they would ® therefore interpose no objection to’ the arrangement, concluding, of course,*that:. he had not been able'to find-time*to gome ~~ all the es up there and liquidate his . bill. This struck ifn asa brilliant inspira- tion, for..by it he killed two birds’ with one stone. Not only did he prevent him- self from running up an account without obtaining any advantages; but also, as his legal- knowledge told him, the agree-" ment on their part to submit to delay in payment would remove from him, the onus of crimé. He therefore lost no time in putting his project into execution, and, as he had~ expected, found no difficulty in promptly closing the transaction with the Hamble- tonian. Coming back from the drug+ store whence he sent the messag@ how- ever, the rather poignant reflection struck him that he had talked away the big end ‘ of his supper. The charge for his telephoning had been ten cents, and he consequently had but a single nickel left wherewith to PEE vide his evening repast. Clarkson had not felt partienlaehs hungry before, although it, had been early ™ comicbooks.com ‘S