Piccadilly Jim

Nassau Street the crowds moved more slowly. Candy-selling aliens jostled newsboys, and huge dray-horses endeavoured to the best of their ability not to grind the citizenry beneath their ho

cene, typical of this nerve-c

ond stick-pins, there were men who, having smoked seven-tenths of a cigar, were eating the remainder: but there was not one with whom he would not at that moment willingly have

lammy sensation of dismay. He would have had to admit that the words "High though his titles, proud his name, boundless his wealth as wish can claim" did not apply to Jimmy Crocker. The latter may have been "concentred all on self," but his wealth consisted of one hundred and thirty-three

at ten o'clock and with it the Sunday issue of the Chronicle. Five years had passed since he had seen the dear old rag for which he had reported so many fires, murders, street-accidents, and weddings: and he looked forward to its perusal as a formal taking seisin of his long-neglected country. Nothing could be more fitting and symb

n Island is the first Sunday paper. Jimmy, like every one else, began by opening the comic supplement: and as he scanned it a chilly discomfort, almost a premonition of evil, came upon him. The Doughnut Family was no more. He knew that it was unreasonable of him to feel as if he had just been informed of the death of a dear friend, for Pa Doughnut and his associate

ut it did not affect his material welfare. Tragedy really began when he turned to the magazine

LY JIM A

th it his

vim which outdid even Bill Blake's effort in the London Daily Sun. Bill Blake had been handicapped by consideration of space and the fact that he had turned in his copy at an advanced hour when the paper was almost made up. The present writer was shackled by no restrictions. He had plenty of room to spread himself in, and he had spread himself. So liberal had been the editor's views in the respect that, in addition to the letter-press, the pages contained an unspeakably offensive picture of a burly young man in

d had at first failed to grasp-to wit, that this character-sketch of himself was no mere isolated outburst but a

in full measure. By the time he had completed his third reading he was regarding himself in a purely objective fashion not unlike the attitude of a naturalist

e Monday morning he made his way to Park Row to read the files of the Chronicle-a morbid enterprise, akin to the eccentric

bad as he had feared-only to be crushed by another trenchant screed. After that he set about his excavations methodically, resolved to know the worst. He knew it in

y called him. Pi

sought a quiet doorway where he

l these bustling persons who passed knew him, that they were casting sidelong glances at him and laughing derisively, that those who chewed gum chewed it sneeringly and that those who

m that he had anything to do but walk in, slap the gang on the back, and announce that he was ready to work. Work!-on the staff of a paper whose chief diversion appeared to be the satirising of his escapades! Even had he possessed the moral courage-or gall-to make the application, what good would it be? He was a by-word in a worl

little rash

e use for him, a country where competition was keen and jobs for t

two weeks after you had left. A decent interval among the husks and swine was essential. Besides, there was his father to consider. He might be a poor specimen of a fellow, as witness the Sunday

ng and healthy, but a man cannot live on it

could

forward was, it was true, but a temporary one, yet it appealed strongly to Jimmy. He had found it

ht again at Grand Central. He made his way westward along Forty-second Street to the hotel which he thought would meet his needs. He had scarcel

, Mr. Bayliss? Are

e other place that y

I haven't kep

king very delightful in

tone and his sister. Do you remember him? He crossed over

poor girl, from lunching with that insufferable pill Teddy-or was

they to hav

ne o'

y not going to wait any longer. Come w

be ab

nt to talk to you

y would never forgive me." She got into the cab. "It's only because you have appealed to me to hel

hat I could rely on your womanl

ave never been in New York before. By the way, wh

g, if only I co

Delmonico's. It's ju

ourth S

things round t

cryptic. What

o admit the existence of wonderful things just round the corner. You sai

t love at one o'clock in the aft

icably mixed up

said that you were trying to get a job. Have

olut

'm rathe

ed. When they were seated at their table and Jimmy had given an order to t

g is to find someth

ull of prosperous-looking lunchers, not one of whom appeared to have a care or an unpaid bill in the world. The atmosphere was redolent of sub

of the Idle Rich. To my mind the ideal profession is strolling

as se

ever heard anything so thorough

side with my dinner-pail, and you will come by in your limousine, and I shal

roud of

ch rather hang about and try to get adopted by a m

ou want?"

assified Telephone Di

or?" as

ion. There is nothing

a red book. Jimmy thanked h

he become?" he said.

ditor? What do y

ink you co

ried. I might turn out to be very

uster o

.' I take it that, having decided to become an adjuster, you then sit down and dec

wha

diner leans back in his chair, and the menial works the apparatus in the background. It is entirely superseding the old-fashioned method of picking the vegetable up and taking a snap at it. But I suspect that to be a suc

te. It looks delicious

lies. On the other hand, I might not. Similarly, while there is no doubt a bright future for somebody in Celluloid, Fiberloid, and Other Factitious Goods, instinct tells me that there is

had not dimmed her regard for the old man she had seen for that brief moment at Paddington Station. He was

lly your nam

not de

is a darling," said

himself in the

iss the Drop Forger? I don't quite like that last one. It may be a respectable occupation, but it sounds

at book away and go on w

e some day and say in their piping, childish voices, 'Tell us how

ing your time, when you ought to be either talking to me o

rning the pa

otel Broker, an Insect Exterminator, a Junk Dealer, a Kalsomine Manufacturer, a Laundryman, a Mausoleum Architect, a Nurse, an Oculist, a Paper-Hanger, a Quilt Designer, a Roofer, a Ship Plumber, a Tinsmith, an Undertaker, a Veterinarian,

ht of him, started violently and felt no joy at all; for he had recognised him. It was a man he knew well and who knew him well-a man whom he had last seen a bare two weeks ago at the Bachelors' Club in London. Few things are certain in this world, but one was that, if Bartling-such was the Vision's name-s

d its sweep. It rest

" said t

ome over on a visit of pleasure, his suit-case stuffed with letters of introduction, but these he had not yet used. There was a feelin

I didn't know you were over

fashion, he would undoubtedly have incriminated himself by recognition of his name. But, having anticipated the v

Jimmy

tares of modern times. He looked at

e mistake," he said.

omething. It was absolutely rotten! He continued to blush till one could have fancied him scarlet to the ankles. He backed away, apologising in ragged mutters. Jimmy was not insensible to the pathos of his suffering acquaintance's position; he knew Reggie and his devotion to good form sufficiently well to enable him to appreciate the other's horror at having spoken to a fellow

d off to restore his nerve centres to their normal tone at some other h

extremely and of which he would not have believed himself capable.

ocker!" c

glass, sipped,

urious thing, too, that it sounds famili

mmy Crocker on the ship

ed at her

rse. I've got it now. He

s if he had undergone a change

said Jimmy. "Some are born Jimmy Crockers, others have Jimmy Crockers thrus

an extraord

England a few years ago who kept getting sent to prison for thi

come over here and that we should have met like this at just this time. You see, the r

ha

ent with my uncle and aunt, who wanted to

eling completely

le and au

ained that they are h

ster married

ut

e Sunday Chronicle lately? It has been publishing articles about Jimmy Croc

Spoken, and by Ann, it was loathly. R

ther one print

d Jimmy, to ave

ike him, but you aren't him he?-him?-no, 'he' is right. The soul is what counts. If you've got a good, virtuous, Algernonish soul, it doesn't matter if you're so like Jimmy Crocker that his friends come up and talk to you in restaurants. In fact, it's rather an advantage, really. I'm sure that if

uld have been near you for a time. I should have lived in th

d to address an im

He speaks wonderfully! They used to call him the Boy Orator in

dly. He disapproved

ays you will tr

did you?" she said in concern. "But I meant it, every

self to the key o

entiment in yo

u would have heard something worth while. You've

thought of

kerfeller they can give him five minutes. But of course I should need a check-book, and I haven't got one. Oh wel

*

n to New York, and how galling that, now that he was in New York, this avenue to a prosperous future was closed by the fact that something which he had done five years ago-that he could re

sed him by uttering his name, the name which

y Cro

quare-shouldered, battered young man, who wore on his homely face a grin of recognition and regard. Jimmy was not particularly good at remembering faces, but this person's was of a kind which the poorest memory might have recalled. It was, as the advertisements say, distinctively individual. The broken nos

aid the ba

courteously. "In what way

m the other's face

my Crocker,

ances to be Alg

tchell r

me. My m

. Parting from Ann had left a large gap

Jerry Mitchell. I saw you fight K

list's face, wider than ever.

ing, he's Jimmy Crocker's uncle that I mistook you for. Say, you're a dead ringer for that

in part

There's a place I kno

ight

heir way to

tchell. "I'm on the wagon mys

No sense in always drinking and making a di

Crocker. Though outwardly convinced by the other's denial, he had not been able to rid himself till now of a nebulous suspicion. But this convinced him. Ji