The Landloper

hot bowl of the sky seemed to sh

he streets, and yearned for a patc

usands of open windows. A canal of slow-moving, turbid water intersected the city and fed its quota of power to each mill. The fenced bank of the canal was green; and elms, languid in the fierce heat, gave

which extended between the canal and the shimmering brick walls was al

a time and watched the swirl of the water below. Then he sauntered on

an old man, with bent shoulders and a withered face, trudged to and fro, clawing down into the black waters with a huge rake. He was the rack-tender-it was his task to keep the ribs of the guarding rack clear of the refuse that came swirling down with the water, for flotsam, if allowed to lodge, might filch some of the jealously guarded power away from the mighty turbines which growled

ld's shrill voice from a mill windo

his head from his

lace," he cried, with a str

ger, putting his back against the

nne Pro

t here and rest. I am here because I love the soothing sound of babbling waters on a hot day. Go about yo

u arrest!" cri

ding his tanned neck. In some men that length of hair might have seemed affectation. It gave this man, as he sat there uncovered, that touch of the unusual which separates the person of strong individuality from the me

le indentation in the tree-tr

or doing that, Etienne?" he i

sideways sharply, b

dolla

o you do with the rest of the money t

er was

e mill windows where childish

rried and have a dozen children now, working hard f

f his foot-bridge and flung d

bears swept through him. His features

up-not so big as chicken leg. And all outdoor free to odder childs-not to them childs up dere." He shook his fists at

n under the tree. "It doesn't do any good; and then somebody calls you names. I was something like

nkee speech very well. He worked alone; he lived alone in his garret in the tenement block; he talked but little with any p

laire I save much. Ah, oui! Hist! Not for me I save it. Ah, non! To the priest I give it. To the good priest. And the poor childs what are sick-he

ke and pike and wen

he tree did not

ays been, 'giving away something you don't want in order to get yourself advertised.' Etienne is interesting. He is the only philanthropist I have even found who will eat lard instead of butter so as to save

down his pike so as to give

of the water. At last it broke through the black surface of the turbid flood. To Walker Farr,

'," called old Etienne

rake's dread burden slowl

ool about this," g

wn in the canal so they will be found. Women and gi

ad been laid on the canal bank. Sh

st one of the hands he had lifted. "There's the marks on

t between the buttons on her waist. Farr stooped and pulled on the key. A folde

ner," protested Etienne. "I know

his calm impertinence unruffled. He pulled the wet pape

to me." His little black eyes gleamed now with curiosity of his

tted the paper, but Farr was able to

y to send her to board. I could not earn the money except to buy us bread here in the tenement block. And my bad head has been telling me it's best to kill myself and take her with me. So I kill myself before my head grows so bad that I might take awa

ELISIAN

me is Ro

ng and stared into the gli

e strange, hard oaths that his ancestors had brou

ill. Its open windows vomited the staccato chatterings of the myriad loom

d and eyeing it with peculiar interest. "But in this case it seems to picture conditions pre

them they have killed another. They will telephone for the coroner. I will gi

out of this affair. Let's make him happy-he can drag out the inquest and give his friends a long job on the jury." He smiled and started away, shaking his head when the old man protested shrilly. "Better say nothing about this letter and the key. You'll get

akes me break the law