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HOW 'WRECKER MORTON 'GAVE UP T HIS , ,
WICKEDNESS FOR A PAIR OF BONNY'BLtJE EYES
Being the Story of-the Time the' Greatest Pearl Poacher of the
., South Seas Kept His Itching Fingers Off a.Big Deal.
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By Donald MacGregor.
Patrolhian Sullivan grabbed
my arm and dragged me down
.the alley until we stood outside
Stumpy Dan's place, which is
known to all Lake sailormetr.
"Do ye hear It?" asked Sulli
van. .
I did. It was a voice, high and
querulous and sligjttly hiccoughy,
which, .tdM the beating Qf some
heavy thing'upon wood, 'sang:
fceven men irom all tne worio,
Who've just reached home
again; V
"Rollng"Kiown the Radcliffe
, Road, drunk and raisin'
Cain."
"I hear it," I sajd to Sullivan.
"Why don't you arrest it?"'
'"Tis a friend of mine',", said
" Sullivari, "an' besides -when sober,
't"s a saver of souls. Go in and
ask it yhere it learned that song."
So I went inside.
At a rear table, in a crumpled
and shockingly dirty Prince Al-
bert coat, safc an individual $rhose
eyes were alight with whisky,
and who pounded the table with,
a wooden leg' (his own), as he.
sang. '
I "went over and sat ddwn at
the. table.
The song stopped. Tne -singer,
with some difficulty, raised him
j "I'have this' night fallen frorrf
grace and into the hands of Satan
himself," he said. "But I have yet
to learnf that any njan sits down
at Wooden-legged Donoh'qe's ta
ble without being asked."
"PatroIman'Sullivan said Iwas
to talk to you-," I said,
i Theglare"went frdm Mr.'Dono
hue's eyes. He resumed his seat
"Patrolman Sullivan' 'he said,
"is an Hibernian gentleman, and
my friend. Bartender, we would
1 drinkto the wealth df Eatrolman
Sullivan."
"Ye'll drink no more in this
house tonight," said the'bartend
er, shprtjy. '"For. why should. I
be huntin' trfauble when a vice in
vestigation is on an' the police are
closih.' up their best friends."
In the aching void that fdlldw
ed this remark, I ventured:
"Patrolman Sullivan said I was
to'asjc yqu where you learned
that song." '
v The 'eyes of the wooden-leg
ged man lighted, .
"I Teamed that song," he said,
"where I lost my legin mighty
bad company, the same being
Wrecker Morton
"Yes?" I said, and winked to
the bartender, so1 that he under
stodd I had nothing to do with
the Civil Service'' Commission.
" 'Twas this' way;" said Wood-
self on his One leg, and regarded
me malevolently.
en-leg. "in the year '-89 I was
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