* * * * *
"Miss Blank knows him. She had more than once ordered him out of her house for abusing L—— and living off her dreadful earnings…."
When the steamer was far away, almost out of sight, Brother S—— at last turned to me and asked whether I had seen L——'s dairy, now in her father's possession. "No," I replied; "I had no idea she had kept one." Then, as we walked home, he repeated some recent entries in it. I give them to you as best my memory serves me:
(Date) "Just as I feared: Bert has been grafting again and has lost his job…."
(Date) "We're going to Spokane. My! but I'm homesick; I'd like to give in, but I won't! I won't!…"
(Date) "Bert has secured a job at last. Better than nothing—clerking in the soda fountain department of ——'s drug store. Hope he'll quit grafting."
(Date) "I've a good position now in —— ——'s cloak and suit house.
Afraid I can't keep it long, my health is so poor lately…."
(Date) "Bert and I had words tonight. He's quit. I suppose he had to."
(Date) "There's a very pleasant lady in the next bed to mine [sanitarium]. I'm going back with her when she goes home, and until Bert is on his feet again…."
(Date) "How much has happened since I last wrote in my diary! I've some fine clothes and jewelry. Bert is sporting a suit of fine clothes and diamond pin, but—I can't write any more."