The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, September 9, 1900, Page 16

46 How “MHappy ZTack Chretien nasses bis ne in fail. a time the fs THE SUNDAY CALL N, spoons, silver mugs and rattles by the d No one saw the fairies as they circled round the baby, soft. ¥ speaking their gifts. health,” cooed tha obtain anyth: us heir fiss M. ( 1r-‘ “I give him the fairies. “I give him said the maid of true the e courage to dare and igence,” 18 never known his equal. F rate wealth, a e, a nimble wit, d their gifts. floated air, 3 slighted fairy ap- the doorway and in a voice “Un- 2 ot week the 7 in La bove his cel e hissed, JAack ifts f"f. I take away curz:srlEN : : S POLITICIAN For a breathl cond the queen of the fairies couldn’t think just how 1s fairy of her re- Then with a sigh she said ckild unfailing good to cheat the env this he spoiled his lifeP” whis- of honor to the queen s they neared the fairies’ dell. will make others , but he himself can never appy For I have given him ng good humor.” / iChretien proceeded to ther. In handling t his father's esta “Now tend to what I've This is g looking about as the on the £ I s k. Young man. You'll long Hist cl v Aty 3 i, - ther oppor tor The sto: g to blac Or s . wing . y fine mall a yo and after- cently d " 1 by Profes 3 fellow, as long as 1 live, And, there. ward, at the retracting Wwith the Mills spectr 8 ¢ Sack Chy W's vour time to the charges, is too well known to Ap ga s repetition t so are all his other r . o E 3 e very deeds. Poc Manager F . » d : and wh srmance was a g - - & n stopped by Daly, he denled that ke " he had ever received a cent of the $309. - PORS Fortu ly Frawley his ch = g stubs. His e to mismanage the ° " o S Fourth of J for his own benefit s £ w came to lig the comm was expelled from charges br He has helpless w ing money on accused of and orphan, th the ) miles; ed to e greater tha A great. We may e 4 ¢we mones G each many times larger . = r ,‘ than our sun, circling around each ot in orbits whic be smal of the planet much greater “'HIS RIRST MEAL AT THE COUNTY JAILL. “What you think I eata the nica fresh feesh with? You think I cuta the meat with my teengers? You shake those spa- ghettl feet of yours and bring me a knifa /1 got 1n nere. The chief jailer here,’ and Happy Jack winked famillarly at him, “has broken bread and popped corks witn me many times. Well, I was so glad to gee him I forgot the changed clrcum- stances, slapped him on the back and sald) ‘How are you, old man? ‘Here, he said, ‘you stand over in that corner and wait your turn; when I'm ready I'll attend to you' That was a solar plexus, but I sald to myself, ‘Come out strong, Jack, he doesn’t mean anything; he's just got to remind vou of his authority.' I was ready with a smile when he called me up to the desk.” Mr. Chretien’s first dinner in jall was a memorable one. Upon request, as s tho rule, he was permitted to send outside for his meals. A waiter from a neighboring Itallan restaurant was brought to Mr. Chretien’s cell, or boudotr as he calls i*, to make arrangements. The waiter re- " turned bristling with politeness and halr. With his olly fingers he spread the feast, and smacking his lips by way of en- couragement, waited for his victim to fall to. Mr. Chretien had not yet bsen informed ©of the rule forbidding a prisoner a knife or fork. “Here, Garibaldl,” he called. and fork.” “No giva the knife or fork; only spoon,” said the waiter. I forgetta to cut him for you.” “Better eat it for me, too!” And then remembering that when Mark Tapley lay burning up with fever he was too far gone to speak, he feebly wrote “Jolly' on a slate, Happy Jack “came out strong” and flavored his dinner with quips and Jests that brought the jailers to the res- cue of the waiter. Chretien has every confidence of being cleared when his case is brought to trial. It has been thrown into the police cousts, and Chretfen knows thefr ways—more dark and mysterious than the heathen Chinee. His only concern is to have it over with. That he can never be cleared of the disgrace, though he escape punish- ment, does not shatter his self-satisfac- tion one whit. To the world at large Jack Chretien’s merry mood sits oddly on a man who has Just been ground through the mill. He has been a plctured a remorseful penitent creature. But to those who know him well his attitude s no surprise. Happy Jack he was born and Happy Jack he will die, though the whole world point the finger of scorn. That he is inherently without the ability to judge between right and wrong would seem evident from the open way in which he has perpetrated his misdeeds. To do the wrong thing was to do the natural thing for John Chretien, Almost invaria. bly he was detected in his crookedness. Again and again he has good-naturedly admitted crimes which any other man would keep under lock and key. “A moral ldiot,” says the psychologist. Early in his career the black spats on his* character made their appearance. ty-five years ago he was a young lawyer with a promisind future. But he strayed into politics and was soon up to his knees in the mire. Then came the first blot on the ‘scutcheon. Jack Chretien, star bon vivant of the Bohemian Club, had been forced to resign, said the gossips, The reason why soon leaked through club doors. He had introduced into the club a professional gambler, with whose gid Chretlen pocketed goodly poker winnings. The trick was discovered and his resig- nation demanded, but not until a signed confesslon was obtained from him, Instead of regilding his reputation,