Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-04-10


and followed for block or two, until
seeing by jewelers. clock that it only
lacked quarter of nine o'clock, would
have not more than time to reach the
depot. Turning around, I started off on
run, rather frightened, and somewhat
bewildered. I made two or three turns,
and was quite sure that l was upon the
street leading to the depot I expected
every moment to come to the window
filled with firearms, but after running
full mile and not finding it, knew l had
blundered, and was lost.
| "Why, bless your soul p exclaimed
an old woman of whom I inquired the
way, "yon a,e more'n mile from the
depot, and your train left twenty minutes
ago."
| The WON IN kept a fruit and candy
store, and while we were talking took
out my wallet, and made purchase of
some apples. There was boy about
my own size, but stouter, hanging
around the place, and he had such a
hungry look that offered him couple
of apples.
SEQ away, you young thief y shouted
the woman, striking at the boy with a
club which it seemed she kept on hand
for such cases. " If you come around
here any more, I'll call the police
The boy fell back into the shadows,
and the woman directed me, as best she
could, how to reach the depot. No train
would go out before morning on my
route, but / wanted to get to the depot
as soon as possible, knowing that Fred
would be there, or be searching for me.
I had only passed on half block when
the stranger boy came pattering up be-
hind me and touched my arm.
Never you mind what the old wo-
man said back there !" he whispered.
"She came outer State Prison last week,
an she ar the wust old thief in the
world. Yoca is a gent, you is, an if you
want to go to the depot I'll lead you the
way"
/ believed the boys assertion, and
looked upon him as a martyr. / was even
sorry that I had patronized the old wo-
man, and wondered at her audacity in
daring to heap such an insult upon the
boy. He walked along beside me, chat
tering like a magpie, and finally got to
telling me about horrible case of MUIR
der which had occurred that day. He
described everything so graphically
and so much at length, that he secured
my whole attention, and / only found
myself again when hearing the bells
strike ten.
{" It's only little way furder now, ;" he
replied in answer to my question "Il
soon land you right to the door,"
had told him about my getting lost
about Fred, that I believed Fred would
wait for me, or perhaps secure assistance
from the police, and search for me and
so he laid his plans accordingly. Il
must have been about half past ter
when he halted in front of an i'll looking
building, and asked me to wait mo-
ment on the walk while he went in ano
spoke to his uncle. We were off the
business streets, away from stores
street-cars and pavements, and the
nelghborhoOd was composed of saloons
and houses of still worse character.
Come III minnit, Johnny" whis
pered my guide, coming to the door and
beckon1ng to me.
l went in after him, and found myself
. III saloon. There was sawdust on the
. floor, pictures of prize-fighters on the
walls, and smell of beer and tobacco
. which made me sick. A stout, fat man,
with red eyes and ugly face, came out
from behind the bar and extended big
greasy hand for me to take.
cit ar singular what things do hap
pen in this world p he exclaimed, laugh.
ing, as if greatly pleased. SO It warn't
over fifteen minutes ago that your friend
Fred war here looking for you knows
Fred he ar mighty fine chap, he ar;
says he to me, as we took glass to-
7 | H.
here, do you ak him to stop unit
l come back. I will take a turnabout
and be back in an hour that's what he
said, my boy, an so you can sit down IL
; the back room for short time an be
sure that he'll come in afore the bells
strike again.
believed every word of his statement
and why shouldn't L? How should ht
know about Fred and our journey, i
Fred had not been there? l did no
! stop to think that / had told the boy
! Jimmy, ali about it, and That he coul(
have repeated my statements to the man
and thus allow the villain the foundation
= for concocting plausible story. I wen
into the back room, which had no furni
= ture except bench or two, two or tire,
chairs and table, and sat down will
the expectation that Fred would sool
be along.
A novel, entitled "Claude Duval, til,
{ Highwayman, lay upon the table. I hao
l never even seen book of the kind be
: fore, and from being interested in tn
! wood-cuts, at length began reading tn
: wonderful adventures of the robber hero
= I read page after page, utterly forget
. ting where I was / heard men come il
and go out of the front room, heard tn
barkeeper moving about, but no soun'
: took my attention from the narrativ
! until the man opened the door and cam
u = in
: "Well, Mr.. Frank, it's after mid
4 night p he exclaimed, "an' yonr frien'
. hasn't come back yet. But, it ar a
right. promised him to wait until mid
= night, an then if he didn't come back
: war toput you all nicely to bed, and sen
!, !, you over to the depot at five o'clock i
L the morning So I'll call Jimmy an
. tuck you away"
J Sc R1lt-h1lt TIL on To the deDOt - T re