Weekly Trinity journal., 1875-05-01
THE STORY OF FIFINE.

THE STORY OF FIEINE.
The Hon. Bragg Tompkins, of-well,
let's say Wampum Rapids-did not go
into society and politics until late in life.
Society had not quite got to Wampum
Rapids at the time we speak of, and it
was not until the Hon. Bragg, who was
pretty much the founder of Wampum
Rapids, went to Congress as its repre-
sentative, that he saw anything of "soci-
ety." The Hon. Bragg was born in Ohio
somewhere and his earlier associations are
connected with pig driving. Somebody
owned the pigs and Tompkins drove them.
As he grew up no learned TO drive bar
gains rs we'll as pigs, and taking Mr..
Greeley's advice, went West until he
came to Wampum Rapids where he set
tied, married, built up II lard factory, n
pork packing establishment, n town, and
one of the handsomest fortunes ever ac-
cumulated in the West.
1t was after these achievements in
; practical lite that the Honorable Bragg
went into politics and had himself return
ed to Congress. Society,"" as he saw il
, for, the first time in Washington, struck
the Hon. Bragg with delicious awe-it
was all so strange to him, so different
from pork. AT one of the first parties to
which he was invited, the Honorable
Bragg was SO impressed with the inetfabe
insolence and charming grace of manner
7 of person present that he begged to be
introduced to him and after an interview
of about five minutes, retired in sort of
stunned amazement to ask his host who
it was. lie was informed that it was
foreign diplomat and an attache to one Of
, the legations.
, "Be id if | don't make diplomatst
, of my Misty, them" cried the Honorable
Bragg, and the compliment SO pleased
the diplomat when he heard of it, that he
= invited him to dine with him at the
o Welcker's Of the dny, and taught him
r how to drink Burgundy.
i Misty" was the familiar abbrevation
e of Themstocles Maginnis Tompkins, the
@ only son and heir of the Hon. Bragg, al
:. that time pursuing his college course
+ whisky punch and billiards chieAy-at
5 the Michigan University Misty was Il
n good fellow, handsome, rattle pated, with
O no great amount of brains, but plenty OF
life and very popular. His college career
j. was nipped in the bud soon after by some
}, rather obstreperous skylarking and "the
= old man" called Misty to Washington t.
Y prepare himself for diplomatic career
6 Misty took y French and Il Spanish
o teacher and went into Washington fast
life with an unsurpassable vim, After d
couple of years :" the old man" procured
- him situation rs Secretary of Legation
at European Court and Misty sailed fol
1 Europe in gleeful anticipation. He had
- a pocketful of shekes, n letter of credit
1 which made bankers clerks bow to him
a till they showed their back hair, and he
= was not quite twenty-one years DID,
r There was no necessity to report at the
{ place of his destination Immediately, and
so Misty was determined to have a good
+ time.
r He succeeded wonderfully we'll. Some
:, of his escapades are yet surviving among
e the legends which now float around thu
"American Colony" in Paris-Aavorou
tales which are told to new corners owe
,e the second bottle in the student restaur
e ants in the Latin Quarter. 1t was Mist,
le who tied the Sergeant de Uitte to a LAM
q post with Mile. Antonie's corset laces
W 1t was he who captured the magnifcen
n helmet Of Cent Guard as he was march
h ing on parade, with hook and line, an'
AZ forever disgraced the warrior by over
l. whelming him with the inextinguishab
le laughter Of the mob.
"A 1t was Misty who inveigled the Brook
g. lyn parson in Europe on sick furougl
in with bronchitis, into a tete-a-tete wit
,s Mile. Antonine at the Rochor de Cancal
Il and while the minister was deep in hi
Ie efforts to convert the interesting creatur
lie introduced two of his stadest parishioner
v upon the scene. 1t was Misty who wen
Ie to the Communist meeting at Belleville
1t and nearly frightened. Paris into hysteric
# by firing off Roman candles for sigma
q rockets from the windows, after turning
: off the gas.
J. One night as Misty was returning from
v questionable ball at a questionable houl
e along an unfrequented street, he saw {
If drunken Turco, crazed with absinthe
!. chasing little girl, who in vain tried t
n escape from him. Just as the brute tool
A the shrinking child by the hair, MIST
g stopped his cab, jumped quickly out. anC
v knocked the fellow down and kicked hin
d into the gutter, at the same time trynl
a to compose the terrified child. The cal
n driver drove away burriedy, and th,
a Turco, rising, drew his bayonet and as
: sailed Misty with vindictive fury. The
A child screamed loudly, the police came
: and the upshot was the arrest ofal three
4 When Misty was released the next morn
A ing he called the little girl to him. She
!, was ragged and tear-soled, but very
q pretty creature, about ten years of age,
with a deep olive skin and large brown
: eyes full of entreaty and pathos. What
is your name, little girl? he asked
"Teresa Gomez" she answered "bul
? every one calls me Fiine except my
q mother"
= "Wil she not be anxious about you
n Fi6ne ?" The child's eyes filed with
a tears. "Oh, very, she cried, "and she is
: SO sick, too" Then she told her little
$ story. She lived Numero 6Ol Rue de
q Bac. an SicieIne-and they were very