The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-05-01
THE STORY OF tIFINE.

had not quite gOt 10 NuiiP"HH h"l'N' ~ Va,
time we speak OF, and 1t was not uh,il tle
Hon. Bragg, who was pretty mucl lhe louhu'
or of Wampum Rapids, went to Congress as
;,c representative that he saw anything of so.
cie,v The Hon Bragg was born in Ohio
somewhere and his earlier associations are
connected with pig.driving, Somebody own
cd tbc pigs, and TomkiBS drove them. As
Ihe grew up he learned TO drive bargains as
we'll as pigs, and, taking Mr. Greeley's al.
vice, went West till he came to Wampum
Rapids, where he settled, married, built up a
lard factory, a pork-packing establishment, a
town, and one OF the handsomcst iorturcs
ever accumulated in the West
1t was after these achievements in practl-
cal life that the Honorable Bragg went into
notifies and had himself returned to Con
gress Society, as he saw 1t in Washington
for the first time, struck the Honorable bragg
with delicious awe-it ;,as all 50 strange 10
him, so different from pork. AT one one Oh
the first parties to which he was invited me
Honorable Bragg was so impressed Win lhe
lneifablc InSolcncc and charming grace OF
manner OF person present that he begged 10
be introduced to him, and, after an interview
of five minutes, retired in sort oil stunned
amazement to ask ms host who that was. lie
He was informed that it was foreign dlpio.
mat an attache of onc ofthc legations.
"Bamcd if I don't make a diplomatst OF
my Misty, then" cried the honorable bragg,
and the compliment So pleased the diplomat
when he heard it that he invited him to dine
with him at the Welcker's OF the day and
taught him how to drink Burgundy.
"MIsty" was the familiar abbrcviation Of
ThemisiocleS Mcginnis Tomkins, only son
and heir of the Honorable Bragg, at the time
a youth Of eighteen, pursuing his college
and whisky punch, chiefly
at Michigan University. Misty was good
fellow, handsome rattle pated, with no
great amount of brains, but plenty of life, and
very popular His college career was nlpped
IN the bud soon after by some rather obstre-
perous skylarkng, and "the old man called
"Misty" to Washington to prepare himselffora
diplomatic career. misty" took a French
and Spanish teacher and went into Wash
ington fast life with an indispensable vim
After u couple ofycars the 'old man pro
cured him position as Secretary of Lega.
ton at a European court, and Misty sailed
for Paris in gleeful anticipation. He had a
pocket full ofshckcls, a letter OF credit which
made bankers clerks bow to him till they
showed their back hair, and he was not quite
twenty.onc years old. There was no neces
sity to report at the place OF his destination
Immediately, and Misty was determined to
have "a good time,
He succeeded wonderfully well. Some Of
his escapadcs are YET surviving among the
legends which float around the American
colony" in Paris--tavorOuS tales which are
told to ncw. corners over the second bottle IN
tho student restaurants of the Latin Quarter.
1t was Misty who tied the !Sergem de VIE to
laces 1t was he who captured the magnfi.
cent helmet Of q Gems Guard, as he was march
ing on parade, with tish.hook and line, and
forever Gisgraccd the warrior by ovcrwhelm-
ing him with the IncXhaustible laughter of
the mob. 1t was Misty who went to the Com
munist meeting at Bellevilc, and nearly fright
ened Paris into Mysteries by firing off Roman
candles for signal rockets from the windows,
after turning off the gas.
One night as Misty was returning from a
questionable ball at a questionable hour,
along an untrequcntcd street, he saw drunk.
en- Turco, crazed with absinthc, pursuing q
little girl, who in vain tried to escape from
him. Just as the brute caught the shrinking
child by the hair Misty stopped his cab,
jumped quickly out knocked the fellow down
aud kicked him into the gutter, at the same
lime trying to compose the terrified child. The
cab drivcr drove away hurriedly, ana the
Turco, rising drew his bayonet and assailed
Misty with vindictve fury. The child scream
I'd loudly, the police came, and the upshot
, as the arrest of all three. When Misty was
elc,' 'sed next morning he called the little girl
q him She was ragged and tear.soiled, but
very betty creature about ten years of
&C with oe1U, olive skin, and large, brown
YES, full of el.lfGaty and pathos. "What is
our name, Little G,Il;' he asked. Teresa
iomez." she ansN cred; "but cTerybody calls
ne Fiine except my mother.
"Wil she not be uneasy about you, Figne 2"
The Child's eyes filled up with tcGss "Oh,
very. she cried, land she is so sica, TOO.
Then She told her little story. She livcd
Numcro Col Rue de Bae, an airteme--and
they were very poor Her mother was too Ill
to get out for work and the little girl supper
ted both by selling Cigarlightcrs about the
cafes and the doors Of the theaters Last cv
cnlng she was later out than usual and had
lost her way when the Turco pursued her.
Her father was gambler. seldom came home.
and did nothing for Ter mothers support,
only abused her
Our young diplomats called carriage
and took FInnc 10 her home, sixth story OF
y
A scene of distress and deslitulion such rs
fairly appalled, his unaCcuStcmed eyes. In
a bare garrett, stripped ot every comtor,
and convenience OF life, hc found young
woman in the last stage Of consumption, ~
ing unattended upon Il pallet This unhappy
creature welcomed Fitne's return with u
painfully convusive JOY and those maternal
cries of relief from agony which no one can
listen to unmoved. a few sylla6les tod her
all and then her gratitude 10 Misty drew
tears from that young fellows eyes such rs
he never expected to shed. The woman
whose name was Cur.oua GomcZ, was evi
IDENTIFY lady. She told Tomkins that sh'
was a South American, gave HIM to under
stand that she was the victim OF an uniortu
nate marriage, but abstaned from telling hin
more or accusing any person besides herself
Misty could see for himself that she was dy
ing and was extreme destitutely. lie went on
aud presently returned with capiul OF dell
cacies for the dying woman, and physician
"A Young American doctor who was walkin!
the hospitals and corresponding with news
Ipapers at home. DIR, ElhCott easily saw tina
Nine. Gomez's life was to be a short one, an
told TomkIns so. Our diploma,lst determir
i ,Lat thu child should moi bpu any NOR,