The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-03-23
ghe Tnledu Ghonirle.

they could trot. For by and by Jinks
walked up to the fact that he had started
to find the restaurant, and had surely lost
his way. Silly little boots! They did not
even turn about but trotted on and on.
Poor little Captain Jinks!
When Robert came back to the Office he
picked up his knife, swept up the few lit
tie whittlings, and went about his work.
Some one came upstairs two steps at
time, pushed open the office-door, and
called out:
Well, Captain Jinks'-
1t was papa Robert got down from his
stool, stuck his pen into his white hair,
and stared at him as if he had never seen
him before. 'Sir!'
"Where's Jinks? Where's the little
boy?
Didn't you take him to lunch, sir?"
Il take him! I've just got back.
What on earth are you staring atg''
"I-I left him here, sir. went with
the mall as you told me, sir. ! made sure
you'd be in directly.
"And you were gone"
"'Bout an hour, sir. And when | come
in l reckoned you'd took the little chap"
Papa looked quite pale; but he shut his
mouth firmly and did not say word.
First he went through the building, and
| in two minutes 1t was known in every
office that Captain Jinks was missing.
Then he sent Robert in one direction, and
babe him notify every policeman he met;
and he himself went in another direction,
and had word sent to all the police sta
,ions. So it was pretty generally known
that sturdy little fellow, with thick curly
hair, with big brown eyes, very red
cheeks, gray overcoat and a black velvet
cap was missing. Strange to say, Papa
did not mention the boots, which were at
the bottMn of the affair and which con
trived to keep out of the way Of all the po-
licemen, until it began to grow dark, ana
Papa was almost distracted. Just
as he was leaving the police-statiou
in despair some one cried out, cheerily:
"Oh! there he Isl That's my PapaW And
in an instant the gray overcoat, the vel
vet cap, the boots, and Capt. Jinks him
sells suuirmed out of the arms of tall
policeman, who was bringing him IN.
Such a tired, dirty, miserable little prodi~
gal as he was! But Papa didn't care
straw, so long as he actually had him
safe and sound. Too brave to cry and
confident that he should find his way
back to the Office, Jinks had tramped on,
until at last a little Italian violinist at
tractcd his attention and he stopped to
| listen to his music. The boy had coaXed
him away toward his own quarters, prom
ising to give him a monkey and take him
to his papa Strangely enough, all the
men who were looking for him failed to
SEQ him; out a policeman who had been
out on special duty, coming down on
West Side car, caught sight of the sus-
picious-looking partners and stopped to
look into the matter. Poor little Jlnks
was already beginning to repent OF his
confidence, and was glad enough to take
refuge with the policeman, on whose
broad shoulder he dropped asleep al
most as soon as he was seated in the street
car.
He had parted company with his
pocket book, and his mittens, and his lit
tie blue bordered handkerchief; but then
Jinks himself was all there, and there was
even very little shine left on the boots
When he sat on his Mammals knee, look
ing very sweet and very sleepy, in his
white night gown, Mamma cuddled him
up close and said:
"Who took care of my darling when he
was lost in the big city,"
"God did," said Jinks, softly. I'm
glad he's so high up, cause he could sec
me all the time"
"And he sent the policeman totakc care
of your"
I" Yes" said Jinks; II s'pose he did.
He said: That's Capt. Jinks. He's a boy
that I'm 'quainted of, and he's getting
loscd. You better go and take him back. !"
Emily Huntington Miller, in A. T. In
dependent.