The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-04-14

to git round; and stop in home for O
bite while I'm down the way"
Poor little Jinks swallowed hard at the
popcorn-ball and took his knife but
when Robert was actually gone he didn't
care much about whiting. What If he
should cut his finger, and no one there
to hear him cry. So he went back to
the window, and waited and watched.
He tried to count the people; but as he
could only count up to ten, he had to
begin over very often. All the men in
the world went by except his papa.
Jinks was sure of that. His papa had
forgotten all about him. Jinks was sure
of that too. Away up the street he could
see the restaurant where they always
went for lunch. Probably he was sit
ting there now. Jinks was growing in
dignant.
know the way, and I'll go my own
SELF" And with this brave resolve he
started out. After all, it would be very
grand to come marching in all alone;
and at the thought Jinks thrust his
hands into his overcoat pockets, and felt
on one side the two cookies and on the
other five-cent piece. It was the nickel
that did the business, for Jinks immedi-
ately resolved to crafty the one desire
of his heart and shave shine" He
caught sight of q booth down the
street, and hurried after him, without
noticing that he had passed the restau-
rant on his way. If Jinks lives to be O
man he will never feel prouder than
when he stood at the street corner, amid
n crowd of grinning boys, while two
sturdy ragamuffins took it by turns to
put miraculous polish onto the little
red-topped boots.
"See to shave yerself in them boots,
Gen'ral, said one of the boys, as Jinks
dropped the nickel in his dirty hand.
Give us yer custom regular 2"
Jinks walked at least three blocks with
no thought in his noddle but those boots.
How they did shine He hunted into
half dozen people, in his admiration of
those glossy little mischief-maker that
were getting him into trouble as fast as
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 Capt. Jinks
When Robert came back to the Office
he picked up his knife, swept up the few
little WRITINGS, and went about his
work. Some one came upstairs two
steps at time, pushed open the office
door, and called out ::
"Well, Capt. Jinks -
It 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 Jinksa Where's the little
boy
"Didn't you take him to lunch, sir9"
CT take him! I've Just got back.
What on earth are you staring at2"
the mail, MS you told me, sir. I made
sure you'd be in directly.
"And you were gone -
"'Bout an hour, sir. And when
come in I 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 it was known in every
Office that Capt. 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 stations. So it was pretty gener-
ally 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 bottom of the
whole affair and which managed to keep
out of the way of all policemen, until it
began to grow dark, and papa was al
most distracted. Just as he was
leaving the police station in despair
some one cried out cheerily: "Oh
there he is That's my papa" And
in an instant the gray overcoat, the vel
vet cap, the boots, and Capt. Jinks him
self squirmed out of the arms of tall
policeman, who was bringing him in.
Such tired, dirty, miserable little prodi-
gal as he was But papa didn't care
straw, as long as he actually had him safe
and sound. Too brave to cry, and con-
fident that he should find his way back
to the Office, Jinks had tramped on, until
at last the little Italian violinist attracted
his attention, and he stopped to listen to
his music. The boy had coaxed him
away toward his own quarters, promis-
ing to give him monkey and take him
to his papa. Strangely enough all the
men who were looking for him failed to
see him but a policeman who had been
out on special duty, coming down in a
west side car, caught sight of the sus-
picious looking partners and stopped to
look into the matter. Poor little Jinks
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 almost
as soon as he was seated in the street-car.
He had parted company with his
pocketbook, and his mittens, and his
little 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 mamma 3
knee, looking 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 2"
"God did," said Jinks, softly. "I'm
glad he's no high up, cause he could
see me all the time"
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