Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-03-23

that did the mischief for links imme.
diately resolved to crafty the one de-
sire of his heart and "have a shine,
He caught sight of a boot-back down
the street, and hurried after him, with
out noticing that he passed the restau-
rant on his way. If links lives to be a
man he will never feel prouder than when
he stood at that street corner, amid a
crowd of grinning boys, while two sturdy
ragamuffins took it by turns to put mi
raculous polish onto the little red topped
boots.
''See to shave yerself in them boots
Central" said one of the boys, as Jinks
dropped the nickel in his dirty hand.
Give us yer custom regular"
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 makers, that
were walking 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 Captain Jinks!
When Robert came back to the office he
picked up his knife, swept up the few lit
tie WRITINGS, and went about his work.
| Some one came upstairs two steps at a
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. "Sirr'
boy ?"
Didn't you take him to lunch, sir?"
81 take him! I've just got back.
| What on earth are you staring at?'
CT left him here, sir / went with
the mail, as you told me, sir. made sure
you'd be IN directly.
And you were gone"
"'Bout an hour, sir. And when l come
in | 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
tons. So it was pretty generally known
that sturdy little fellow, with thick curly
hair, with big brown eyes, very red
| cheek, 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 affair and which CON
! trived to keep out of the way of all the p0-
licemen, until it began to grow dark, and
Papa was almost distracted. Just
as he was leaving the police-station
in despair some one cried out, cheerily:
"Ohl there he is! That's my Papa!' And
IN an instant the gray overcoat, the vel
vet cap, the boots, and Capt. Jinks him.
sells squirmed 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
safe and sound. Too brave to cry and
confident that he should find his way
back to the office, links had tramped on,
until at last little Italian violinist at
| tracted his attention and he stopped to
listen to his music. The boy had cOaxed
him away toward his own quarters, prom
Using to give him monkey and take him
to his papa. Strangely enough, all the
men VINO were looking for him failed to
see him; but 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 links
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. "Pm
glad he's SO high up, cause he could see
me all the time.''
"And he sent the policeman to take care
Of your" .
" Yes" said Jinks; 81 s'pose he did
He said: That's Capt. Jinks. Hes boy
that I'm 'quainted of, and he's getting
losed. You better go and take him back"
Emily Huntington HITLER, IN ". Y. In
dependent. -.
The Vicks5urg boy can stand up with
Al 4