Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1879-09-27
THE LAST DITCH.

leIb MS nome Ill MdSSdCuuStbtS W otuuy
medicine in New York. His father had
given his son some good advice, and
(what Fred thOughtfa good deal more
valuable) five hundred dollars to pay his
board bills and other expenses. His
mother had glvenshim new set0f shirts,
some flannel jackets, a fifty dollar bill
which she had saved from her hOusekeep-
ing expenses-made him promise to be
Il. good boyAwhich Fred very readily did,
for he intended to be if he .cOuld-and
off he started. .ri4, is. i.s lts
When Fred arrived in New York he set
to work manfully, having determined to
rival Mott or Carnechan in a very short
time or ANONYMOUSLY retire from the
profession. II. s.,. ~. In,
New York is very seductive, and II am
sorry to say ,it-Fred Grover was very
fond of pleasure. Consequently, he soon
became an accomplished player at bill
lizards, and quickly discovered the houses
where the best dinners could be obtain
= ed.
When young men, indulge too freely
ingood dinners, cigars, etc., they observe
with surprise how quickly their money
disappears. 1t was so with Fred, for
having occasion one day to draw twenty
dollars out of the bank, where he had
deposited his money, he was somewhat
disconnected by being told that there
was only two dollars and some odd cents
to his credit. rrn
Fred went home feeling pretty badly.
What to do he did not know. Having
been in New York only three months and
spending five hundred and fifty dollars,
he couldn't write home for moreno,
that was impossible, so he made up-his
mind to attend lectures regularly and
study tremendously hard.
Poor FrodE C-TrrFI EETI
Settings went on for four or five weeks.
Fred had visited a pawnbrOker several
times, and had left that gentlemen, who
so kindly lends money to those who are
in want of it, his watch, a dozen shirts,
one or two coats, and several pairs OF
pantaloOns.
Fred's landlady had received no money
for some time, so she began to impOrtune
:. him for payment, and limited mildly that
if some was not forthcoming very short
ly Fred would have to find new board
,ing-hOuSe. ~.
Well, as said before, Fred Grover sat
in his attic, bordering over his lll-luck
las he called it, but correctly speaking,
over his mprOvidence-and deplOrlng
the hour that brought him to New York.
How seldom we think OF blaming our
own imprudencel We generally man
age to find an excuse for our little weak
ineSSeS. ~,
sIfo unused Fred, II were to write to
mother. / know she'd send on the money.
But 1 can't do that-n0, I'll starye first.
i wonder if-cOme inT .-,sBss
The last two words were shouted in a
tone much louder than there was any
occasion for, but Fred had been inter
rupted by tap at the door, and 1t had
somewhat startled him. foi-sarra1ai rs
The door slowly opened, and in stalked
amatrOnly-lOOking woman, with rather
red face, and who, had three curls on
each side of her face.
Fred turned all manner of cOlOrs.
sMr. Grover" said the lady, would
YOU let me have some money, If yOr
pleaseY" ~
but, but
aRut what, sir?" said the matrOnly
looking woman, frOwning at poor Fred.
II was going to say expect remit
lance from home in day or two, ant
then I'll give you some"
Mrs. JacksOn's face twitched about al
manners of ways; finally she said:
~If YOU cannot letme have some none
uto-mOrrow, Mr.. Grover, 1 shall fee
obliged to you if you will get anOthe
boarding house" :,
Fred readily promised to let her hay
some money the following day, thong
where he was going to get IL from
hadn't the widest idea. However IL wa
respite, and he shouldn't have TO FAC
Mrs. Jackson till the following day. Z
nav tomorrow, what a long way off tina
tomorrow appears.
When Mrs. Jackson had left the TOOL
Fred put his hands to the bottom of hi
trousers pocket and began to walk abOH
tile room with rapid strides. ~ = y
"What the duce is to be done? l don
know. Let me see-0h, that's no us'
rye pawned everything that's pawnabl
Fred threw himself upon the bed |
trv and calm himself. He counted tn
f1ies upon the ceiling and lOnged to be
fiy because they didn't have to pay boar
bills.
"By Joye, good ideap' said Fred, star
ing up.n "PH try tO,bOrrOw 1T; very llkt
ly Jim can lend it to me-"
He seized his hat and hurried frOI
the house.
Attached to the house that Fred ha
inst left is a yard, but called by tn
siandlady garden; behind that gardel
is a small lane leading to nowhere i
narticular. and having its entrance in
street chiefly devoted to tenement houses
dirt and squalling children.
About eleven o'clock that night ma
very carefully looked over the fence tina
separated the aforesaid garden from tn
aforementioned lane, Looking carr
sfnlly around, he drew from his pocket
pair of pincers, and commenced breal
mo off short few of the spikes thu
were on the top of the fence, and ia
been nut there / presume for the expre'
purpose Of annoying the neghborm
cats. ~ sfl e-- q .s~eyE
After counting the number he ha
broken off, by feeling them with h
hand, he carefully climed to the top
the fence, and then lowered hlmSel1
the garden.
"Blame the thingsr' he muttered, ha
ing alighted in the middle of a lila
bush, which slightly scratched hir
there's always something to Ilnterfel
with fellows business"
II Having extricated himself from u
bush, he crept stealthlly toward the yal
door, applied his ear to the key-hOle, an
listened.
He produced an auger from one of IL
numerous pockets in his coat, and the
began to bore hole-s0 quietly that yo
could hardly hear tin the door. Whe
he had finished, he put his arm thr0ug
the orfice, quietly withdrew the Dol
and entered the house. -
When he was inside, by the aid of
dark lantern, he CROPPED his way to til