The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1879-11-22

be out at the toes, when you want 'em.
Don't be afraid. I'm tramp, and Pm
hungry; but l don't eat little bows.
Steady, now, sit on my shoulderl"
With a laugh, and whistle as share
as mocking birds, he swung the Child
to his shoulder, settled him firmly and
moved slowly and with labored steps
over the road to Winscom, his rider
aglow the while with boyish exultation.
and cahirruPing like a jockey.
Let me DOWN." shouts the boy, as
they arrive in the outskirts of Wins
com. l live in that house. Oh, papa!
papa!
A bare-headed man, standing with his
back TO the road, looked around, and
then came hurrledly to the gate. His
boy in the possession of a ragged stranger
gave him a fright.
"Here you'll What are you doing
with my SOM" he demanded. "Rob,
get down this minute. Amt you
ashamed of YOURSELF"
"He ought to be-" answered the
tramp, as he swung the boy to the walk.
He ought 20 be. The Lord knows I'm
ashamed of myself. But, sir, we can't
all be Vanderbilts. Pm no intention of
stealing your son. ] gave him a lift
because | liked him. Good-morning!
and with a downward jerk, front and
rear, to the brims of his shabby old hat
and punching his hands into shabby old
pockets, this woeful yagabond went shut
fling away against tne law wind and
down the leaf-carepted street.
The respectable citizen, for half a
minute, seemed puzzled, and leaned over
the gate, shading his eyes with his hands,
though there was no sun, and inattentive
to the story which the urchin at his legs
pouring out.
"Pll swear it's he" he says at last.
cts jim, I'd know him among a thou.
sand." Then, half opening the gate, he
called out:
Leftenantl"
The figure proceeded without re-
sponsive motion.
"Leftenant JimI"
That time it was a shout. 1t was
heard. The tramp halted, whirled half
about, touched his hat involun tarily,
shook his head angrily, called himself
an idiot, whirled about and went on his
way at a more rapid pace than he had
shown during the day-and all regard
less of the recall of Leftenant!
Leftenanti"
"That was the dear old call of the
dear old boys; and it is Belden, by all
that's great" he says, half pleased with
that recall, and yet half angry at discov-
cry. "But why can't be left alone
and utterly lost to all who knew me
before l became "a tramp?"-and the
last word came out with an emphasis
that showed an agony of shame: "Pd
kill myself if | dared. An, if I dared.
BAIL Pm hungry. No breakfast, and
here it is high noon by the sun, Leften-
amt Jim,' if you want something to eat
or drink, you must beg for it, you hero
of lunacy, you miserable vagabOnd, you
outcast, you pauper."
He was not joking with himself when
he brought out these last words. He
was somberly mad. At the same time
he was so full of shameful hesitation at
the inevitable course that he would have
to pursue in order to get a meal, that
he abandoned the main street and sought
the shelter of the underbrush by the
river, that ne might think over the mat
ter.
Meantime Belden had run into the
house for his hat.
Wife," he cried; " Sis, both of you,
listenl Pve Just seen Leftenant Jim.
| an going out to catch him, confound
| him.
Bring him to dinner, CharlieW says
both of them in one voice, for they had
heard of this friend for years. But when
Rob told his little adventure, and des-
cribed his mornings companion, they
rather hoped the lieutenant might not
be caught.
Up into the village raced Belden. He
| had missed his man on the road. At the
drug store, at the tavern, at the grocery,
he demanded" Have you seen LET
tenant Jim?'" No one had seen him;
but few, apparently had heard of him.
At the postofice the crowd of loungers
were just IS ignorant, just as Indifferent
as were those at the other resorts More
than that, some of them asked for in
! formation as to the officers identity.
! 1t was then that Belden became an image
of wrath, that he glared with fierce eyes,
| that he smote his hands and snapped his
! fingers in Indignation.
"Who is Leftenant Jim? Nice men
you are. I've told you forty times, but
I'll tell you again. I'll tell you who he
was and-and, thanks to a grateful
country what he is. He was a soldier
without fear, hero unhonored, and a
sergeant without promotion, save by his
comrades-and l was one of them. 1t
was plain private Jim, who got six bull
lets in his body for picking up his COM
pany's flag and holding it until the
enemy had to tear ii from him in strips
and make his body bullet-pouch. 1t
was Corporal Jim who with four men
captured a six-pounder at Chancellors-
vile and fought it until only Jim
was left. 1t was Sergeant Jim who,
in the Wilderness, while waiting under
fire for orders to advance, left the ranks,
picked up shell that lay with burning
fuse not ten feet from him, carried 1t to
q mud puddle and threw it In. 1t was
| then the boys made him Ieftenant. And
two hours later Il was this same leften-
ant who fought like a demon over the
! body Of his wounded colonel, and got
two saber cuts as his reward for saving
his man. He wanted to die, he said,
but couldn't get killed. That's a little
of what he was To-day I've seen him
| thought be was deAd-and he is 8
tramp. gentlemen, miserable yagabond,
with clothes too mean for scavenger,
and without food enough inside of him
to keep his skin in place. Give him
something to est if he asks it, and you'll
feed hero. As for me, he is to me as q
hyo+her Nv home shall he his home