The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-04-21
A DEBT OF HONOR.
PART /.
A oRUNIB TO A MOUSE.

1t was the wet forenoon of january
day, just two years ago, when the usual
gang of idlers that hang about the ferry
wharves were delighted at having the
monotony Of gazing out from under the
dripping awnings broken by the singular
movements OF couple of policemen.
One of these well-fed guardians Of the
peace was on his knees beside hole
broken through the flooring Of neigh
boring dock, and engaged in angrily
issuing evidently disregarded commands
to some fugitive concealed beneath,
while his fellow, with equal profanity
and perspiration, endeavored to pry up
loose board further along, for the
purpose of also gaining access to the
offender.
"What's up? What's the matter ?"
asked the bystanders, crowding up, while
the passengers coming off the just-landed
ferry boat stopped to look on.
The policemen, however, ignored the
inquiries leveled at them with all the
haughtiness peculiar to the municipal
official of the period. But when
bustling citizen, who was evidently
merchant and taxpayer, paused and said
brusquely, "Hello, there, Mike What
are You after, Pat?" one of the blue
and-hrass luminaries looked up and
growled:
Nothing but a wharf-rat, zur."
"Then why didn't you send in dog
If it's rat?" returned the merchant,
innocently. But the contemptuous
criticism of his ignorance about to be
made by the officer was interrupted just
then by the cries of the rodent in ques-
tion, which appe&red at the first men
toned aperture in consequence of Wig
orous clubbing administered by one OF
the policemen, who had finally succeeded
in removing the plank. The captive
thus secured was an indescribably di-
minutive and preposterously dirty
urchin, with the BLACKLIST eyes and
reddest head imaginable. AS the police
man dragged him into the daylight by
his threadbare collar, and perched him,
trembling and Whispering, of bale
near at hand, shout of appreciative
qualification went up from the bystand-
ers. Nothing tickles the risibles of your
ordinary street crowd so much as little
genuine pain and suffering exhibited
gratis.
Looking at the spectacle in this popu-
lar and kindly fashion, there was indeed
much cause for merriment. Nothing
sadder or more pitiful could be mag
ined than that little hunger pinched,
bare-footed, ragged figure, with its I'M
timely aged andwitheredface, white with
despair at the contamination of the one
terrible dread of its owners brief life
he had been "took up"
"What's he done ?" asked severe
looking man, eagerly. "Not been fight
ing dogs, ell ?"
'"The bye, is't, +" responded one of the
blue coated magnates, leisurely putting
up his club. sob, he's only wan O. thin
wharf rats that lives benath the wharves
here, and stales from the proioose
schooners o'nights." We be runnin'
thin all in now for vrgrancy and onda-
cent exposure, by ralson ov THIN goln'
in schwimin, livery foive minutes widout
their clothes. It's afther this divil we've
been for wake or more. It's no use
thryin' to catch wan'o' thin felleys in
the wather. They schwim loike fish,
begorra, thin does. and they've more
holes ter schhp inter than the cells them
selves, so they have"
"Ahp said the severe-looking man,
who was an officer of the S. z. C.'s, 1
was in hopes it was case for me, and
he walked off much disappointed.
The wharf rat ceased his low terrified
sniveling long enough to put in plea
that he was not vagrant, but sold pa
pers; that he only slept underneath the
wharf because it didn't cost anything ;
that he didn't know it was any harm to
go In swimming, and other excuses COM
mon to great criminals.
One of the officers strolled off to look
up an express wagon to convey their
captive to headquarters. This he did
partly because he would involve a loss of
dignity to convey so insignificant pris-
oner through the streets, and partly be-
cause he had friend IN the express of
flee who was always good for ''divvy"
on these little jobs. The other guard
an majestically reposed after his exer-
tions on o hawser post, after impressing
upon the child that an immediate cessa-
ton OF his blubberng would obviaAa
the necessity of having his head caved
In by club.
Meanwhile several other passengers
to and from the ferry loitered to gaze at
the strong hand of the law in full opera
ton and to ask the prisoners offense.
One of these was sleek and benevolent
minister of an uptown church, but as
he was hurrying home to write pathet-
&c sermon on the text of the good Sa-
marian he had no time to waste upon
latter day Philistines, and so he passed
by on the other side.
Another was great mining capitalist,
but it always made him angry to look at
people that were poor and dirty and vul-
gar. He had been poor and dirty and
vulgar himself once, and he now regard
ed all such attributes as direct personal
reflections, SO to speak. So he stepped
frowningly into the fine carriage tnat
was in waiting and ratified off.
The next citizen who stopped to look