Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-10-21
The Bad Boy.


OulJ OO'hO III Wv puSh iOVlhf ooiN
the groccryman to the bad boy, as he
showed up looking sleepy and tired.
When they were in the back room
the groceryman said, "Now, I don't
want to pry into the family affairs of
my customers, and don't want to
know anything that is not told me
freely, but hear there is heap of
trouble over to your house, and that |
your pa and ma do not spaak TO each
other and that your pa meditates sui
eide. How is it, and what's the mat
ter"
"Wcll, I'll tell you,' said the boy.
as he looked through the crack in the
door to see that nobody was listening.
"You see pa is a man who don't keep
posted. lie don't read the papers.
Last week the papers were full of
n3w trick that is being played on
t 'aN elers ly women who g3t man
10 hold basket in depot while they
buy a ticket, and they 90 away and
the man finds that there is an aban-
doned baby in the basket, and he has
to take care of 1t. Ifpl had read the
p lpers he would have been posted on
the trick, but all he reads is politics
Yesterday pa was down TO the drro
to see General Sherman pass thrCu III,
and while he was waiting for the
train he had 10 90 into the ladies
waiting room TO see who was there he
could mash, cause as much as | have
talked to pl he is the same old masi
er he was long ago. lie sat down OF
a 'ttce, and good-looking woman
came along and glanced at pl out OF
one corner Of her eye. That was
enough for pa. He Weakened, ami
glanced back and she came up to him
and said, young man, You look like
a gentleman that a delicate woman
could trust Pa said he wished ht
had as many dollars as a delicate wo
man could trust him, ard hc locke
50 tickled when she caIlhd him a
young man. Pa is oflul prom | wheh
anybody don't seem TO think he is
old. Well, the yonng woman said
where there were so many bal men
I twas great chance that woman
took in speaking 10 a stranger, but
there was something SO noble ard
kind in his face that she felt as though
he would be to her like a younger
brother, and that she could leave a
treasure with him fora few moments
with a feeling that he would prot C
/: with his life. That younger BROTH
err business fixed pa, though he thinks
now that she alluded to the Young
er Brothers that are in state prison
in Minnesota. Pa said TO her that
she could leave lor very life in his
possession and it would be all o. X,
and he smiled at her with one of his
old back-number smiles of the vim
tage of 1856. Then she handed him
shawl-strap with package inside
I'D told him that it was valuable, and
she would not trust it 10 any other
man, and if he would guard it VIII !
she went out to the baggagc-room to
see about her baggage she would al
ways remember him as one of ma.
ture's young noblemen, who deserved
to be decorated with the order Of
knighthool. Pa swa,lowe that tafiy
: inst as easy as could be, took the
l handle Of the shawl-strap and placed
, the package across his knees, and the
: woman gave him smile and a winl
and went out. Pa sat there holding
the package until Sherman's trail
l had come and gone, and as the pack
t age began to get heavy, like water
$ melon, he sighed for the woman tt
4 come back. Pa thought 1t was wa
termelon, because it began TO per
Q spire, so he laid it on the seat besid
S him, and then it began to kick ant
Y cry. Pa grabbed it and unbuckleC
: the straps, and when he fuond that i
;, was baby about month old, hi
eyes stood out so they looked lik
n door-knobs. lie soon tumbled to tn,
t situation, and was going TO leave i
c on the seat when the depot man sal,
None of that, old mani and pa ha,
to carryit out of the depot. He GO
d on street car and was going to leav
it, but the driver was watching hir
i and he had TO take it home. I me
: pa on the steps and asked him if h
IT was sick, he looked so pale, and h
said he wasn't sick, only discouraged
4, lie asked if ma was in, and l tol
l. him she was and she had callers. P
is would have gone around to the celia
le door, only the package began to CT,
v and just then the door opened for I'll
y callers to 60, and pa had to go rigl
9 in amongst them. guess pa woul
L have explained it to mas satisfactiC
We if he had been given time, but Il
MT first thing the callers said was,
l. what pretty baby, and how muC
v it looks like YOU Ifpa had had
Ut gun, he would have put charge
ry buckshot right in to that flock of W
IL men, but he did't have 10 gun,
DC he said it was 'gol darned lie.' \
ld asked pa where he got it, and he sa
is if they would come in the parlor
a would tell them, and the callers cal
nc back. Ma didn't act very tickle
TO but she looked at pa sort of sassy, al
" pa looked as though he would gi