Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-12-18

-'Ihe young fellow took my hand and
shook it warmly, looking sharply and
questioningly into my face.
"'Don't you remember your old
playmate of fifteen years ago?' [ asked.
| Don't you remember Jacob Higgins
little Jackey that used to play with you
in the old parkP'
"You see, it generally takes in a
sucker more to give him a homely name
like Jacob Higgins than fancy one
| like Montague st. John, and you can
strike a man at home almost any time
with an oldpark. Everybody has play
ed in an old park sometime during his
childhood. Well, Isaac Thomas racked
his brain and found that he did remem-
drink. So we strolled in and sat down
at table, and / called in waiter and
asked Thomas what he'd have.
Il seldom drink anything but wine,"
he said. Bring me quart of Piper
Heidseick.'
II was a little startled because /
didn't have much money with me,
and | had supposed he'd call for whisky
or some other Is cent drink. But /
comforted myself with the thought
that he was so blooded he must have
quite a pile of blue chips. Well, we
drank the wine, and paid the waiter
So for it out of the solitary x [ had
with me. Then Thomas-or Ike, as |
affectionately called suggested
that / 90 down to the Astor house with
him to meet a friend, and that we'd do
the city together. went down there
with him and he didn't find his friend,
and decided to throw out another 81
for wine, just to give him hint that /
didn' care d for expenses, SO as
to make him correspondingly liberal.
My dear friend key drank his half of
the wine like a little man, and then we
set forth. just as we started up Broad
way to look for cab asked him to
come in and get cigar. 4 have some
IN my pocket, he said and unbuttoned
his coat for the first time-as I after
ward recOllected-since had made his
acquaintance, to get at his cigar case.
Il only looked once at his Waistcoat,
and then threw my whole soul into my
legs and darted down Barclay street,
for [ saw a badge glittering there.
Great heayenr I said to myself as I
ran, i have actually picked up de-
tective, and it would have done you
good to have seen me slide the side
walk under me. Well, key ran right
after me and overlook me.
Say he said, what's the matterP
You are not going to leave little key
who used to play in the old park with
you in that kind of style, are youP'
That's right [ said. You've got
me now, and can afford to be funny,
but please don't fire off any more of
that sarcasm
I'm rather sorry key said, that
things have turned out this way. [
suppose it was that COMPOUNDED fire
badge that scared you off.
g Fire badge!' said, AIM you a de-
tective?'
mo- he replied, I'm a newspaper
reporter, and I've been hoping for
months that some of you fellows would
pick me up, SO that | could write about
1t, and here that old fire badge has dis
rupted my first opportunity
sit turned out that he'd been to a
fire where reporters have to wear
badge to get inside the lines, and he'd
forgotten to take it off. 1t gave me a
bad scare, [ can tell you. Well, he
asked ME to take drink with him, but
was so ashamed of being taken in
that [ got him to let me off, and he
went away, after asking me to remem-
Der him when | get back to the old
park in Cleveland. IN. Y Times.