The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-12-25

the police.
Such was the state of affairs, one
December night, when our little hero
came wailing home, with purple
cheeks and chilled fingers and toes,
| conscious that he had nothing to plead
| why he should not be sent suppcrless
| to bed
| But, to his astonishment, Mrs. Den
mis- was all motherly atfability, and
| Mike Doolev himself took him between
his knees in front of the blazing tire,
and helped to chafe hi hands Mike,
in general. being as l->utal Il ruffian as
| ever came i'll contact with the law,
| Charlie could not imagine what it all
meant.
"It's two old maids of 'em livin' all
alone" said Mrs. Dennis. resuming The
conversation where it had been broken
oil at Charles entrance; "ard there's
closet full of old plate, an Norah
says s-Norah cleaned them, yez knows
the staircase windy, openin' on the
back street, would let good sized
cat in bctwane the bars, and where q
cat can 90 our Charlie can. Wouldn't
| yez like that, Charlie dear. to help
crack crib?"
Charlie stared yacantly into the fire
and munched his crust OF stale bread
and didn't care"
"Ali yell have to do will be to creep
in atween daylight and dust, honey.
and hide away like mouse Norah
says there's an illigant place under the
turn O. the back stairs just where you
get in Almost, and you can lie there as
stu as kitten until they've gone to
| hnI WI l. x,,,, -
steal out ami unboit the basement
door, and Mike and mcll be waltin';
an if we get what we want, you shall
have brand new suit OF clothes, like
Mickey Warren's, wild gould buttons
on livery same"
Charities eyes frightened somewhat
al this prospect.
"There! you see he's all right"
said Mrs. Dennis, nodding her head
triumphantly at her coadjutor. "Sure
it's pleasure to dale wild the likes of
him-always cheerful and willin."
"Oh, stow your blarney!" contempt
uously calculated the less rhel orical
Michael. whats the use of words2
If he'll go, he'll go, and that's the end
ont. Tomorrow night at eleven"
Mrs. Dennis acqu esced.
Tomorrow night, at eleven, I'll be
waiting at the corner of the treet wild
a cloak and a big market basket, an
I'll see that Charles there afore us"
The next afternoon, just as Ihe win
try twilight WAS fading into the black,
indistnguj jshable dust, Mrs. Dennis
skillfully propelled the slender, cat
like figure of little Charlie through
the narrow iron bars of the staircase
window.
She was just in time, for as she
stopped again to poke in the depths
OF an ash. barrel with her we'll sworn
iron hook, apoliceman lounged round
the corner of the house.
"Hallo. old woman What arc you
dong here?"
''An' it is the cinders ye'd grudge
me?" whined Mrs. Dennis, "an' the
fire going out on the hearth stone,
wild the SIX little ones blue wild the
cold. Arrah. an It's hard lines for
poor folks, so it is, and Mickey Nc
gargan, me husband. that is"
"Well. we'll. you needn't make such
a noise about IT." deprecated the po-
liceman, striding on.
And Mrs. Dennis smiled stealthily
| uuucl ucI IaSSou Icu uOOu.
Meanwhile Charlie, obcdicnt to or.
ders, curled himself up under the
stairway, amid lot of TIN bath-tubs,
disused furniture, aud invalided
saucepans, and went composcdly to
sleep.
/ How long he had slept he did not
know, but the narrow stairway was
lighted up by the glare of a candle
when he woke, and hand was on the
ragged lapels OF his coat.
'Why, bless me, it's child!"
shrieked female voice.
Nonsense, Nancy; it's only cat!"
~ tell you it's a child, and he's last
asleep"
Another figure advanced into the
yellow circle of tlickering light thrown
by the candle-that of a tall pleasant
looking woman, with something in
her face that made Charles heart
stand still, and brought the long dis
used word Mamma involuntarily
10 his lips.
CHOW on earth came you hero,
| little boyp" she asked. little less as
tonished than her companion had
| been.
Charlie glanced furtiyely about the
room, in the vain search for loop
hole of escape; but there was mono,
and Charlie had no idea of sacrificing
himself for the sakes of Mother Dennis
and Mike Dooley.
"Mrs. Dennis put me through tho
window" he whispered, "and she and
Mike are coming ut IL o'clock to steal
the spoons and things. and I'm to un-
bolt the front door for en- ;and please,
ma am. never did such a thing be-
fore, and I'm so cold, and-and-''
Charlie wound up his explanatory
speech with burst of very genuine
tears, and screwed his little knucLles
tightly into his rount blue eyes.
My goodness gracious!" ejacu.at-
ed the elder lady.
"Blese us and save us:" shrieked
the younger.
..it's a planned burglary" said
Miss Nancy.
"Send some one for the police" :"
screamed Miss Betsy hysterically.
"Yes." sobbed little Charley, enter
ing heart and soul into the new cause; /;
"get policeman 10 stand back O. tho
basement door, an I'll open it, Just if
nothin' had happened. AMI, oh,
don't you give me up to 'em, please
please. lady, or they'll beat me to
death an sell me to the doctors after
wards ~
Don't be afraid, my little fellow y
said Miss Nancy, who had been CIV
ing some orders in hurried whisper
to a grizzled old servant-maid who
had stood staring in tie background.
Come with me. Why. how cold
your hands are No one shall harm
/ you.
/ She led the sobbing, skrieking little
urchin into Il coy parlor. where the