Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1888-03-27

bnhrtly ureSseu man, WlUn WhAou hiuS
tache and rather soiled linen, stepped up
and said: -u
Pardon me, sir, but -"
The visitor gave him a keen look, and
said:
"Pardon your What forS"
"Why, there's your pocket book,
amt it.Y pointing to the payement.)
You've Just dropped IT,"
lie looked at the apparently plethoric
wallet, but never moved muscle, and
finally said:
"That's not my pocketbook. You can
have it. Perhaps you can find the owner
If you try very hard.
The man with the waxed mustache
looked uneasy, picked 1t up, and was
moving away, when the practical stranger
said.
| "Glvc it to that policeman over there;
take his number, and II he doesn't turn
| It over to the station house, you -"
4 But "Waxey" heard no more; he made
excellent time down Walnut street, but
stopped and looked around at the man he
/ had just left when about opposite the
/ Law School entrance.
| In a moment or two the stranger
strolled leisurely across toward the John
ston building, muttering to himself;
'I thought that chestnut was played
| out long ago. II had whiskers on it
when ! first struck this town in '65.
What would my partner say If he heard
that the pocketbook dropper tried to take
/ f,,H Ia. nrut NJ Tnv arrival "
The idea seemed TO tickle him some
what, and the people he met were at
tracted by the broad smile that lit up his
rather handsome, shrewd face. He kept
on, and as he struck Vine street his at
tention was attracted to one of the new
cable cars as it whisked around the west
end of the Esplnnade.
He stopped to look at 1t, and was
standing near the curb to get nearer
view as the passengers alighted, when a
slouchy, unkempt looking chap, with an
unmistakable air of the slums, came
along. He was accompanied by female
OF uncertain age, arrayed in snowy
iinery, and US the pair reached him the
woman slipped (perhaps on a banana
peel) and fell against him. The stranger
inyoluntarily reached out to catch her
falling form, but he dropped her the next
moment to snatch the dirty hand Of the
man with her that had somehow got
tangled up in his gold watch guard.
'.Not this time" he said, looking the
fellow square in his guilty face. He
then lifted the thief into the street on
the toe OF his boot, while the female took
hurried steps and vanished around the
corner.
The stranger adjusted his watch chain
lightly brushed his coat sleeve, smiled al
the knot of people who had momentarily
stopped when the encounter took place,
, walked TO Vine street, entered the Ar
, cade and marched straight to the hotel
. bar. He had just emptied glass of old
rye with ginger ale on the outside wheT
n young man of good address-looket
like bank cashier or commercial
/, tourist-stepped up to him and said il
q a hearty way, addressing him by name
''Hellow, old fellow! You remembel
, me, don't you? Dixon, of Dixon 6
: Blunt. We kept our funds in YOU
bank along in 'Sl and 49,"
"well, WE'LL is that you, DlxonS lie
me see; You went under in the Jun'
, crash, didn't you,n calmly asked thu
stranger.
"That's right, me boy, but we pai'
flfty cents on the dollar, just the same
Old Blunt died soon after, poor chap
and | came down here hung out m.
'shingle' and am doing FIRST rate. In tn
course of another year l expect to pa
up every cent, and owe no man dollar
Take something5"
The "poison" was poured out, and tn
stranger was about to get outside of il
when another gentleman Joined tn
party.
"Dixon, I've been looking all owe
town for you. WIN you oblige me b.
cashing this, like a good fellowf"
Certainly, my dear boy" answers
Q Mr.. Dixon with cheerful alacrity
{ ''What's the amountg'
p "Three and half
J, "The devil take it, Charley, haven
N got that amount with me. But here
maybe my frlend-oh, ! beg pardon-thi
h is Mr.. Sniifkins, Mr.. ~
IS "You must excuse me, really" II
n piled the stranger, 81 must go, I've &C
Is to hunt up my hotel and take bath. Al
J. delighted to know you are doing so we
after the failure. When you see you
10 way clear to pay that other fifty pc
1t cent. ''with interest drop me a line"
s. Then the stranger strobe away, left th
Ie Arcade by the Race street end, an
d burned down towards Fourth street. II
T. said to himself as he cast a look at tn
Commercial Gazette bulletin board
Is "I'm playing in great luck to-da!
1t meeting all kinds of nice people, an
1t having real good time"
SO Another block and he had struck CO
N ner where he found an inviting lookin
Il cigar shop. He stepped in, made a pu
chase, lit his cigar, and had reappearC
l on the sidewalk just in time to see d
| elegantly dressed young lady-a dazzlir
| brunette-clad in costly raiment, with
| long sealslxin cloak and duck of bol
\ net, drop her dainty pocketbook out
| her beautiful muff.
4 The stranger at once picked 1t u
4 handed it to her, and raised his hat al
4 smiled.
1 'Thanks, ever SO much," said the La
1 n sweetly modulated voice.
4 "Dont mention It," replied Il
1 stranger, and he smiled again.
h '"That would be very ungrateful, don
you think ~ she replied.
"a ooh, 1 guess not; it was -"
If ''But anyhow, let me at least thar
of you little bit"
+ A pleasant chat followed. They Walk
~ together quite a distance, and hnai
ID separated at Fourth and Central avenu
nj but not before he had seen her in "
ID low car and had received a dainty ca
from the fair stranger, bestowed with
re ravishing smile. Tipping his hat
re started in the direction OF his not
1e there to finish his cigar and pl
paro for the table, when he was accost