Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-07-24
r. Hayward in Belgrav;a.
A QUEER PATRON.

what the world outside was SAYING about
him. His fingers were busy with the
piece of old rope he was making into
oakum, but his mind was full of an
imaginary report OF his own case at the
police court He even hoped some of
the papers might have devoted a short
leader to him, for his otfense w8s a
strange one.
Arrayed in tattered gown of the cut
peculiar to Camford Bachelor OF Arts,
with battered cap upon his head, he
had in broad daylight walked down Re-
gent Street breaking the lamps with a
long stick. Proceeding calmly and
without hurry, and followed by rap
idly increasing crowd, he had smashed
some half-dozen before policeman ap-
peared and took him into custody. At
the police court he told the magistrate
that he had once been all assistant
master in school, but had lately got
his living on the turf. on tramp, and in
other more or less disreputable ways.
He was willing enough to work, but
could not get employment, so had
broken the lamp chimneys by way of
advertisement He had one little COM
plant to make against the police. He
gave his name, Charles Micklereed, to
the inspector, and that officer refused
to further embellish the charge sheet
with his proper iption-Bachelo
OF Arts, st. Boniface College, Camford
Sentence, twenty-one days imprison-
ment with hard labor.
No. ]l9 was quite right in his sur
misses. His case was making a good
deal of sensation outside the prison
walls. It was a slack time, and editors
were rather short OF subjects They
deemed Charles Micklereed's exploit a
good source of cheap copy, and they
were not wrong, for letters about it
poured in freely. Some of his old col
lege friends even proposed to do some
thing ior him when out, and as three
weeks is not long, there was ju-t q
chance they might not have forgotten
HIM by the time he was released.
As the prisoner was musing, his cell
door WAS thrown open, and Warden
Smith in official tones announced:
mo. ll9, the chaplain to see you"
The warden was not, however, quite
accurate in his assertion, for the clergy
man who entered the cell was not the
regular chaplain of the Jail, but the cur
ate of neighborlng church, who was
visiting the prisoners while their usual
pastor recruited himself at the seaside
The prisoner stood up and faced his
visitor, who shut the cell door behind
him. AS soon as the sheep got fair
look at the shepherd. he exclaimed:
"Why, Josh, old fellow. how are
you?" at the same time holding out his
hand, in evident expectation of
lett recoiled a little.
Il don't know, prisoner" began he,
whether you mean this as a Joke Let
me tell you it is hardly the way to
30 stow it JOSH" interrupted the
unabashed reprobate. do you mean
to say you don't know me? It's my
beard, l suppose. Pity didn't get a
spell long enough to have it shaved off,
Pm Char ey Aucklereed'
what, Micklereed, my old Cam
ford friend Yes, now I see 1t is. But
oh, o. farley, Charley, what has brought
you to this %
'Proximately the government omni-
bus, known as Black Maria ultimately
that common compaint-want of en-
ployment. You don't mean to say it
reed, seriously alarmed for the success
of his scheme.
Il have been too busy to look at the
papers these three days." replied the
clergyman. They ought to tell me
what each prisoner has done and the
length OF his sentence, but my visits
are SO hurried they forget sometimes"
"Ah that accounts for il" said the
prisoner, apparently immensely re-
Geved. "Well, l took leaf from an
Irishman's book and committed an out
rage to call attention to my distress.
Smashed some lamps in Regent Street.
Shouldn't wonder ii they made a music
hall song about it. Charley Mickie-
reed smashed the lamps 10 find himself
prOvender,' with an accent on the en-
has as good a lit about it as that thing
on the other Charley and the milk at
Chelsea, ANYHOW. Just look ct the pa
pers when you 60 home and tell me
what they say when you call again"
my dear MIcklereed, it's against all
rules to tell a prisoner what is in the
papers. But don't, pray don't look at
this serious thing in that light way.
You shock me terribly. You seem as
hard AS"
"An OLD horseshoe nail" inter-
rupted the prisoner; "and let me tell
you, it's a good nail that gets harder by
much hammering. Only the bad ones
break
81 can stay no longer now" said the
clergyman, as the warden was heard
coming along the corridor; will come
again tomorrow. But do try. my old
friend, to look at this matter in its true
light
"Well, don't you forget about the pa
pers them" was the prisoners parting
shot
The Rev. Joshua BamIett went
traight to his lodgings and tried t1
compose his mind. He sat down in his
easy chair, 1t pipe, and fell into ii
reverie How well he renembere the
old Camtord days, when he and
Charley M1cklereed had lodged in the
same house and belonged 10 the same
set. 1t was not In any way dis
tinguished set, and Micklereed had
been kind Of honorary member Of it.
That eccentric Young man always
seemed to regard the university as
monk did the world-he was in it, but
not of it. He was an orphan and had
gone to Camford against his own will,
but in accordance with that CT his faith
er. His father had had belief-tound-
ed, it is needless to say, on ignorance
IN tie value of Camford degree,
which had induced him to make his
sons inheritance of his little property
6apanH up0n tho attainment Of that