The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1889-07-13
JOE'S STORY.
BY FRANK ii. CONVERSE.

Mother died some time last Nav
There wasn't any one belonged to then
sol had to hustle for myself, like mos
ofus newspaper chaps have to. l hadn't
any reg lar place to sleep, but it comm
on summer didn't care so much, 'cept
ing, Of course, when it rained. Then q
fellow can generally find cover some
where, if it isn't so nice.
But this night I'm going to tell of was
pleasant and warm. The "cop" didn't
drive lie OF mv private settee in Central
Park TIL nigh one in the morning. Gaess
ne oversight himself.
When m reused up that way, I gen
orally make AorriSon's, way down town,
my headquarters. It's high toned
place, so it's cheaper for me to stop out
SIDE. But there's the light from the
windows, and every time the big doors
swing open a fellow can see, Just for a
minute, eating and drinking going on.
and Ii he ina"ines a good deal, why its
almost as good as being inside.
Three swell looXing chaps was stand
ing outside wheu got there. Not for
me same reason | was, though. They'd
been to the theater, or somewherr's else.
nj as heard one of 'cm say, it was too
early In the evening to think of going to
bed.
1t was Jack Meagher said that.
Handsome Jack" they used to call him
IN our ward, where he was raised. All
us fellows know Handsome Jack" BY
sight. Though you'd never think he
come from any such low down place as
Water street, to look at his swell rig and
hear him talk.
But they say he's one of them kind
that catches on easy to real gentlemen's
ways. And hes great on faro and poker.
so OF course he's hand and glove with
chaps that's trying to see life through a
club winder.
Now, though it's me says it. I've bit
of voice ofmy own, wherever | rot it.
For spell ] was choir boy at st.
Aichaels, with white surplus and all
that sort Of thing. But the Others chafTed
HE aoOut not having any shirt, so | left.
SOsometmes. when | was stuck on
papers CT ira hard up, used to sing
for n!ckels front of Morrison's lust about
tins time OF night-the "ca;chy" songs
that happens to be going, such as We
chaps pick up on the street.
So when Handsome .1ackn sees me
he calls out:
Hello" he says, "here's Joe. the
boy that sings" And nothing to do
but the three of en- must take me inside
tor song.
There was another one of the party
knoved by sight. He used to buy pa
perS of Inc reg lar, one time. l heard
'em say his folks left him a pile of money
and he was gettin' through it as fast az
Handsome Jack" and such as he, could
help him. But | amt givin' no one
away IN this story. Pm not one of tina.
sort. / amt New York reporter. and
don't you forget it. So this man was
Smith ohm Smith. P'raps you've
heard the name, but it isn't the same
man-its a second cousin of his. But
it was him that set me down to one of
the little tables with a plate of sand
witches.
After we once got inside, Smith didn't
seem to have much to say to the others,
or to anybody else, for that matter. He
stood leaning up against the bar counter
with cigar in his mouth, but I see he'd .
forgot to light it. Some of the Young
fellers he knew joked him bit, but he
didn't seem to notice it much. And |
kind of wondered what allied him good
looking, plenty of money, and all the
rest OF it.
Handsome JACK" with a friend of
his, sat dawn to the table nigh mine,
with The drinks between 'em. I've 20.