Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-08-06
JIMMIE AND PETE.
A Pathetic Story Of an Outcast
Boy and His Dog.

| WOIO SOU nat JndJ was pulIeu lar
down over a pair of sharp, shrewdly
twinkling eyes. His coat was short,
ragged at the elbows and ends of the
sleeves, and was buttoned closely up
to his chin. The trousers he wore were
faded, and had evidently belonged to
some one larger than he, for they were
rolled up at the bottoms, Just enough
to keep them from resting on a pair of
shoes that were cracked and run down
and covered with dry mud.
His hands were thrust deep in his
trousers pockets, and he leaned for
ward as he shuftled over the pavement
and up to the fountain in Paradise
park. Looking at his face, one would
judge him to be anywhere between ten
and twenty years of age. In stature,
he did not appear to be more than
twelve.
The boys companion was a dog-a
long-lcgged, thin-bOdied dog, about the
size of bull terrier.
Where there was hair on its body-it
had been torn off in many places-the
animal was black. Its jaw was long
and deep, and when the skin was drawn
back from the teeth, the dog seemed to
be grinning. The animals eyes
heightened such an effect, for they
were of a kind that rolled in an ex-
pressive manner.
They were Jimmie aud Pete. AS Jim
mie, the boy had always been known
about the locality. An old policeman,
who had locked him up once for steal
ing some money from drunken sailor,
had told the boy that he had been
born on Blackwelrs island at time
when his mother was serving term
for disorderly conduct.
From the same source he learned
that his father had been killed while
indulging in burglary, and Jimmie
felt prouder after that. lie could not
remember either of his parents, and
often wondered who had looked after
him until he got big enough to make
his own living by stealing.
But he remembered distinctly the
night that he and Pete had joined for
tunes. 1t was a night when the wind
whistled around the corners with a
cruel sharpness and found its way
through every rent in his tattered gar
mcnts. Jimmie had often told how he
| had crawled into the icc-cart that night
for shelter and heard the growing of a
| black object in one corner as he crept
toward the forward end.
lie remembered. distinctly that the
growing had startled him at first, and
that five Iainutes later he and the dog
had curled up in the corner together.
When he awolle in the morning Pete
was still there and greeted his waking
with vigorous whacking of his tail
against the bottom of the cart From
that night they had never been separ-
ated for a moment. The outcasts had
wandered about the streets together,
slept on the docks in summer, in wag-
Ons and alleys in winter, and shared
each others joys and fortunes.
Jimmie would steal for Pete, and
the dog would steal anyhow. No
butcher dared leave his front door open
when Pete was in the neighborhood.
As Jimmie leaned against the edge of
the fountain he regarded Pete with
contemplative air. He was thinking
of that nice little girl, with the long
yellow hair, who lived in an uptown
street. He and Pete had been wander
| ing aimlessly along the street, he re-
membered, the first time he had seen
/ her.
She was playing with some other lit
tie girls, and had big ball of popcorn
in her hand. Pete saw that she was
eating something, and went over to in
vestigate. When he tried to snatch the
popcorn from her hand, she turned,
| patted him on the head and said: Poor
doggie." Pete had leaped high into the
air, wagged his tail in a perfectly
frantic fashion, and leered at the little
girl in a manner that made her laugh.
Then she gave Pete big piece of pop
corn, which was Immediately carried
to his master.
When she saw Jimmie, the little girl,
who was somehow very different from
| the little girls around Paradise park,
came over to him and began to talk.
| Jimmie remembered that he was al
most afraid to say anything to her, she
| seemed so nice. She asked him about
his mother and father, to which he re-
| piled with n grin and hoarse chuckle.
| Then she asked him if he ever went to
| Sunday-school. He grinned harder
than ever and croaked: "Holy chee!
Sunday-school!'
Jimmie wondered why the little girl
looked so sorry when he told her that
he and Pete slept in the streets.
And haven't you any home at alp"
she asked him.
Nav" he replied; what do we
want a home fur? Men Pete's all
right, amt VIC, Pete?" Pete had
grinned for ply.
Jimmie c, led as he thought of the
fat. red-chce.-cd boy who had come up
at this iuncture and told the nice little
glrI not 10 talk 10 such dirty boy but
to come and play with him.
Jimmie didn't say anything at the
time, but he laughed and the little girl
smiled when Pete gave yelp and
dashed between the fat boys legs in .
mad chase after cat, which action Of
Pete's had thrown the fat boy of his
feet.
After his first encounter with the lit
tie girl Jimmie and Pete had often
gone through the street when the little
girl was playing there She always
spoke to Jimmie. Sometimes he stood
on the corner and watched her until
she Hent into the big, fine house where.