The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-12-07


Billy had no better occupation than
catching the flies that circled about
languidly, and after alighting, chung TO
things as though glued
At length even this amusement pailed
upon him, and he began again to NUT
ter and kick his heels upon the hoor.
That George is the bigges baby"
he continued: ~but I know he didn't
throw that stone. He's too skeery.
Then wouldn't he a ben disappointed
/ bout tonight Ny! but won't that
procession be prime, though, and
| I-shan't-see it" Just here a sus-
| picious sniff made Billy start and be-
rate himself as a ''muff." ''Yessir,
George'd cried, yes, regularly bellered.
if he was locked up"
After awhile a diversion was created
in she shape OF the turnkey with a
supper for Billy, an unloolled-for priv
ilege> The boy accepted it with silent
contempt. nevertheless feeling sense
of pleasure which he was ashamed to
show.
We'll, Bully johnson. you got into
/ trouble, didn't you? Weren't You go
! ing to be in the Newsboys' TorcElight
| parade tonight? Whatever made you
be so foolish as TO get picked up this
/ afterneon?" said the turnkey, 70 whom
the little culprit was a weIl-knOwn
( character
Billy did not answer, but pecked at
! the food like a saucy sparrow.
.
! something or other?" continued the
turnkey, trying to harrow up poor
! Billy's feelings. II saw you practiclng
| t'other night, and l tell you. you made
/ a mighty fine showing. Too bad you
can't be in it. It's going to be splen-
| did night, clear, but dark as pocket"
But Billy could contain himself no
longer, and jumping from his seat ex-
| claimed:
/ ''Oh, it's gofn' 30 be ies' prime. Ny
! suit was jes' luvely, all red and wife
/ oil-cloth that shines as bright, and my
torchlight ] jes' spent two hours las
| night shiDin' up the tin and film 1t
Oh, my but it looked purity and we
was 20 march at the head of the per-
cession, you know, and my chum, he's
the cappen, and l was the Teller at
walks along the side and at keeps 'em
In order, and Baby he was TO carry
TIE bigges' 'sparency, and it was jes'
luvely, printed in colors with picter of
the man as is goin' to be president sure,
on one side, and the viceon t'other, and
great red letters as ses: Vote fur me.
Baby is SO stuck up. / made
the boys let him carry It He's
| alters gitten left, you know, and then
the little sottie goes4and gifts clawed up,
les as he was goin' to be some shucks
fur once in his life, and I jes' couldn'
stand it, SO jes' ses to the cop, 1 ses:
4 done it. l thrung that stone,' when
l didn't do it, and then he grabs me
and lets-oh, Lor'r'' as he caught sight
of the astonished turkeys face. wat
a fool you be, Billy Johnson" and he
put down the foot he had been holding,
while he hoped up and down on the
other in his excitement
so, no, you young jail-bird, so you
told lie, did you? You'll get more'n
costs if you go on deceiving like that, u
but Billy, realizing he had perhaps
told too much to this fellow, relapsed
into sullen silence again, and the turn
kew leased in vain for any reply.
The hours passed silently on, broken
only by occasional sounds about the
police station
Finally regular drum beat, thump
ety-thump, thumpety-thump came tc
BiIly's ears, accompanied by the shriI
notes of the fife.
The parade had beguni
Poor, disappointed Billy. He sprane
from his seat and raced wildly round
the room two or three times, then, as the
sounds approached, growing louder, and
the noisy voice of the crowd came &c
him, Billy walked up to the bench anc
deliberately kicked it over.
This seemed to relieve him little,
and he went and leaned his throbbing
little head against the cold, unsympa
thetic door Would those noisy instru
ments and that yelling crowd ever get
by! It really seemed as though theJ
had stopped right in front of the sta
ton Just to tantalize him. Suddenly
all was quiet, except a murmur Of
voices. Billy's head ached, and in bis
throat was terrible feeling as though
he were being straugled- The silence
was deadly, be thought interminable.
At length he started in terror. such
blast of noise had burst from the
drums and flies as though they had
gone mad, and then yell upon yell rent
the air. Billy was SO intent upon the
hubbub that the door upon which he
leaned was opened before he knew It
and he was hurled aside, as the turn
key caught him and dragged him out,
and led him, half blinded by the sud
den light, into the police station.
Many people stood about and, CLEAN
ing in his brilliant uniform, stood thr
''cappen" Of the parade, Billy's chum
Baby, whose red head was almost a.
bright as his cape, and several other
particular friends of the prisoners
Billy Johnson, you are to be Let out
on bail until tomorrow morning" an
nouuced the voice OF an officer il
charge.
Billy looked staggered" as be wa,
won't TO say IN relating it afterwards.
Yer see. Billy" cried ''Cappen'
Tom. eagerly, ives knowed YOU didn't
thrung that stone, and ives knowed
you jes' tex Baby's place, SO as be
wudn't be disappinted, and we ses, ses
ne. wv BiIIy he's a reC'iar out an