Evening journal., 1892-01-05
THE MAGIC EMINENT.


Its heat down into Cherry street, until the
pavement was as hot as the sands OF the
Sahara. A cool breeze ruffied the surface
Of the East river, but through those CANYONS
OF brick and mortar, only stones throw
from tho river, not breath Of life giving
air was In motion. But when the lights
were lit on the big bridge, and the sun
went down behind the Goddess Of Liberty
the stars and the children came out 10.
gether. From every doorway came a
troop Of little ones who had been shut In
side the tenements all day as If in ovens.
Such scene Of joy and freedom ensued as
only the children OF the poor experience
when the night comes, for the moon and
stars are more kind to little children In a
big city than the fiery sun.
Glad shouts echoed up and down Cherry
street as the little ones raced back and
forth from curb TO curb and under the idle
trucks Meanwhile the parents of the
children sat In the doorway and watched
the play. The girls were engaged ia those
simple games which their mothers had
played when they were little, while the
boys were busy with more athletic exer.
cises, when a small hunchback boy came
down gloomy Middle alley, followed by a
small dog. The boy snapped his fingers,
and the dog began to jump playfully
about him.
Johnnie Murphy couldn't Join in the
sports of boys Of his own age because OF
his deformity, and so all the currents Of
his nature were poured out lavishly upon
the dog. Nip and Johnnie were insepara-
BILE. Ever since the boy had found the dog
shivering IN the alley one cold winters
fnnrninn md Hu1 tnI .
70 his mothers stove, where the half
starved beast had been warmed and fed
the two had been always together. The
tricks which Nip could perform were the
marvel Of the alley. He would jump over
chairs at the bidding OF his master. carry
pint Of milk In an open pail without
splitting drop, bark for piece of bread
and bring Johnnie his shoes in the morn
ing Although Nip was mongrel. his eve
was as soft and his tail wagged as elo
quontly as that a the finest bred setter.
IL was 10 o'clock when Johnnie and Min
emerged from the alley into the street. Al
hour when the children of more fortunate
parents were tucked away ia bed for the
night. But still Cherry street resounded
with the shouts of the children at play
Johnnie seated himself upon a doorstep
while Nip made a little excursion into tie
gutter After smiling around for awhile
he found a section Of bone which had once
done duty Ia the shank OF a Texan steer
Lifting II to the sidewalk he placed his
fore paws upon it and contentedly gnawed
at it.
In the meantime a wagon had stopped in
the shadow Of a tail building about 100
feet away. A young man. who wore no
mud tFt aua uN a.
Der, dropped 70 the sidewalk from the
wagon and came softly down the street.
keeping close TO the buildings and care
fully avoiding the street lamps. So silent
was his approach that even the sharp ewes
Of the children failed TO see him. When
within feet yards Of Nip he darted sudden
" upon the dog. grabbed it by one Of the
hind legs and started up street as swiftly
as he could rum Nip began TO "ki-yip IA
way that awakened the echoes in the
street, ana Johnnie sprang TO his feet crv.
ing IN a frenzy Of grief:
de dog ketchersl Oh, de dog ketchersp'
Men, women and children started IN a
mad rush after the fleeing man. Hampered
as he was by the swapping and frantic ami
NAL, the dog catcher was unable to run
fast and before he had covered 800 feet OF
sidewalk be was tripped by an agile youth.
He still retained his hold Of Nip. however.
but when he regained his feet he was sur
rounded by a shrieking mob. which he
kept at bay by swinging the dog around
his head. He lodged just ia time to avoid
brickbat which grazed his ear, ana
backed slowly up toward the wagon. The
women screamed, xiii himl Kill himri
and the men swore terrible oaths as they
pressed upon him from every side. With
sudden spring which knocked a would
be rescuer upon the oobblestones, the dog
catcher got under the wagon, the tran
door was thrown open by confederate. a
whip swished viciously upon the horses
back, there was rattle OF wheels, a laugh
ofvictory, and the dog catehers disappeared
down Pearl street. The enraged dwellers
in Cherry street ran frantically after the
wagon for block, and then one BY one
sorrowfully abandoned the pursuit aud
returned 70 Middle alley TO cOndole with
johnnie Murphy on the loss of his dog
The boy was inconsolable He was the
center Of a group Of fifty children who tried
70 cheer him with promises Of another dog
which each one intended to procure for
MIN. But none OF these promises gave
johnnie any comfort. He wanted Mn
There wasn't another pup in the world as
smart as him" he faltered out between his
sobs. johnnie was carried up the long,
winding stairs to his bed in the arms Of his
father. The play ia the street was broken
up for the night, and one by one the chill
dren entered the tenements, and Cherry
street was deserted.
The incident had aroused 50 much feel
/ ing in the shed, however, that an effort was
made to rescue the dog BY the fathers and
mothers Of the children. They knew that
| Nip would be taken to the pound before
morning and that unless three dollars was
raised before the following evening the
light in Nip's eyes would be quenched for
ever and the eloquent wag OF his tail would
be stilled.
And so Roger Doolan took upon himself
the Office Of collector. He canvassed the
whole block before he went to bed. and
many dime which had been laid away for
household necessities found its way into
his pocket. The dog and its deformed
owner were as well known ia the localay
as the children. and each householder con.
tributed cheerfully toward the object re.
serving some very strong language for ths
dog catchers. And while the collection
was in progress Johnnie tossed uueasilv on
his pillow. He missed the familiar doc
which always slept on the qnilt beside
him. When he dropped into a ftful slum.
Der he awoke with a start when he found
that Nip was not in his accustomed place,