Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1892-05-19

~ NA' VI =
district messenger hoy. 1T may be-
] thought. that all messenger boys are
not born tired. hut hat this is a condi-
tiou affecting them only when on duty
Pinkey. I concluded, was not on duty;
he was uniformed only as q trousers.
and he was. a ] have said. most agree
ably vi, aciouS and alert
first Ssw him emerging from a base
ment coffee shop. from which, ~ he
passed a table near the door. he a.
quircd an extra doughnut. with great
skill and neatneSs. On the sidewalk
he m t 4 uniformed companion
"~IiulIo. Stubby.~
"Huiio. Pinkey.-
They were passing zach other with
this when Pink.y produced the dough-
nut ms grinned- stubby looked at it,
then at the coffee shop and then he
Grinned-
Give ~ a piece
Pinkey broke the cake and was pass
ing half 10 Stubby. when he hesitated
and asked:
Got a eigaretteT'
Nav
YOUR a liar
Then Stubby grinned. produced /,
package. gave Pinkey a cigarette. took
half the d"ughnut and departed slowly.
Pinkey lighted up and started rapidly
down the street, bat stopped suddenly
in front of a hand organ on which was
seated a little. Pink-nosed white poodle.
holding n tiny basket in its mouth.
Finkey made a motion of depoSiting
money in the basket and the shiverinu
poodle made a motion of kissing his
hand II was the poodle's one poor lit
tie trick and il amused Pinkey enor-
mously. He made the dog do IL over
and over and Over again. to the rage OF
the organ grinder.
Go away. you l~cetle-a hoodlum-a.~
Then PInkey was in a age. He
glared at the organist with his eyes con
tractcd and chin extended. and said in
a low, threatening growl:
Soy. you call me a hoodlum ag'in an
I'll take a fall put of you,-
The Italian. who was a big. muscu-
lar fellow. with two sound legs tucked
under Tim and two wooden stumpe
strapped to his knees sticking out in
front Of him. looked ready TO spring 10
his feet and demolish Pinkey.
Soy. I'm on to you. young felly. II
youse jump me de cop will see yer wood
legs is fakes and run you of de be 1t.
See?"
Pinkey grinned after saying this and
made the poodle kiss his hand again. and
then discovered that il was rave nously
interested in the greasy doughnu,
Pinkey still carried.
oh. de purp's hungry: let's feed
him, and he took the basket and be
gan feeding the famished poodle, while
the Italian nearly had a At from rage.
Well. 50 long, young felly." ex,
claimed Pinkey. when he had fed the
poodle poddy; I'm be along tomorrow,
an II youse have whaled de purp fer
eating de sinker, I'll put de cop on to
yer fake legs
Pinkey replaced the basket in the
poodle's mouth. patted his head. grinned
at the organist. shook his fist at him
and started down the street at a sprint.
ing pace. hurried after him from the
show window I had been pretending tc
examine. bot his pace was such that
surely would have lost him had he no,
com into violent collision with a
youngster about his size who wa su,
p~erintending the progress of a me
chanieal toy across the sidewalk.
Who you running into. kidd" ex
claimed the toy vender, picking M hi.
sample toy-a yellow ostrich. driven BY
a green man in a red Garland
placing il by the side Of his stocl
of goods on the edge of the
sidewalk Pinkey really had tn.
wind knocked out of him BY the col
lision and could not reply Mt once. H,
was rubbing his hands in front of him
| had seen that trick before and sus
pected what was Z follow-and grin
ming, as he slowly approached the IN
~susPecting toy boy, without a word o.
sign Of warning Pinkey's right few on
and his fist landed hard and flush or
the mouth of the amazed vender.
There was n short but lively rally a
close quarters. in which Pinkey wa.
getting all the best of it belonging L
the leisure class. he had more time TO,
the practice of the manly art of attack
when the gathered crowd was parted BY
the slow and dignified entrance into tins
ring of a policeman
stop that exclaimed the officer.
The boys arms fell To their sides.
What's all this aboutg-'
The toy vender really did not seem L
know what il was all about, and WA
silent, but Piukey explained, without
seconds hesitation: