The Bottineau pioneer., 1892-01-09

tbll1' y
DERRINGER.
saw the MAJ jor, but though he was
q good deal cooled down, he wouldn't
buy pig in poke for any such sum
as the man wanted for it. Who was
he, anyway"
"Derringer, said.
Dsrringer Well, he wouldn't buy it
of him anyway, the crazy old fool! In
vain / insisted that the item was of
the greatest moment; he only abused
me for not telling him what it was.
Then l argued" that l was
working only in his interest-my first
hypocrisy with him-and at length
he'd turn in the item to the paper.
With this tramped through the snow
to the Club and Derringer.
"Not much'' he said with profanity
"Why didn't he give me a chance to
explain matters in the first place? I
won't work there again"
tried to get him to put lower
figure on the item, but he was stub
born.
"They ought to be willing to pay
that to retrieve the beat on them yes
terday."
"But that was your fault" I said.
"Well, aren't we square?" insisted
Derringer, "am l not discharged?"
And what could say to that? The
most could get him to do was to
agree to see the Major and try to sell
the item himself.
About nine o'clock ] saw him 60 in
to the Majors den and come out at
the expiration of twenty minutes with
look that told me he hadn't sold
his item. He did not speak to me,
but huddled himself in chair near
the steam-pipes and appeared to be
asleep. At ten o'clock went over to
him and said, "Why the deuce don't
you get out and place that item some
where?"
perhaps WILL" he replied without
looking up.
"Well, don't let it go to waste" I
said, "let us have it at space rates if
you're not going to sell it anywhere
else"
But he wouldn't do it and sat
u. owslng there until l forgot about
him.
Just rs was getting into my over
coat Herrick came in. "What's Der
ringer doing out on the stairs?" he
asked, curiously.
II didn't know he was out, there"
I said.
"He's out there on the first land
ing down." said Herrick; lighting
cigarette. "What else is new2" I
asked.
II met Williams" Herrick said,
this afternoon, and he said he met
Derringer prowling up Crosby Street
along about dusk. Derringer told him
that he'd found out the name of the
ringleader of that Anarchist meeting
night before last. None OF the papers
had it you know"
"Who did Derry say hs was2"
Derringer shook hands with me, say
ing over and over again:
did you ever see anything work so
well?" Then, he turned to the crowd
and. raising his voicein his old, theat-
rical way, and half smiling, he said:
"Major Mcbride, and gentlemen of
the reportorial staff: This is one of
the crowning moments of my long
and chequered career. Let me
sketch biography: There was once a
young man who had a dissipated,
foolish and improvident father. They
separated and lived in different cities,
because they were too much alike.
Both, for instance, were newspaper
men. The son, in his city, read much,
WAS careless of his earnings and es-
poused the cause of red handed An
archy! He became leader in it's ranks.
He came to this city, and, intoxicated
by the applause OF the long. haired
eer-drinkers of the slums, fascinated
by a dream ofnewspaper fame he help
ed to plan the shooting of7a great ed
itor. -a&
"That young scoundrel's father was
sent by this great editor to report his
own SON intended crime. He didn't
do it. Nobody would! He preferred
to argue the son out of the idea. He
knocked the son down brief but un-
carpeted fight Of stairs. It was, as
you will please forgive me for observ-
ing, q knock-down argument. The
father then carted his son to q hotel
and. starting at midnight at the basic
principles of this government, he ar
gued for the starspangled banner till
noon the next day with the door
locked. He told his son, furthermore,
that Christmas was bad time Of
year for any cause that didn't pro-
mote peace on earth, good will to
menp And that fantastical son was
regenerated into an American citizen,
and I take pleasure in presenting him.
as q Christmas gift TO the nation.
Tonight he saved great editor from
the bullet Of beWhiskered assassin.
I take pleasure gentlemen, in pre-
senting my sonl 3l5s5
Then the Major made y neat speech,
omplimenting Derrineer on his good
judgment. .5,ss ss5,ss
When the paper goes to press he
continued stif all You gentlemen will
meet mo "a the place acfoes the strsAt