Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1893-12-08

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sorrow. But 1t made a man of him.
He was put into a uniform that might
have fitted an elephant, given . little adj
vice on matters Of courtesy and q great
deal on matters OF discipline, and then
he was turned over to the policeman at
the %Stonybrook Bridge. From that
time on he got a taste Of a sort Of life
that did not at all agree with him. On
the first day-a beastly hot one-he had
to tramp oil over the park a dozen times
On the second dsy-also very hot-he
forward and backward, chase loafers
and un!eashed dogs, and practice throw:
ing . big life-preserver at . stump half
way across the marsh. On the third
day-stili hot-he was told to polish his
boots and clean up generally,--and to
hurry up about 1t, too; then he was as
signed to a lonely night beat in q
corner of the park, far away from every
thing except a couple of spooklike pop
lars and the memory of his " check
cred career.
Sickim travelled back and forth like q
pendulum over that gloomy beat until a
few thin pencils of gray light began to
steal up from the eastern horizon. He
had had no sleep for forty-cight hours
and he was as hungry as a wolf. He
would have gladly given his new helmet
for q doughnut and a drop of whiskey.
Often during the night he felt like TAX
ing French leave and jumping on a pass
ing freight train bound for anywhere.
He could easily cut off his buttons and
jam his helmet into some unacceptable
shape. But something-perhaps just
the least trace of inherent manliness-
made him change his mind.
He took a chew of tobacco, and was
about to lean up against q tree when he
heard something with q noisy voice
coming down the road toward him. He
drew his club, determined, if he got a
chance, to vent his feelings on some.
body's head. A mans form shambled
into sight, followed by something that
cried and resembled q small shadow.
The man was beastly drunk, and cursed
and waved his fist at the shadow, and
remarked that he would like to break the
SHADOWS neck.
perhaps I'll take a hand, too" said
Sickim Us he stepped out from under the
tree.
The man pulled himself up and
stopped his believing, but tho small
shadow behind him gave a little cry of
glee, and, assuming the form of a bit
of a girl of nine, raced by him, and
threw herself sobbing into Sickim's big
hands.
"Leave that young one bel" growled
the man.
"shut up your ~snivelling jaw" said
Sickim, s'or III"
Yer not big enoughy
Sickim's pride boiled. He pushed the
crying child aside and sprang at the man
and gripped him like q wise. "Don't
you talk that way to Jim Sickim if you
want to live any more" and he shook
him till his teeth ratified. The man
knew that his game was up, and pleaded
for mercy.
"Now, Sissy" said Sickim, "who's
this man, and who are yous"
She whimpered between her sobs that
he was her father, John Muggins, aud
she was Kitty Muggins.
CANT yer got no mother: sissy"
'.No, sir" she whined, fan he beat
me cause / didn't stay to home"
Sickim held out at arms length the
snarling, growing object under discus
sion aud frowned at him. Then he said
to him:
"Aint yer got no respec' for yer own
young one, y drunken fool. Eff it wasn't
for the little one I'd learn yer somethin'
you wouldn't forgit!" And he punctua-
ted his remarks with a shake or two.
"Now, Sissy-cr-Kitty," said Sick
i'm, '.you stop right here till I come back.
Meantime, yer daddy an NELL take a
walk. Now, don't you cry any more"
With that he frightened his grip on Mr..
Muggins's arm. and the two moved away
in the darkness. When they suddenly
reached the border of the Park stream,
Muggins mumbled that he would like to
know the rest of the programme.
Eyer face is kind Of dirty like" said
Sickim, land yer boots wouldn't look 80
bad eff they was cleaned a bit. So I'm
goin' to give yer a free battle before we
go up to the station"
Then Sickim caught him by the coat
collar, and douscd him in the water until
he began to get sober and weep pathet-
ically. Which took about twelve min
utes, for the water was quite chilly.
4 4 = =
About twenty minutes later there was
a great hurroosh up at the police station
sickim had just marched in witha cute
little blue-eyed girl in one hand and
something that looked like a bundle of
wet rags in the other, and now stood in
the middle of the room with q smile on
his face that was fully five inches long.
die and said: N6ld Mliggfins again!
Well, I'll be-; this is the sixth offence,
Muggins, me boy: Iguess you had bet
ter go down on the Island for a couple
of months and give this child a chance to
grow. Lock him up, Sickim."
"That being the case" said sickim,
if the court has no objections, I'll take
the young one round to my house. /
got q sister that'l take good care of
her."
Two weeks later Muggins died down
at the Island. After that, sickim moved
away from his old neighborhood. for
comohow NJ nthor ho toolr a 1so1sl,a a. ;t