Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-10-10

to the loftiest pitch. Assurance. I
1elt. was doubly sure
hut alas! Who-who can read the
future?
What sagacity in that reflection,
retired to my humble abode. and
slept the sleep Of happy and hope
full man.
The next morning, refreshed and
JOYFUL, l sought the counting. house
OF Podger, Strother & Co., where
earn my daily bread. overdrew INV
salary, In order to pay for tn. private
box, and the supper which intended
should follow the performance. u
applied myself to nv labors. and was
cheerful; nay, vivacious to an un-
wonted degree.
At 5 O'clock, leaving the office.
sauntered up Broad street, on nv
homeward way.
l felt SO good, 1 hardly knew what
to do with myself.
mo more adding up of wearisome
columns. old boy" l said to myself:
mo more plodding to and fro afoot,
IN an old 1nk-stained sack coat, No
more hard times and short commons;
but coupe to ride down town in, and
KID gloves every day. Hoorah!"
AS L mentally uttered this JOYOUS
exclamation, l saw Cogsmith loiter.
ing thoughtfully along, ia his pe-
cullar manner. just ahead of me.
decided to inform him Of the fact that
was to have proscenium box, and
a stunning. splendid girl at the
Academy of Music that night, to
overwhelm him and impress him with
belief that I was 'in society,""
regular heavy swell. and all that sort
of thing
As l overlook him l noticed that
his handkerchief-a more balefu!ly
odlous one than ever--was hanging
about six inches out of his pocket
Remembering tho ancient lark of
our schooldays. and feeling, as l have
said, uncommonly youthful and
risky, l dexterously twitched the
wretched rag from his pocket, axd
passed by him with a loud ''ahem!"
He did not look up and recognize
me, as l thought he would; and as l
had got step or two by turned to
confront him.
Horror of horrors, it wasn't Cog
smith at ALL
At the same moment a horrible
little boy shouted: "Say! Here!l
Mister! He's got yer hankerchietw
The person whom I had mistaken
for Cogsmith, but who was quite a
respectable-looking old buffer, i'm
mediately clapped his hand TO his
pocket, missed his handkerchief, and,
collaring me Indignantly, began to
call for the police.
"Stop, sir!" / Moderated, trying to
pull away from him, 'stQ! Pm not
the mani thought you were Peter
upon my soul l did. You're mis-
taken, sir--I didn't steal it,"
"You scoundrel!" cried the old gen.
tleman; "I'll teach you to steal in
the streets! You villain! Police!
Police"
A curious crowd gathered immedi-
ately, and two officers stepped for
ward.
In endeavoring to free myself from
my assailant's grasp l had lost my
hat; my collar aud cravat had been
disordered. and my face had become
extremely red.
felt that circumstances were de-
cidedly against me.
swell, Gully" said a flashy looking
youth near me, in a sympathetic tone.
'you're not fly at clay-faking, Ell?
Why didn't you sherry?"
81 think l know that cove" said
one of the officers; II b'lieve he's the
same Teller that grabbed some money
from boy as was comm from bank
last Monday"
"He looks like hardened rascal, :"
said the respectable old buffer whom
l had mistaken for Cogsmith; stake
him to the station-house at once"
In vain I expostulated. entreated
and threatened In vain demanded
permission to send for reference as to
,ny character and position. 1t was no
60 l was ANONYMOUSLY dragged off
to the station, with a ragged and
dirty crowd jeering me.
Just as the rabble had reached it's
pitch of noise and numbers, l met
Miss Pricilla's cousin, the Young man
with the weak eyes and the yellow
musuache, who always hated me.
He raised his eye-glass. smeild
scornfully and passed by without a
word.
Then l knew that my doom was
sealed.
To be brief, I was locked up for
examination. I gave the name of
John Smith to the magistrate, but a
boy in the crowd-an Grand boy in
the store next to ours-knew me and
informed the dignitary that l was
travelling under an alias.
was registered, then, under my
own name, with "alias John Smith, II
tackled to it, for all the world like a
veritable thief, and taken down tc
the fllthiest, fOulest cell imaginable.
The next day l was allowed to send
for anybody l wanted to see, and sue
ceeded in proving my respectability