Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1893-06-01
A Street Incident.

policeman in motion Is always an in
teresting object and the little drama in
which one OF the specimens figured, one
afternoon recently, attracted more than
usual attention. The curtain went I'D
with the officer walking slowly along
toward the corner. He was young, he was
tall, he was broad-shouldered, and his un-
wrinkled coat and rose pink complexion
betokened that ne had not been very long
ION the force" At his side toddled two
mites OF children, boy and girl. They
were ragged and their faces were pano-
ramic representations of fresh titled
prairie. done in the original dirt. The
elder one, the boy, appreciated, In a degree,
the responsibility of the situation and felt
fearful JOY at being allowed TO grasp the
official coat-tails. But his wee, waddling
sister did not understand it Bit Large,
globulsr tears made lanes for themselve.
across her chubby cheeks and ever and
anon she stopped short In the progress.
Git up. Tch! Tch." said the police
man, gently, as though he were coaxing a
tired horse.
In the wake Of the group trailed the
usual miscellaneous crowd of urchins, who
preferred the gutter and gazed with undis-
guised JOY at the spectacle and pedestrians
OF larger growth, including the Journal
man, who tried to make it appear that they
had not Intentionally fallen into line and
were gong in that direction, anyway.
BY the time that the police signal box
was reached the crowd numbered hum
dred or more. aud its growth was cumua-
tive 1t disposed itself In dense circle
and watched the pink checked policeman
pull the box From the outskirts moth.
ing but his helmet could be seen towering
aloft. and only people In the inner ring
and those so fortunate as TO occupy re-
served seats at the neighboring windows
got good view Of what was going on.
Just then another policeman came along
and plowed his way to the centre Of the
human aggregation with great accuracy
he assumed charge of the "strays." aud
the pinkcompe officer retired
across the street to blush all by himself
Policeman number two WIS family man,
evidently, with friendly whiskers He
wiped the noses OF the mites and addressed
baby talk to them. The tightly wedged
crowd stopped its breathing In order that
IL III ght not lose a single word.
Far down Washington street the Ill.
tant clang of a gong was heard and in a
moment more the patrol wagon drove
furiou-ly on 70 the scene. The crowd
gave way as the waves part before s clip
pers cow The policeman in the wagon
was even bigger than the Others. and
when he saw the microscopic dots Of
humanity waiting for him such smile
he~pread Ills vast features that every
person on The spot grinned in instant
sympathy. The father!y policeman lifted
up the little ones in ki- arms. the tiny
girl first and then the boy, with a final, re-
assuring "cluck.' Sissy demurely snug
gled down alongside her big hlue-coaled
protector, the top Of her head being about
on level with The sixth button OF Ills
vest Bubby sat him down on her other
side and the big officers arm encircled
them both
't(ang went the gong and away
ratified the wagon with IT, Q1-erly assorted
freight, while faint cheer went up from
The reluctantly dispensing multi udc II
Boston Journdl