The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-12-12
SWIPES.
BY HOWARD sEGUR.

Swipes was, to use the v~ernacular of
the day, the kid around the telegraph
Office in the little town of C~rompton.
Who his parents werc-if, indeed, he
ever had anyways not definitely known
by the people of Crompton. No n
seemed to take sufficient interestin him
to look up his lineage, further han that
almost any one of the villagers could tell
.you that he had been shipped to the town
some years before with four other boys
of about his own age-seven years
from the orphans home at Boston, with
the expectation of finding homes for
them among the farmers of eastern Ne
braska.
His four companions had only stopped
with the farmers to whom they were as
signed long enough to get fitted out with
clothing, when they silently left for
parts unknown. Rumor had it that there
were missing from the various homes
they had left numerous articles Of
clothing and jewelry, and n farmer
said that he had missed S25 that he had
carelessly left in his pocketbook on the
kitchen table the night of the disappear
ance.
Swipes, whose real name-so far as
he knew-was Harry Russell, did not go
with the other boys, but a good many
said that if he could have had his choice
he would certainly have gone.
So strong was the talk in the neigh
borhood against the boys that Deacon
Bowles, who wasa Manifested, avaricious
farmer, and who had taken Swipes to
raise" finally said:
Yes, indeed he must go! How do
I know but what he is stayin' here as
a kind of a decoy, to either steal every
thing on the place he can lay his hands
on, or murder the whole family some
night in cold blood?"
As the deacon was a man of his word,
Swipes was unceremoniously bounced.
Being in a strange country, the boy
hardly knew what to do or where to go.
Had he been in the city he would have
known what to do at once. As it was, he
finally concluded that he must reach
Denver in some way, where he would get
a kit" and go to backing boots or SELL
iIg papers, as he had done in Boston.
AS Denver was a long distance away,
and the only practicable means of reach
ing that point was by rail, he naturally
drifted 20 the station to inquire concern
ing the distance, fare and time of trains.
He met the station agent as he was start
ing for the livery stable with an impor-
tant message for Deacon Bowlcs, which
he intended sending to the country by
special messenger"
When he saw Swipes he stopped alb
rUptly and said: Hello! you're the
very one I'm looking for. I've a mes
sage for the deacon, and you can save me
the trouble of looking up some one to
deliver it."
Il amt stayin' at his place now" said
Swipes.
"Since when?'
"This mornin'; he fired me-"
well, is that so? You won't object to
make half a dollar, will you, by TAX
ing this message to him?"
NO, sir: 1 can take it." Saying which,
Swipes took the message and walked
back to the deacon's.
Thought 1 told you to leave the
place." shouted the deacon, as he
caught 4 glimpse of Swipes through the
hedge. as he reached the end of a row of
corn he was blowing.
Guess they hain't no law agin a Teller
bringing a message to you, is they?"
Gueried Swipes, as he handed the mes
sage through the hedge fence to the
deacon.
AS he read the telegram, the deacon
grew liyid with rage, as was his custom
when things did not go as he wished
them to. NO, indeedi" he exclaimed.
"I1l not take the young upstart to keep
through vacation to have him poster and
worry the life out o me," alluding to the
contents of the message, which was from
his wealthy nephew in the city, who
asked the deacont keep his son through
the summer vacation. The deacon had
kept him the summer before and, as a
compensation for his trouble, had re-
ceived a hundred dollars, which was well
come to the hard-fisted old curmudgeon.
''Well, why don't you go?" growled
the deacon when. after reading the
message, he saw that Swipes was still
waiting.
81 want half a dollar" rejoined
Swipes.