The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-06-24
Il 4 !. D|:'ln6-N0V6l Hero.
|. BY FANNIE WILLIAMS.

n Dy JIMMIE MlLLlnm0.
0ssssssseesssessseeesee4
TT was one o'clock In the morning,
very chilly for May, and a damp mist
was gathering in the air. FL
III Policeman Packard, as he paced his
beat near the freight depot, pulled his
coat collar up around his neck with a
shiver, and mentally observed that it
5wasslikely to rain before daylight.
& Just then, coming around the corner
sof the building, his practiced eye dis
scerned, through the mist and darkness,
the figure of a boy. who was apparently
trying to force open the sliding door of
afreight car. - .c....-,. -.'
The officer approached and laid a
hand upon his shoulder, whereat the
boy started, with cry of terror, and
attempted to escape. But the officer
held him and demanded: r>.a - ~
what are you doing here, boy?'
Nothing" faltered the lad in a
frightened voice. -. 49, -,
Nothing" repeated the policeman,
looking him over and 'comprehending
his case at glance. you're fooling
around these cars at one o'clock in the
morning for nothing, are you?" Y ''
- II wanted to get in some place
where could sleep and-and keep
warm," stammered the youthful cap
tive. r. "a ~ E.,,. ~. -
"Why don't you go home and sleep?''
asked the officer. .~&.' rs +.
g, II haven't any home, "replied the boy,
hanging his head and blushing guiltily
as he added: mot now, I mean.'
> "Ah!" said the officer, dryly. Flows
that?'
: The boy hesitated and shifted his
feet uneasily, as if he would have. tried
to break away from the officers hold,
if he had dared. $].1-y..s II >-..-
He was about 10 years old, neatly
dressed, and wore one of the military
caps which had just come into favor
with the boys. His face had a look of
innocence and youthful candor, which
did not help him greatly in, his en-
deavor to invent a plausible explanation
of his midnight wanderings.
Finally he said:
I'm an orphan, sir. lived with my
relations out in the country; but they
!. they got tired of me and told me to
leave, and-and SO came to the CITY.
thought might get chance to go out
west.'
"And you were going to steal ride in
the freight carp" said the officer, with
a grim smile. II thought so. What
3 on earth do you expect to do out west,
if you ever get there?" s., u. =.
4. The lad looked sulky, and made no
answer. He had probably been taught
by experience that he need not look to
his elders for sympathy with his heroic
: dreams of adventure in the great west,
did you leave home ?" inquired
the officer. - III.
:, Yesterday" was the brief reply.
The policeman asked a few more ques-
tions, but, finding the boy not inclined
z to be very communicative, he took him
to the station, and handed him over to
the lieutenant in charge. q- w.. -,
:. The young adventurer was dismayed
to find himself inside police station
{ for the first time in his life; but the
! lieutenant spoke to him kindly, saying:
"You win be comfortable enough
here for the night, my lad, and in the
morning we will see what we can do for
1 you. What is your name?" = 49, ~.
George Burton, sir" ILL., r. i.
where do you belong?"9 ~
The boy, in confused and hesitating
manner, replied by giving the name of
country place some 40 miles away.
The experienced officer suspected that
: he was not telling the truth, but, keep
ing this opinion to himself, remarked:
I + '.'You don't look as if you had eaten
any supper, George" &. i + "a.
y II haven't" said George, with visit
& full sigh; "nor any dinner, either" e.
ID swell. I'll see if 1 can't find you some
thing to eat said the lieutenant, a
kindly man, with boys of his own. Il I.
h He was successful in finding sub
\ stantial lunch, which the hungry young
.wanderer devoured with avidity. When
he had satisfied his appetite. the lieu
!. tenant said to him: 7,3 i. Isl .3&
You had better go to bed now, but
first, if you have any little notions in
your pockets, give them to me for safe
keeping. & a 4 N,
George complied with this request by
pulling out Of his various pockets an
array Of little notions which was Ger
tainly enough to impress the inspector
with awe. There were one Of the old
! fashioned pepper box revolvers Of
heavy caiber. q piece OF wax candle,