The times., 1898-04-25
TWICE SY.


and their hands grimy.
We'll, boys. said the editor. The call
crS tackled a little closer. The stouter
lad looked at his companion. The lat
ter thrust out his tongue and the editor
even fancied that he biushed
"Twiggsy, here. said the stouter boy.
has writ a story an he wants YOU to
look il over
''Wid a view to publication said the
other boy. hoarsely.
And he handed the editor roll of ex-
tremely soiled paper. The editor took it
Gingerly.
90 course" said the stoutcr boy lit
beins Twiggsys first story for de public,
he amt goin to charge nothin for 1t.
He'd like to git it published just fer de
practice. 'Taint like Twiggsy amt
writer. Hes been pushin de pencil fer
mcre'n two years. Amt you. Twiggsy?
But he thought he'd like to see Somepin
in print. an him an mes come over.
The editor looked at TwiGgsy. He wa
a pale. slender boy. with narrow shoul-
ders and an unpleasant cough He
coughed harshly when the editor turned
back to his desk.
''Twiggsy" said the s-outer boy, "ain't
so strong as he wuz. He's got cold
most of de time. | S'poSe dat's why he
took TO writin.
The editor had the manuscript poised
in his hand. He laid il on the desk
Il will look it over, he said, land If
it can be used you will see it in the pa
per-.
The boys grinned and turned away
Then Twiggsy came back
You'll notice. he said. in thin
quavering voice, that Joe an me is the
heroes of the story. I've used the
names the boys call us, but if ii amt
right ] can change en-.
He was assured that il would be all
right. and the editor heard him coughing
painfully he Wen slowly down the
stairs
Here is the story. with a little tracing
up of grammar and punctuation. and a
general return to the popular forms OF
spelling.
1t was called "How Yumps and
Twiggsy Saved the Town" but the editor
has taken the liberty to shorten this to
'Twiggsy'' alone.
The story had been lying on the desk
perhaps ten days before the editor found
time to go over it. Just as he unrolled
the manuscript the stouter boy walked
into the room.
Say" he said, abruptly. "Twiggsy
won't bother wild no more stories "
'Dead?'' queried the editor.
Yes. Took a fit O coughin' an busted
sometin inside. Buried yesterday. Coin
! to use de story?"
Yes said the editor, although he
! hadn't looked at it.
And here it is:
The war with Spain was on and so far
| there had been no real lighting. A big
| blow kept the fleet apart. and Uncle
! Sans ships were afraid of the mines in
/ Havana harbor. There wasn't enough
! soldiers 10 send over into Cuba and
everything stood still until Uncle Sam
could make soldiers out of the raw mate
rial. The Spaniards however. were do
ing lots of damage to Uncle Sans ship
| ping. They had any number of fast boats
| with big gun or two on them, and they
secuted all along the Atlantic coast out
our boats as they pleased.
One day. it was the --th of June the
Cleveland papers said that 1t was rumored
that Spanish agent was trying to buy a
fast lake tug over in one of the Canadian
ports. Just a little item, about an inch
long with a single head to it. People who
read it laughed.
"Yumps laughed when Twiggsy read il
to him. It looked like a big sell.
Next day was warm and pleasant and
Yumps and Twiggsy were sitting on q
bench in Lake View park, when Yumps
said What's that
''Twiggsy looked where Yumps was
pointing and saw big lake tug steaming
in toward the river 1t was d couple ot
]
" What's what? said Twiggsy.
q" That flag?
''Twiggsy looked again. There was
yellow flag floating. out. from ihe tug.
staff.
That's the Spanish hag, said Twigg
sy.
Two hours later half Cleveland knew
that the city was at the mercy Of the bis
gun on board the tug with the yellow flag
A Spanish officer had come ashore anC
said to Mayor McKisson, If you don't pa!
US 5000 900 pesetas we'll blow your ole
town to scrap IRON
Mayor McKisson wanted lots of tim,
to think ii over.
" You'll get until just 10 o'clock to
morrow said the officer If the stuf
isn't ours at that time we will prompt!
open fire.
Then he went back to the tug
Mayor McKisson called in i lot Of citi
zens, but nobody knew what to do. Tn
Gresham, the Naval Reserves, the Grays
the Troop and the Fifth Regiment ha'
all been called TO the front. What sort o
resistance could the mayor put up? tn
Spanard, anchored out at safe distance
could hammer away as he pleased.
THAT afternoon Twiggsy said t
Yumps:
Let's save de town
" But how says Yumps
I'm tell you as we goes along to d
mayors Office
1T was dark night but not so darl
. but that two boys might have been see
entering a boat at the Yacht Club house
one was Yumps the other Twiggsy
| They had a big coil Of fine wire rop
with them, strong enough 10 pull down
house. They rowed away in the dark
ness towards the lights that twinked o
| the Spanish tug. 1t was slow work, bu
| when they got nearer they could see tn
battle lanterns shining and the sentrie
walking up and down. They rowed yer
softly until they were about "A hundre
yards from the tug. Then they stoppe
| and presently Yumps took off his Clothe
and slipped into the water. 1t was war;
and still and he swan away at a livel
5 rate carrying the end of the wire rop
with him.
In half an hour he was back again.
81 fixed it, he painted | twisted IN
rope all around the rudder 50 it can
move an inch. An now, let's get back.
They rowed back In the darkness, pay
ing out the rope as they proceeded
| When they got to shore they fastened tn
$ end Of the wire to u post.
{ 1T was nearly 10 O'Clock next mornin
, and a group of men stood on the shoI
= watching the Spaniard. one of the gai
: ers had a powerful glass.
- STEADY he said. All Of you TAX
hold of that wire rope. When / give tt
y word walk away The Spaniards are sc
T. ting ready. Now.
n ''The men with the rope gave might
q pun the tug to which the rope was fas
d ened. was yanked violently around an
d the shell intended for the town flew frol
,, the big gun over towards Rocky River.
= 'Ha, ha laughed the man with II
r. glass they are running wild with excite
5 rent They don't know what to make