Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-04-07

Betrayed by a Button.
This story is true. The names of
the distinguished personages involved
are not their real names, as it would
cause them more or less inconvenience
to be too specific. The time, says the
New York Sun, was last week, and the
scene was laid principally in a police
station on the west side of the city.
Somebody told the story last night, and
here it is:
Brown-which is not specific name
was and still is bootblack for the po-
lice station. His face is as black and
shining as the shoes he polishes. Brown
is patriotic, and he always wears a
Grand Army button in the lapel of his
coat.
One day last week, after Brown had
finished polishing Sergt. Blanks shoes
he Looked up to the sergeant suddenly,
his face full of surprise and dismay.
"Fo de Lawd, Sarge. Alive done
lost m button-Grand Army button,
Sarge
"Thst 500" asked the sergeant. cts
a shame. Where'd you lose it?''
Dunno" replied Brown. "It was
there last night, sab, shuh's All live
and draw BRET"
Guess that sweetheart of yours
with the crinkly face borrowed it.,
didn't she?" said the sergeant.
enc, she amt got it. She's shook
me. Say, Sarge, All wish you'd ask
your men to look for dat button. 1t
must sherely be hereabouts."
The sergeant promised to send out
a general alarm for the missing but
ton, and Brown stalked around the
room looking in the corners for his
badge of honor. After a fruitless
search he left the station house.
Ten minutes later man came in
and told the sergeant that his hen
roost down by the river had been rob-
bed of two chickens the night before.
The sergeant sent out a detective to
investigate the matter. The detective
came back in an hour.
"Got any clew of 'em?" asked the
sergeant
'Well, yes" replied the detective,
"but it don't amount to much-only a
Grand Army button-might have been
there for some time, you see."
"This is curious" said the sergeant
to himself. Then he asked the detec-
tive for the button, and he called in
the captain. The three then held a
conversation in low tone, every once
in awhile breaking out into laughter
Then the sergeant sent the doorman
around to the corner saloon to call the
bootblack.
"Here, you coon,' said the captain
as Brown waddled in. You're in luck
I guess. Is this your button?"
go shuah it u.s." said Brown.
Where on earth did it come from %
"Sure it is yours, are you?" asked
the captain in severe tone.
"Yes," said Brown, with an air OF
mystification. "Ah'm shuah it is. See
dat little teenty-tonty nick in de side
theah? OATS NAH mark, captain"
"Now, Mr.. Brown" said the cap
tain, "where'd you get those little
chickens pin feathers on your coat?'
Brown stammered, grew as white as
his complexion permitted, hid his face
and began to blubber like child.
ooh, Mr.. Captain, let me loose this
time All jess couldn't resiss the temp
tashun. It wuz so easy. All only took
tew, and dey never squeaked and for
de life of me All don't see how or
earth All dropped dat button, and me
a grown-up man with no support but
NAH brush, Mr.. Captain. Oh, ple-e-e-ese
let me loose this time, Mr. Captain
Alive no excuse but nah longin' for
dem birds, sab, but ple-e-ese-"
"That'll do" said the captain.
you've done this thing once too Oft
en-. Take his pedigree, sergeant, and
lock him up. Then get a new boot
black"
Half an hour later Blank Brown, As
years old, born in the United States,
bootblack, was taken out of his cell
and arraigned before the captain.
Mister Brown" said the captain, in
his severest tones, you are hereby or
dered by me to appropriate your earn
ings for the next two weeks toward
paying for those chickens. Being ne
cessary to the station house as you are.
you are herewith paYoled pending said
oovroont m condition that v0ur cnn