The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-05-19
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CHAPTER VIII-(cOntinued).

CHAPTER .VIII-(cOntinued).
Walter went to the Neacs office to
bid good-by to his companions there,
and at the foot Of the stairs overlook
Bronson bound on the same errand.
Emotional old 10 was greatly excited
by Bronson's announcement in a COM
monplace manner of the fact of his and
Walters enlistment, and probable
speedy departure for the scene of hos
tilities.
Pride at their manliness and appre-
hension for their fate struggled for domi-
nance of expression in the moonlike
breadths of the honest old mans face as
he listened, and when Bronson had
finished he rose with tears in his eyes,
and putting hand on the shoulder of
each said in broken voice:
"God Almighty bless you, boys. |
nm so glad-no, | amt; I'm so sorry
no, I'm both-that you're going.
Heaven take care of you, and when you
come back You shall have the best situa-
tons there is in the office. You have
my promise of that. But can't | do
something else for you? Don't you
need some money? Haven't you some
debts that | can pay? Don't you want
some clothes or something else to take
along? DO let me do something for
gou."
Bronson assured him that they re-
guired nothing. Inky's face frightened
through its CRIME for an instant, as
Walter handed him the key of his
trunk, and told him that it and its con-
tents were to be his Then the citation
faded away and he said:
"No, dern me eff I'll take yer things
while you're off a-fghting. But I'll go
up and get 'em and keep 'em safe for We
till We come back. I'll be jest like the
Faithful Stooard in the Troo Heirs Re-
turn, who took care of the young Knights
money and jewels when he was off to
the wars, and KEEP all the villains away,
an handed over every cent to the young
Lord when he came back, an then died
to slow moosick, of wound that one of
she Fooled Robbers guy him seven years
before"
This provoked a general smile, in
spite of the seriousness of the moment,
and Inky made up for this phenomenal
touch of softness by simply whitening
the newest and meekest {" sub with:
"Sa-a-y! how long are you a-going
TO sleep over that take O your'n? Don't
ye know We hev already KEEP the galley
a-waitin' a half-an-hour2 What sort O.
slow crabs did they hav in the Office
wl.ere you've bin a-workin? S-a-a-y?"
The luckless newcomer was so over
w.-e.med that he could not find any
tongue to say that he had only lifted his
take from the hook a moment before,
and that he could not be keeping the
aalley waiting, since not another man
had yet finished. II would have done
him little good TO say it, any way. No
daily office devil" who understands
his business, ever allows sub to get
the best of him in an argument-and
Inky understood his business.
When the adieus were finished, and
Walter started to go, Inky pulled him
by the coat, and after leading him out
of sight behind door, drew out a small
and hardly-used Testament
al heerd that you'd enlisted almost as
soon as you'd done it, said he. "The
Clark street Kinch was watchin' We, an
he come an tole me. | made up nv
mind what I'd do. I've read lots O. sto.
ries where good boys jest like you-an
We are a good boy, though We did paddle
me with sidestick for putin that Lin.
burger cheese in your case, an maxim il
smell so that the Health Officer came in
an scattered more'n a tun O chloride o
lime around the chapel. Well, as said
afore, I've read that when these good
boys start off to the wars, their mother;
give 'em blessin' and a Testament
which they put in their pockets right
over their hearts-the Testament,
mean. Bimeby they git into a battle
and the good boy gifts bullet and keel.
over. They all think he's killed, for sure
but directly he comes to, an then they
fnd- that the ball that would have gone
ftia hit through his heart, was stopped by
ths ives of his mothers Testament
Nov. knowed We haint no mother t.
eiA1 t"u a Testament, and We ought tc
Iicy - Z, SO as to make We even with the
goe'i elbows who hey, so | sent the Kincl
Rra.id to the second-han' bookstore on the
ne--i street, with the money to buy Tes