The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-04-25
TW.GGSY.
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer. }


unkempt and their hands grimy.
Well boys" said the editor. The call
ers tackled little closer. The stouteI
lad looked at his companion. The lat
| ter thrust out his tongue and the editor
| even fancied that he blushed.
! Twiggsy, here said the stouter boy
has writ a story an he wants you to
| look II over"
Wild view to publication, said the
| other boy. hoarseiy.
And he handed the editor a roll of ex-
| trefnely soied paper. The editor took IL
| gingerly.
| 20 course" said the stouter boy, "it
bein's Twiggsy's first story for de public
he amt goin' to charge nothin' for It,
! He'd like to git ii published just fer de
/ practice. faint like Twiggsy amt a
| writer. He's been a pushin de pencil fer
more'n two years. Amt you, Twiggsy
/ But he thought he'd like to see somepin
| in print, an 50 him an mes come over.
The editor looked at Twiggsy. He was
pale, slender boy. with narrow Shout
ders and an unpleasant cough. He
| coughed harshy when the editor turned
| back to his desk.
''Twggsy," said the ssouter boy, 'aint
( so strong he wuz. He's got a cold
most of de time. 1 spOse OATS why he
! took to writin'."
| The editor had the manuscript poised
/ in his hand He laid it on the desk.
Il will look it over" he said. land If
1t 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 a 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 as he went slowly down the
stairs.
Here Is the story. with a little tracing
up OF grammar and punctuation. and a
general return 10 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
'Twtggsy' alone.
The story had been lying on the desk
perhaps ten days before the editor found
time TO go over il. Just as ne unroiled
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. eoughin' an busted
somefln inside. Buried yesterday. Coin
to use de story"
Yes" said the editor, although he
hadn't looked at ii.
And here IL is:
The war with Spain was on. and so far
there had been no real fighting A big
blow kept the fleet apart. and Uncle
Sans ships were afraid of the mines i'm
Havana harbor. There wasn't enough
soldiers 10 send over into Cuba. and
everything stood still until Uncle Sam
could mako 81 -.
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. IL 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 little item. about an inch
long with single head to it. People who
read it laughed.
"Yumps laughed when Twiggsy read II
to him. 1t looked like a big sell.
Next day was warm and pleasant and
1umps and Twigcsy were sitting on a
bench In Lake View park. when Yumps
said What's THAR
Twiggsy looked where Yumps was
pointing and saw a big lake tug steaming
III lbHdTu the IlNFf- II was couple of
miles out, but coming steady.
What's what said Twiggsy
That flag?
''Twiggsy looked again. There was a
yellow flag floating out from the tugs
stan.
That's the Spanish nag.' said Twigg-
sy.
Two hours later half Cleveland knew
that the city was at the mercy of the big
gun on board the tug with the yellow flag.
\ Spanish officer had come ashore and
said TO Mayor MCKissOn. If you don't pay
us 5000, GO pesetas We'll blow your old
town TO scrap ironi
Mayor McKisson wanted lots of time
10 think it over.
You'll get until just 10 O'Clock to-
morrow. said the officer. If the stuff
isn't ours at that time We will promptly
open fire
Then he went back to the tug
Mayor Mckisson called in lot of citi-
zens, but nobody knew what to do. The
Gresham, the Naval Reserves. the Grays.
the Troop and the Fifth Regiment had
all been called to the front. What sort of
resistance could the mayor put up? The
Spaniard anchored out at a safe distance.
could hammer away as he plea sed.
THAT afternoon Twiggsy said to
Yumps:
Let's save de town
" But how? says Yumps.
" I'll tell you as We goes along to de
mayors office
1T was a dark night. but not so dark
but that two boys might have been seen
entering a boat at the Yacht Club house
One was Yumps. the other Twiggsy.
They had big coil of fine wire rope
with them. strong enough to pull down a
house They rowed away in the dark
ness towards the lights that twinkled on
the Spanish tug. 1t was slow work, but
when they got nearer they could see the
battle lanterns shining and the sentries
walking up and down. They rowed very
softly until they were about a hundred
yards from the tug. Then they stopped
and presently Yumps took off his clothes
and slipped into the water. 1t was warm
and still. and he swan away at a lively
rate carrying the end of the wire rope
with him.
In half an hour he was back again.
81 fixed it, he painted l twisted the
rope all around the rudder so il can't
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 the
end of the wire to post.
ut was nearly 10 o'clock next morning
and a group of men stood on the shore
watching the Spaniard. One of the gaz-
ers had a powerful glass
" Steady he said. All of you take
hold of that wire rope. When | give the
word walk away The Spaniards are get
ting ready. Now!
1.-THE men with the rope gave mighty
pull. the tug. to which the rope was fast
ened, was yanked violently around and
the shell intended for the town flew from
the big gun over towards Rocky River.
"Ha. ha.' laughed the man with the
glass. they are running wild with excite