The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1899-10-18

1.-THE Sergeant said that it was, and
dropped some choice cuss-words doing
IL. but the committee didn't mind that, 4,
either. They gave three cheers for
Sergeant Davis, and then the mayor
started on the speech Of his life. It got
along fine, with the committee cheer
ing and the sergeant standing looking
a. misplaced az an m quad in the up
per case, until the mayor called him
the hero Of Rupertsburg, oneot Nebras-
ka's favorite and honored sons, and
then the sergeant cboked him off with a
big cus-word.
"Nebraska-TIell, says he. 4 come
from Rupertsburg, Illinois. What's
the matter with your
"You could have cut the silence with
a knife. Then shortly Miller laid back
on the steps and laughed 10 think Of the
scoop he had. The mayor caught him
just as he was heading for the telegraph
office.
"For heavens sake, Miller, | have
the biggest scandal going in the water
works department, and its all yours II
you keep this dark
"'This is better than three scandals
says Shorty, who saw his chance.
The moyor knew that shorty had him
and he gave in all at once.
"T'll give you all the facts abo6t the
leak in the treasury
THAT was what we had been after for
six months and couldn't even touch, and
Shorty closed with him before he had
time 10 take 1t back
"But, how about the Daily Blizzard2'
they'll get this story and have us bad.
"Now it was just like the Blizzard Ia
misdirect its enterprise at that import
ant moment. Their reporter was get
Ting heconductor to write his impres.
sions OF Sergeant Davis and never knew
what had happened.
II was the quickest piece of work
Shorty ever did. lie got an alderman
to lead the Blizzard man off 20 the other
end Of the depot, and he himself went
for the sergeant who was chewing to-
bacco and cussing the committee for
fools. lie told him what a blazing hot
time we had fixed up, and asked him Ia
keep his mouth shut and take the recep-
tion like little man. But the sergean,
said
'EIow in thunder can X ,p it up?
They'll get onto me-
shorty was fixed for that.
No they won't. You take your cell
ebration and let the girls feed You and
Hobsonize you, and then you get away
next morning because they want you in
Washington on important business.
See?'
THE sergeant didn't see. lie wanted
10 know why the blazes-only he didn't
say blazes-they were going 10 run him
out OF his way for a one-nght stand.
Take il or leave IT, says shorty, and
then the mayor slid a part Of the public
Appropriation into the sergeant's belt,
and he was ours.
"Say, it was triumphal procession
from start to finish. There was never u
hitch in the whole show. The hero OF
the occasion was ours for keeps after he
saw the crowd. lie grinned all over.
Said he had gone TO the Philippines
hunting for excitement, but he tnever
had a marker to that. lie wanted To
make speech, but the mayor remem-
bcred the limitations Of his vocabulary
aud cut off public scandal by announc-
ing that Sergeant Davis had lost bis
voice in Luzon and couldn't speak above
ordinary conversational tones.
1T was great. There was public re-.
ception in the afternoon, and barbecue
and night parade and fireworks Oh,
Rupertsburg is corker when she gets
to going shorty Miller staid with that
hero like brother, kept him still so he