The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-12-01
THE GIRL AND THE A M


/ had never seen a football game. So
when / came to New York for the first time
the Delights invited me to accompany them
to the Polo grounds to see the annual
Thanksgiving game, and afterward to dine
with them. The party consisted of Papa
Delight. Mamma Delight, young Mr.. De-
light, pretty little Miss Delight and myself.
IL was TO be quite a family affair, Mrs. De-
light assured me, and when / heard the
words 1 was overjoyed. The Specla mine
had given me a fortune. Did not this mean
that it was also to give me a wife? What
luck 1t had been that the Delights had WIS.,
tied Dead Mans pass two years before and
given me the opportunity to show them my
darling hole in the ground! / was pretty
certain that / made an impression on pretty
Miss Delight in my rough, put picturesque.
miners dress. The weaker and more deli
cate a girl Is the more she admdres a strong,
rough man. Axiom.
1 sat beside her at the game. She seemed
ike a delicate flower TO me, though she was
Tar more beautiful than any such soulless
thing. She actually seemed to exhale a
fragrance, just as though she were a flower.
i CALAMITY told her so in a half whisper.
It's only soap" she answered, nonchal-
antly. Then she clapped her little gloved
<h4 kN1AG q a " ut-
light Her eyes sparkled with excitement,
and involuntarily 1 followed their direction
with my own. A small squad Of disreputabIy
dirty, unkempt-looking toughs were scamp
ering out on the field in front Of us. throw
Ing a ball back and forth to each other.
Inc ball was a probate spheroid. and it must
nave been hard 10 handle, for every time one
or them caught ii he fell all over himself on
the ground. The whole crowd seemed to
De as awkward as they were slovenIy. In
spite OF the fact, however. all New York
began TO shout and yell when these tramps
made their appearance. Some of New York.
py the way, was on the grounds, but the
greater part was on the hills, housetops.
Fences and viaducts surrounding the
grounds. There must have been a gooily
c~ont.ngent from the other priccipaI cities of
&c county, TOO, Tor there were more than
lnrse million people in sight. / speak by the
card.-for i spent more than ten or thirteen
minutes counting them. While l was count
oatSerrh me people gave another roar, and an
otner gang or Migrants escaped from the
1olce ana came out on the other side OF the
kroun9; They We're as ungainly as the first
lot. Their clothes also were mere shreds
ana patches, and their trousers were
kaeed' terribly. / was glad / was well
All. there HI IS" said Miss Delight.
There Is who?" / asked. with q nanp NJ
anguish IN my heart.
Bob. she answered, pointing to one of
me later batch OF ruffians, whose hair
hadn't been cut in a year.
Il do hope he didn't forget to take some
quinine as a preventive from colds" She
ing" neat
"A Turkish bath would be even more heat
at me.
Suddenly a surprisingly espectable-look-
ing young man took his life in his hands
and walked out on the field right in the
midst or the galley slaves. He must have
fct :, Keeper or something of the kind.
icr ne blew a whistle. and the conyicts
ground. inc
Well" exclaimed Miss Delight, thank
last ~ Ct
From her surprising statement 1 drew the
natural conclusion that we were to have
young pig fer dinner. but I couldn't for the
i've oil me imagine how she knew what was
goins on In the kitchen at her home.
whistle again. Then a member Of one chain
gang kicked the ball with his hobnailed
DTosans toward the other chain gang. A
vhiian IN the latter caught Ii. and the two
nosts or h~ighwaymen rushed at each other.
"A free fight ensued, which was stopped by
the keeper just as three pirates on one side
were killing one OF the pirates on the other
size. After that the game (so-called) be-
came a succession OF free fights, each ended
Dy the Keepers whistle just as some band
It's life was despaired OF. Once in a while
some one forgot himself apparently and
kicked the pail Just as we used TO when We
lived at home with mother when we were
boys. down on the farm, on the Wabash.
by the Tennessee, where the Mississinni
Dows 80 merrily. as the song goes. / have
no doubt. though. that he was punished
later Tor his unseemly conduct. Once in a
while, too. some one or the plug-uglies would
be sent of the field for not being murder
Gus enough. and a fresh barbarian would
ctep out to take his place. This would han
pen, 100, when any OF the Malta had legs
or arms pulled off or their eyes gouged ont
They were taken out of the game tempor-
arily then.
"Oh. isn't he lovely,'' shouted Miss De-
steal the ball and run away with IL. Before
ne mad gone Tar. however. enc of the horse
thieves on the other side plugged her chew
aiier Backyard In the eye. and got the ball
away from him. i expected too see her faint
then. But she simply murmered:
Hes lust too sweet for anything" And
felt as i have often felt aboard ship when
the journey was young.
During the course of the game that as
sassiD size was so interested in lost a leg
part or an arm and three fingers of the
hand on his other arm. He also parted
eight or his teeth and a joint or two Of his
spine He took dinner with us later. how
ever. As IL had been announced as a family
party. | was somewhat surprised at this
Put when. after dinner. he and the pretty
Miss Delight were left in sweet communion
IN one room while the rest OF the family
tried to make me feel happy I'm another.
and Mrs. Delight told me that they were
engaged. i understood. The weaker and
more delicate a girl Is. the more she admires
q strong. rough man. Axiom.
Tom Hall. in the Criterion.
He Wanted the Letter.