Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-11
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by a. a. Smith


copyright. 1900, Daily Story Pub. Cos
!, A thrill of apprehension ran through
the boys in the Progress office when
Jonathan Grink:e, deputy sheriff and city
marshal of P~eytonville, strutted into the
composing room, with an official looking
document in his hand and wearing his
ance. Jonathan realized the sensation
he created and prolonged it to the utter
most. Instead of walking straight tow
ard the culprit he managed to make a
circuit of the cases, and at each one a
goddess youth quailed before the majesty
of the law while visions of his latest crap
game rose accusingly before him.
Minus was assiduously setting type
in a corner of the room. His land moved
somewhat spasmodically back and forth
nonchalant and disinterested expression
as the officer approached.
Grinkle fixed an accusing eye upon the
boy and he trembling hand did not es-
cape his notice. In pompous tones he
Iedu lTOlH Tie uOculllell, anu Une boys
listening almost br%eathlessly heard some
thing about a watch and some money,
''forcibly and feloniously taken,' pub
lie highway" against the peace and dig
nifty of the commonwealth of Kansas"
ETC.. from which they gathered the fact
that Minus was being placed under ar
rest for highway robbery.
: He was a recent addition to the me-
Nhnnipl1 dana t mani ne III, >,
He appeared to be one of those super
fuous youths whose sole mission in life
is to try the faith of people who are
prone to trust in Providence for every
thing they cannot comprehend or APP
prove. They could not understand why
the Lord should create ahl permit to
live such a boy as Minus, and while some
professed to trust. others sought relief
in profanity and absolved Providence
from all completely in the outrage. Mi
nus was tough" His character was
comprehensively set forth in one express
slve phrase peculiar to his breezy native
state. He was simply dead ornery."
Minus took his arrest p~hilosophieary
n on the whole behaved with admirable
presence OF mind. He bowed submissive
~ to the yoke of the law and expressed
~ Jdll,
"hereat the custodian of the peace grim
hed ana 'reckoned" that he was "much
Obliged for his consideration, but he'd
nallter go any way, peaceably or not"
Out the y noticed that as he passed
out MS one good eye roved regretfullv
toward a case where a girl was working
ana an expression of something almost
shame-faced and human softened tho
pravado of his demeanor.
Inc girl was neither pretty nor 70.
hileu an appearance. She was not even
considered "respectable' by the cream
- Feytonv1le society, but it was no.
mat the rough printers OF the
Frogress' treated her with entire re-
spect' An analysis of the P~eytonvil1e
sentiment might have found it based
upon the fact that she toiled in a print
ing ONCE for her living, that he father
was a worthless drunkard and that tho
rest or the family were hopelesslv i'm.
ProVldent. More than that no one could
say against her, Ao
MINUS was arraigned upon the cha roo
y nlghway robbery. The only witness
-salnst MIN was an associate who foe.
tlned That together they had lured IN .
lonely spot a somewhat spectacular
who had been displaying his
money, n robbed him at the point of a
The officers had susnected
tnls witness of completely in the crime
ana by promises and threats had in.
uuced MIN to confess and reveal tho
plot. Minus stoutly denied the charge
ana lmpeached the veracity of his ao-
cuser. There We're people who differed
from the officers as to which youth was
was a good subject for the penitentiarv.
guilty. or not, so he was convicted.
Minnie Carr believed him innocent and
she went to the Jail and told him 90
But what if I am" said Minus. .That
guys got me into it, sure enough.. Oh
won't fix him when I do get out I'll
smash every bone
NO you WON'T" said Minnie, sooth-
1oure going to redeem your
lou VIII be pardoned out in a year:
rspou says SO. And then you're
colhihs pack to be steadier than Won
ave Deen and show people you're re-
ihieo' pelleVe in you, Frank.
eAs
Minus went to the penitentiary and
VI more than a year peeled potatoes
performed ike mental duties in
ne prison kitchen. The monotony. the
LAX utlcI HOpeleSSnoSS of If
all bore crushingly upon his spirit. b,,t
plain, earnest face would get in be-
tween his one good eye and the potato
ne was peeling, n in the solitude of
ms cell he would seem to hear the
ORD Il believe in you, Frank; I
you'll come u all right" And he
MINUS OF a years painful experience
was very different from the Minus of he
streets and dives of ~Peytonville,
Minnie Carr toiled on in the "Prop-
ress' office as before. At first she missed
MINUS greatly, but she became accus-
toned to his absence and after awhile
she even laughed OCCASIONALLY at the
coarse witticisms passed by the bows at
Ihls expense. Her parting words with
had left no yer deep impression
upon her mind. He had been almost her
only friend; that was all.
a new typo had come to the prog
ress Office. In manners and morals he
very little from tho ,+ha.. -,