The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1900-06-02
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ON THE ROLL
OF HONOR.
70 e always knew when Mike was

00 e always knew when Mike was
iii coming; the manner of his en-
0S trance never left room for doubt.
There was always the confused murmur
of wordy dispute with the elevator boy
downstairs who refused to operate his
machine for newsboys, the quick rush of
bare feet up the stairs to the shrill ac-
compartment of Nah Coal Black Lady"
or "Mr. Johnson, Turn Me Loose" the
door would fly open with a crash and
Mike would be in the center of the room
shouting "Ev'nen Journal Lat'st war
news!' from a golden imagination yellow
ing the already very yellow news of his
paper in manner that must have won
him an editorship could the proprietor of
the sheet have heard him. This partic-
ular May afternoon the method of his
entrance differed in no way from the
usual routine, save that the door flew
open a little more suddenly and swung
to again with little louder crash if pos
sible. But once inside it was evident
that Mike was unduly excited. The pa
pers which he usually held out in front at
arms length to display to the best advan-
tage their half-page scare heads were
tucked securely under one arm; his big
black eyes danced jubilantly and he en-
tirely forgot business and the startling
news of his papers in the vastly greater
Importance of his own news.
"Say, wot yer tinkl De OF mans list
ed fer soger; he's go'n t'war! Amt he
a bird 2" he shouted.
"Whose old man?" l inquired.
"Minel Me dad! WhOse'd yer sup
pose? Git de wool out O. yer tinker" he
replied scornfully.
But, Mike who is going to support the
family?" inquired, remembering a vivid
description Mike had once given me of six
little Murphys of whom he was the eld-
est and only 'leven" at that.
"De famTy's all right. Dad says dat
If he goes off to de scrap de folks wot
family. Say, yer ought to see i'm. He's
all right, ye bet! De regiment marches
tomorrer."
1t was the first time l had ever heard
Mike speak Of his father with anything
ike respect. knew him to be a drunken
ne'er-do-well, who abused his wife and
children and contributed little to their
support. The days wore on. Regiment
after regiment passed through the city
IN route for the South and Mike was joy
ously full of excitement. Every after
aoon he blew into the Office and every day
his stories of the news grew bigger and
more yellow. He followed every move of
The army and his imagination ran riot
with the possibilities of the world-chang-
ing drama being enacted. Every scrap of
news in regard to his fathers regiment
was on his tongues end, and l soon found
that with the DOMINIC of his blue coat his
father had become a hero. AS for Mike
himself he was the same impudent, sharp
Eyed, dirty, ragged little gamin as of
FORE one of the most successful newsboys
On the street, an inveterate scrapper and
rambler and on his own confession, rare
" at night having more than half his
|, lays earnings TO take home. When
demonstrated with him and pointed out
hat he should take his fathers place, he
was always ready with an answer, fall
ng back on the old argument that If his
father fought for his country it was his
sountry's place to look after his family.
The summer wore on. The Fourth OF
July dawned hot and sultry. The temper
iture rose with the sun; at 10 o'clock II
> was 80; at IL O'Clock 80 and at noon II
! registered 90 in the shade. The glare from
The asphalt streets blinded the eyes. Men
painted for breath and now and then onH