The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1900-05-24

-:==An----
news of his papers in the vastly greater
Importance of his own news.
Say. wot yer tink! De Of mans list
! ed fer a soger; he's go'n t'war! Amt h
a bird?" he shouted.
Whose old man?' inquired.
Mine. Me dad. Whose'd yer sup
pose? Git de wool out o yer tinker" he
replied scornfully.
But. Mike, who is going to support thu
| family?" inquired, remembering a vivid
description Mike had once given me Of siz
little Murphys of whom he was the eld
est and only Eleven" at that.
DE fam'iy's all right. Dad says dat
il he goes off to de scrap de folks woi
STAYS home is boun' TO take care Nv his
family. Say, yer ought TO see i'm. Hes
all right. ye bet. DE regiment marches
to-morrer.'
1t was the first time l had ever heard
Mike speak of his father with anything
like respect l knew him to be 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
en- route for the South and Mike was joy
ously full of excitement. Every after.
noon 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 rio,
with the possibilities Of the world-chang
ing drama being enacted. Every scrap OF
ras ,n Ri tnncra,s on1 and soon fomnJ
that With rho DOMINIC ~ his blne coat his
rotbor h.d bacome bero As for N;to
h;msol, bo w.s tho same imnud.pt sh.-n.
nraJ d;rtv racged LITTLE gsm;n &c q,
ror, ono or tbe mos, succossTnl na,,.sho,.s
On tha stroot an ;nys,oroto scra,,,,o. 80
gambler and on his own onfessinn raro.
II At night having more than half bis
j.,,s o.rr;r,s .o toto howe Vho, 7
ra,rors,ro,aJ ,,.;tt b;,n and ,.;n.n,i 49,,
thar be should take his fathers MACE ba
was always rcodv with an answer fall.
ing back ON the old argument that If his
father fought for his country il was his
country's place to look after his family
The summer wore on Tho Fourth n,
July dawned hot and sultry The temner.
ature rose with the sun: at 10 o'clock il
was so; at IL O'Clock so and at noon il
registered 90 in the shade. The glare from
the asphalt streets blinded the eyes. Men
painted for breath and now and then one
fell. The water front and the parks were
thronged with women and children seek
ing relief. Those who succumbed were
taken to the hospitals. but no one minded
them. Down before Santiago 10000 men
in dingy brown canvas blue trimmed uni
forms in the blisteriny heat of a tropical
climate were fighting against oyerwhelnl-
ing odds. On the day before had come
the news Of disastrous defeat, and the
night had closed down in gloom. To-day
the defeat had been turned into a victory
and the cable had flashed home the details
OF great naval victory besides. The
great city sweltered and sweated and
waited for confirmation and for the list OF
dead.
That afternoon business called me to
the Office. For an hour l worked and
then fell 10 thinking of the great tragedy
being enacted. Suddenly became aware
that someone was standing by my desk.
''Ev men Journal, sir? List Nv dead and
wounded"
1t was Mike. but l hardly recognized
the voice. All the impudence, the old
time braggadocio was gone, and he had
come in so quietly. why, Mike"
began. Then ! noticed the trace of tears
furrowed through the dirt on the two
grimy checks. There was an unwonted
seriousness in the deep black eyes and
an unmistakable quiver in the voice as he
repeated, "Ev'nen Journal, sir? Extra.
jes' out. 'Plete list NV dead an wound
ed"
l snatched the paper eagerly and tossed
Mike nickel. Never mind the change"
l said, ard plunged into the details of the
fight. When / glanced up Mike was still
there
If yer please, SIR" he began, standing
on one leg and uneasily rubbing it with
the dirty brown foot Of the other. IF
yer please, sir, could | count yer reg'lar
fer poiper every night? Oi-Oi got ter
sport de family now cause Oi'm tn head
Nv it. He-he's dere, SIR" he finished
with dry sob. pointing to the open page
before me. CHANGING down the column
in heavy black, bold-faced type, / saw the
name of Private Dennis A. Murphy on
tor,. I;no ..Sbot .h-o,uh .ho hn,I, ,,
\J;,e 5r.u. st.n no,r.r .Sovo ha
said with inst a touch of his old.tims