The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-01-13
VAGABoND JACK.
BY MARY E. MANNIX

One summer about five years ago,
when the farmers of a certain noun
famous district in the Middle West
were very short of hands. a forlorn-
! looking boy, about IA years of age,
made his appearance in the neighbor-
J hood. The settlement was mixture
/ Of Irish and Pennsylvania Germans, or
! what are known as such, but they
lived together amicably, often inter-
marrying, till the young men were in
! the habit of declaring they were as
| much Dutch as Irish, and as much
| Irish as Dutch. They had an Irish
! pastor. whom they all loved. and it
was to him that the forlorn boy before
mentioned came first, asking for work
He was an orphan, he said: had never
known his parents, and his fTiendless
condition at once appealed to the heart
of the good priest. He soon found work
for the boy, who thereafter did not
! suffer for lack of employment during
| the summer and autumn.
And yet, though he did well all that
was required Of him, never Sinking
any labor, however arduous, and
though he was of a most obliging and
cheerful disposition. he soon grew to
/ have a bad regulations because of the
extraordinary liberties he took with
some of his neighbors' possessions. No
one could call him a thief, for he al
ways returned what he borrowed. That
was what he called it. borrowing"
He seemed to be unable to resist ap-
propriating a horse whenever he found
it tied-Si1metimes in front of vehicle,
though Jacks preference was always
for a saddle horse when one came
ready to his hand and feet. These last
were not long out of the stirrups on
such occasions, but after a mad ride
Of three or four hours Jack would re-
turn with the animal, blown and sweat
ing, IN a condition which never failed
to excite the anger and bring down
upon the boys head the unspairing re
proaches Of it's owner. He had been
threatened with hCrsewhipping, and
even arrest but the peculiar childlike
manner in which he would lift his eyes
to his accuser'S face with a pleading,
Il only wanted ride, Mister and I
fetched him back" always disarIned
the fiercest threat. It really seemed as
if the boy could not help doing as he
did But it was in the matter of BIZ
cycles that he was the greatest Of
fender. He seemed to have been born
astride of one, so firmly did he sat, so
straight did he ride. so swiftly did he
fly down The steep but well-kept noun
tain roads. to the imminent danger of
life ana limb, and the terror of the
spectators, who never could become ac-
custOmed to his reckless flights There
were not many bicycles in the vicinity
Of p, but there was a quaint old
church and inn near the mountain top,
where tourists often came to spend a
DAY and sometimes a night.
1t happened more than once that af-
ter a visit to the church some tourist
found his bicycle missing, and after
Isl
hour in search of it, he would see it
flying along under the control of a
small, wiry boy. with a-thin, pinched
face, but a remarkably innocent pair
Of big blue eyes, which We're, as in the
case of the farmers, very effectual in
dlsarming his dispIeasure. These Of
lenses soon earned the little fellow the
title of "Vagabond Jack"-one which
did not annoy him in the least
One day Jack was helping the priests
hOusekeeper to clean the sacristy. She
was an old woman and somewhat
feeble, and this morning was feeling
more unWell than usual. She had sent
Jack TO the house for a broom, and
was sitting on the stone step in front
Of the sacristy door awaiting his re-
turn.
A gentleman and lady were in the
church, their bicycles standing outside
pearance from the house, and ran
quickly to the spot where the bicycles
were standing, At the same moment
the lady and gentleman came from the
vestibule of the church. Before any
one could speak, Jack had mounted
one OF the bicycles and was down the
road at breakneck speed. He was hat
less. his hair flying in every direction.
To the loud calls of the three who wit
messed the extraordinary proceeding
he seemed utterly deaf He gave back
no answering glance, uttered no sound,
and in less time than it has taken to
describe the scene he was out of sight
What is the meaning of this?"
shouted the gentleman, angrily. who
is that boy, and why has he haired to
take my bicycle in such an, outrageous
manner"
's'Tfs dreadful, sir; it's dreadfulr'
answered the houSekeeper, getting to
her feet and advancing towards the
couple. But it's a way he always has
with BICYCLES; he can't resist EN- at all.
Whenever he sees one ne Is off on it for
a ride. But rest easy, sir, he'll be back
again shortly He won't be longer than
half an hour, or an hour, at most"
REST easyr exclaimed the gentle
man. while the lady began to laugh,
the humor of the situation appealing
to her at once.
IT'S no laughing matter, Ellen" said
her husband-"no laughing matter, l
assure you. We shall miss our train.
That's not a pleasant prospect, Is it?"
"Of course not" replied the lady.
But the idea of that boy taking your
bicycle off in that way is too funny"
The gentleman turned round with a
gesture of Impotence. There is a
nriast here / SUPPOSE" he said adj