The representative., 1900-05-17

Shorty, whin heered as plan as I'm speak
in to you now, but lower, as II whispered,
the wuds, pore little Bertie,' and thin, in
deeper tones, Don't grieve, dear Immogane.
Il gave start and fust lukked up at the
firm, white lips and thin lodged quick be-
hind the statoo. There was nobody there,
there was nobody anywhere, excipt the
young couple, cooin' togedder, on the sofy
full 60 feet away. And yit. BERTHE, I'm
mogane,' thin was the names the little boy
had said perhaps there was sperruts in the
hall, and they was doin' their bist to give
statun gain in front Of the statoo; and no
pin like minstrel mans bones, took my
him straight tip So, with my knees rap
sooner was l there than the two voices re-
soomed their uneart'ly communications.
''As near as cud make out, colonel, the
two pussons talkin' was a young man and
woman. and-his name was Ralph, and her
name was Immogane They was lovers,
SO it seemed and her eldest sister, with
whom she lived, was opposed to the match
becuz he was nothin' but leftenant In the
riglar army, with no fortune but his pay.
And they had met in some place or udder
wheriver they was, and she was in great
distriss and he was comfortin' her. And
Jest thin the mysterus conversatun contin-
o0ed in this wise, And now, Ralph, says
the swate female vice, I must say adoo.
Ny poor distracted sister retarns to Chicago
tonight, havin' come all this way, stoppin'
at livery town in fruitless quest OF dear
little BERTHE Oh, IL you unly could be
instrumental in restorin him to her, thin,
yis, thin, our mootal anectun might not be
SO hopeless oh, tell ma dearist,' says the
male vice, all trimmulous with emotings,
tell me, is there not the merest, faint
est clew, on which cud act?' 'Nothin',' ;
says she, 'nothin', excipt whin sister went
into the shop outer of which little BERTHE
ran as he often had in the same deary,
naughty way, she fought she caught .
glimpse of a colored butler we used to have
who wint to the bad, named Franswah.
Colonel, / cud stand it no longer. All
this while the lips of the young couple on
the sofy had been movin' in exact accordance
with what the vices said. There was no
two ways about It: marc-lous, though it was
by some hap l had heered livery wud they
was saytn', though from appearances a
pusson standin' tin feet from thin, wouldn't
have heerd wud. Without DARN to t'ink
over the sitocatun, and thus lose my cour-
age, l put on brace and marched over
to thin, like Daniel into the lions cage.
Aunt Immogane says |, duckin' low,
with my cap in wan hand and my fOrelock in
the udder, I kin give the leftenant straight
steer how he kin cop the kid and thus
jolly the old dame into givin' her consent
to the nuptals' Who are you? What do
you mean?' says he. oh, you darlin, :
cries she for the fust and only time in my
life. And thin, colonel, in succumstantial
lduS WlUkC, uc6CIAUcu 1uy journey " WdSu-
ington with the Industrial army and how a
yaller coon named Franswah had q little boy
with him who called hisself BERTHE and
cried for Aunt Immogane and all the rist
But how did you ever know where to
find us?' she asst arter the fust explosion
Of Joy had subsided.
i don't know answered, my knees
rappin' agin, vices kem to me, brought
by the angels. | guess
"o'Oh. see,' she cried, laughin' and
blushin', too, this hall Is full of echoes,
didn't you know? And you have happened
to stand Jest where you could hear every
word we said
Z 'Echoes,..I repeated, 'tiliphones, should
say, and In fust-class workin' order
''The rist is soon told, colonel. Under
the guidance OF me and Jack, Leftenant
Ralph, with few Of his dough boys at his
back. cleaned out the shebang and restored
Little Bert to his mothers arms. And Of
course, she give her consent to his uning
with Aunt Immogane. and they was happy
iver arter. OF course, too, they wanted
to do somethin' for me: but no. says /,
Eve got me graft, and it scots my particu-
lar dispositun. But Jack, here.' con-
cl,ided, 'ain't habitulated to the road, Put
him in the way to make an honest lvin'
and you won't regrit It,
.'And % they did, colonel, and 20 they
didn't The leftenant got him back into
the service, and made no mistake by doin'
20; for Jack sarved him fait'ful AZ his strik-
er, until q Mauser bullet bored hole
t'roo him 1t San Wan hill. And that's
the fbtory-eo It is-that the sight Of the lad
layins asleep out On The lawn brougt back