Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-04-23

de gang" while they waited in newspaper
alley for the "extry 'dition," and once in
awhile Miss Kate would meet him and
take him to lunch, where they would talk
of the "show" and the last coon song and
many other things.
Miss Kate was on the editorial staff of
one of the papers Miggsy sold, and they
were very great friends.
One day Miggsy had had bad luck with
his papers. 1t had been cold and stormy
and the sleet had driven into peoples faces
and they would not stop to buy papers or
ANYTHING else they could help.
Miggsy was hungry and he had tied the
ragged rope that held his trousers" tight
err around his empty stomach and was
practicing double shuttle at the corner of
an alley, when suddenly he felt two soft,
warm fingers slip inside the neck of his
faded sweater. 1t was Miss Kate, who
was holding her muff against her face to
shield it from the bitter wind, while with
the other hand she pointed Miggsy's nose
around the corner toward Benny's restau-
rant.
Benny's restaurant was coy little place
in the basement of big Office building,
and the two We're soon sitting ut one of the
small tables, safe from the cold.
Gee, dis is luck, said Miggsy. "S'help
me | wuz stun broke, Miss Kate. De rain
wet all me poipers and nobody wanted
none, enyhow."
"All right, Miggs. Bring us something
good and hot, Benny" said Miss Kate, as
Benny in his clean white apron came up
smiling. What do you want, Miggs?"
Stool" said Miggs, hugging his little
empty stomach fondly. Irish stoo, wild
lots er ingins.'
''rea or coffee?" asked Benny.
Coffee, yer betcher life! Tea isn't fill.
in'," replied Miggsy. Gosh, but me STUN.
| lex is holler!"
Their suppers were soon before them and
Miggsy's restless tongue was silent for
awhile. But the Irish stew showed signs
of his hearty appetite by rapid disappear
ance, and Miggsy, with loud sigh, turned
his attention to his coffee and corner of
pumpkin pie.
Miss Kate was rather pale and had a
tired look in her eyes, but they smiled as
they rested on Miggsy's ugly little face.
Her own face had sad look sometimes,
but when Miggy chartered it seemed to
forget to look sad for awhile
And what luck yesterday, A1iggs" she
asked, leaning back and slipping her cot
fee.
"Yestiddy it wuz purity decent" said
Miggsy. 'But it ended bad las night A
gent went out to de Mort side an he took
me wild him to carry his grip an he gave
me dollar But Tough Body snaked me
into de alley an swiped it from me. But
l told de gang an we won't do ting ter
him Wen we ketch inn"
well, that was hard luck!" said Miss
Kate. And whole dollar, too! 1t isn't
often You get that in a lump, Ell, Miggs?"
Der gent wuz all right, too, he wuz. He
asst me all bout meself an he didn't put on
no airs jest cause he wore swell toys. We
sat togedder in der car and talked all der
way out. tol' i'm who me fren's wer, an
top i'm bout you writin' fer der poi
per an bout me an you havin' suppers at
Benny's an wot bully cook der wer here.
| An he sed he would try it here, mebbe,
hisself. You see, he has bin erway fer five
years, an wuz nachelly interested in wot
wuz goin' on"
Miggsy paused over large mouthful of
pie.
"say, OATS genovine pun'k kin pie Alright,
alright! It's out err sight"
Have another piece, Miggsy"
Miggsy united the rope around his waist
for the second time since he sat down
and felt the top of his trousers" thought.
| fully. There seemed to be still room and
Benny brought the pie
Der gent seemed to be interested in us
newspaper folks" Miggsy went on, be-
tween bites. "An' l fought maybe he
wanted to be reporter or somethin' by
the way he pumped me. He asst wot kind
i er writin' you done an wot poiper it wuz
an I give i'm der huh song an dance all
der way out ter der Mort side. An wen
he tipped me der hull dollar 1 fell off der
seat"
The second piece of pie was gone
and Miggsy remarked that he "wuz full
clean up ter his pompadour." Then he
picked up his ragged little cap and waited
| eontentedly while Miss Kate went to the
desk with the check. AS they at last
reached the steps leading up to the side
walk, gentleman who was descending
stopped and exclaimed
why. Miggs. is it you?"
Gee, Miss Kate. it's de Mort side gentl'
cried Miggsy. But the next instant he had
jumped to Miss Kate's side, with his
ragged cap dashed on the ground and his
grimy little fists doubled up. For ode Mort
side gent" had grasped both of Miss Hates
the wall, white and trembling.
| nv iasV. MY uear giTl! nave IOunO
you" he was saying in low voice
And Miss Kate was murmuring: ut is
you?" with quivering lips, while strange
radiance was shining in her dark eyes and
| chasing away all the shadows.
And next day Miggsy told de gang all
| about it.
He had been Miss Hates steady yer
know. But dey had strapped an he went
away an wuz gone five years. An he
fought she wuz married to annpder Teller
| An wen | told i'm all bout Miss Kate. he
went down to der poiper ter find out wher'
she lived. An wen he wuz comm back he
looked in Bennys cause l told i'm me an
Miss Kate went dere. An dey are goin'
ter be married termorrer an l am eoin'
to be at der weddin', an" here Mipgsy
paused, to add with great IMPORTANCE
am goin' ter live wild dem an wear swap.
ger togs all covered wild brass buttons an
wait on Miss Kate. See? An de gent
staked me an told me to treat de gang
ter supper and with much dignity he
headed de gang to Benny's.
| ----------------
i ne nn> Nt~1