The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-11-26
For the Sake of His Dog.
BY r. D. STRONG.

Even at his best "Freckled Face john
ny'-that was what the other "newsies"
called him-was not much to look at; his
race was simply a mass of dirty, yellow
blotches. dignified by the name of
freckles; his matted hair of a brick dust
color, had probably not seen a comb for
month, and as for mis- hands and face,
why, they were SO dirty as to be really
gr0tesque.
If "Freckled Face Johnny ever had
worn a respectable suit of clothes none
of his companions knew it: they had
never seen him wear anything but a
pair of torn and tattered trousers. by
far too large for him; an Anticipated fur
cap with the visor torn off, and a mans
flannel shirt, pinned together with a
nail.
On one foot was shoe that had seen
better days. and on the other was
cast-off rubber; yet in spite Of it all
Johnny was generally happy.
His home was any convenient doorway
where there was a steam radiator, or a
dry goods box, when the weather was
not too cold. Once in a while he had the
good fortune to sleep in the engine room
of big office building. but this was SO
seldom that he counted but little upon 1t.
Where he ate no one knew. and it Is
Johnny was a mean little devil" as the
officer on the beat expressed it, whenever
a passer-by would ask for information
regarding the strangely pathetic little
chap.
While he was not pretty at any time.
Johnny was particularly unattractive at
the present moment. The light of greed
WAS in his eyes. his steps were slow and
stealthy, and his eager hands were out
stretched to grasp the first thing they
should encounter as he sneaked up to the
bakers wagon. in which were temptingly
displayed fresh loaves Of bread and
nicely Drowned doughnuts.
Just as the boys hand closed upon
loaf of bread a heavy grasp was laid on
his shoulders. and, turning the child
found himself in the clutches of the po-
liceman.
.'Stealin' again. are YEP calculated the
copper, giving the urchin shake that
made the teeth of the little fellow rat
tie well, guess I'll land We this time;
we've raised enough around on my
beat. and this time I M goin' to trun We
in for sure
Not word spoke the boy as he accom-
panied the officer to the station, but the
minute he was placed in a cell he threw
nlINSGlL OH the DSl!cu anu SOC'-Su IL
his little heart would break.
Let me out! Let me OUT" he shrieked,
holding UP his grimy hands in what
| would have been an eloquent appeal for
mercy if he had known how to ask for
| such thing. Let me out, or StuGby'N
starve-I know he WILL"
| Just hear that kid try TO work U.S."
commented an officer, as he stood in the
| doorway of the cell room and lighted q
! cigar. He's tryin' to make us believe
he has little brother or someone who'll
| starve if he is not cared for. when we
| all know he has no more brother than
| stone wall. The little cuss is an orphan,
and just as tough as they naakss,s s s,3'ss
In a dry goods box in an alley back
! Of one of the stores a small dog. With
! one leg broken and his tail cut off close
to his body, lay moaning. HIS little
! head dropped in n,ournful sort of way,
| and his pitiful whines as he heard foot
! steps in the alley We're enough to touch
! heart of stone.
For many hours the dog had lain in his
| box, awaiting the coming of someone
| someone who had been kind to him-a
small boy, dirty and ragged, who was
known as the worst kid in the bunch
and as hour after hour passed and the
boy came not, the weak struggles or the
dog to leave the box We're almost agon-
izing.
| At 9 o'clock the next morning, Just the
| hour when "Freckled Face Johnny" APP
peared in the police court to answer to a
| charge of petit larceny, for having
| stolen a loaf Of bread, the light faded
| from the brown eyes of the mangled cur
| and with a faint yelp his little life went
! out
':Guilty or not guilty?" asked tile clerk