The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1902-02-21
HE SAID "G'WAN!"


77E leaned upon the rail of the
III boat as she swung away from
~ her pier and headed clumsily
for the distant, hazy shores of Staten
Island. His bare feet gripped the low
er rail, his backing box was swung
across his shoulder. The box was
studded with brass nails in a rude pat
tern, for according to his lights its
owuer had an artistic eye. 1t had been
a busy day for him, and he jingled his
profits with one hand and reflected
upon the extravaganza of allowing
himself to spend 20 cents in a sail
down the harbor and back. With the
fine superiority of a moneyed man,
too, he surveyed his fellow craftsmen
who piled their brushes on the boat.
For once he was above them, passen-
ger of equal rights with the trim col
lege man, smoking a cigarette few
feet away, and he was conscious of
regret that he had not worn his shoes,
so that he might have had them black
ed and tasted the delights of paying
for service instead of being paid. Be
yOnd present enjoyment lurked the in
evitable return to Hester street, and
the beating that would follow his con-
fession. For he had dim recollectiOns
of honesty, and would acknowledge his
stolen holiday and receive full value
for the squandered 20 cents from the
low-browed, sullen father who presided
over his destinies with stick. Retri-
button hung red-handed above him, but
he resolutely put away the thought of
it. For the time being there were the
breeze and the blue water and the
sound of music from a passing excur
sion steamer. He threw back his head,
drew in the salty air. and sent 1t forth
again In the form of a popular melody,
shrilly whistled. The college man
turned to his companion and laughing
I ly indicated the boy. "Profuse strains
of unprecedented art" he said.
This was beyond the boy, but he de-
tected a slur. He regarded the critics
resentfully, bordering which Of his
stock of explosives would best meet the
emergency. Finally he compromised
on "Ah, g'wan," and turned his eyes
once more to the harbor's shifting pan
Drama.
Then for the first time he saw the
girl. She was bending over the rail of
the upper deck, and-could it be-yes,
she was watching him and listening to
his whistling; a wonderful vision Of
blue eyes and long golden curls and
pink and white muslin. The boy shift
ed his position uneasily, and once more
wished he had worn his shoes. But
never for a moment did he check his
music. He changed the tune, to ''Only
One Girl" and employed in its execu-
ton all the runs and trills Of which
he was master, directing covert
chances upwards to see If she was still
listening.
Being out of breath for the moment
he paused at the end of an eXtraOrdi
nary trill, and ejaculated: "Crackey
she's a fairy" quite audibly. This
seemed to amuse the college man. He
drew near and inquired, Who's 6
fairy?" with a suave civility.
"Oh. g'wan." said the boy. The in
terruption disconnected him, and he
stepped back from the rail. "Oh. g'waI
and femme lone. will yer?" he reiter
ated.
And then, all in a moment, there wa!
a flash of pink and a splash, the tramp
of hurrying feet on the upper deck
and a wOman's cry: "Marion"
"Jover' said the college man. "som'
ones overheard and he stripped of
his coat. But the boy was quicker
His box raped smartly on the deck
and he was over the rail and swep
from view in the backward swirl of tn
, water.
"Jove~ said the college man again
1.-THE bootblack's overheard, too"
Coming 70 the surface with a gasI
the boy thought of the words Of hi
, friend, the attendant at the publ
baths: Keep your chin up and you
, mouth shut and breathe deep" Befor
~