Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1902-10-04
By HOWARD WILLIAMS


the DutcntTS anu uSllinpilStIS VI Apple-
gate market, where he took up his
headquarters. He was a man Of fifty
when he first hung about, and he had
the appearance of being seasoned
No one ever asked Bones any ques-
tiuns, and he volunteered no informa-
tion.
Some one called him Bones the first
day he appeared, and the name stuck
to him. lie accepted it without re-
mark. What j the odds to a vaga-
bond whether he is called Bones or
Jones?
1t may seem curious that no one ever
became sufficiently interested in Bones
to draw him out or that some day
when he longed for human sympathy
he did not volunteer his story: but, as
a matter of fact, he was only one of
hundreds of vagabonds slouching along
the streets of London. Why should
any one of higher station care who he
was or whence he came? And If he
had related his history 1t might have
been that of scores OF others and would
have brought neither sympathy nor
SiXpencc.
Bones was inOficnSive. He was also
passably honest, and when kicked out
of the way he took 1t as Il matter of
course. He was content with the shah
bicst raiment and had not too hearty
an appetite. 40 it came about that
he was allowed to hang about the mar
ket without complaint. His lodgings
were in vacant buildings, CoalyartlS or
doorways, and the only time Ii" got full
meals and Il decent bed WAS when the
police pulled him in and he was sent
to the wOrkhouSc.
lie had put in ten years in London,
and there was no apprcciable change in
him. He was gray haired stOop shoul-
dercd, ragged and red nOScd but he
had been that on his arrival. Nor had
there been any change in his plans.
He had come to London to live out the
remainder of his days, and he was do
ing it. If it ever occurred to him that
some day he must land in the aims
house, die and be buried as Il pauper,
he said nothing about it and was not
worried.
One day Bones was SlOuching along
David street He was not begging or
sightseeing or looking after coal to
be put in. He was simply vagabondiZ-
ing and letting his feet take his body
where they would. If n policeman had
made an arrest Bones would have had
no curiosity. If the fire engines had
come rnttling up, he would not have
! halted and become a spectator. He had
witnessed dOgfightS, street rows, fires
and arrests so often that they no lon
ger held any interest.
One who saw him dragging along
with his eyes on the ground would have
said that nothing but kick from Il
truck horse could have aroused him,
and yet mere trifle did the business.
OF a sudden pet poodle pursued by Il
gang of boys ran up to Bones as If to
ask for protection. He picked up the
dog and carried it along. and, though
threatened by the hOodlumS. he clunS
to the canine. After walking two
blocks he came upon carriage con-
tanning girl about ten years old. The
poodle had escaped from the carriage
as it was driving through Willow place,
| y
over her loss.
Bones walked directly to the vehicle
and placed the dog in her arms, and
the Overjoycd girl reached out for his
hand and exclaimed:
"Oh, you good, good man, You look
ragged, but know you're not bad. I'll
give you some money, and if you'll
come and see papa | know he'll find a
place for you and help you along. My
you. and''-
But the driver shook his whip ut the
vagabond and started up his horses.
For the rest of that day Bones was
only Outwardly Bones. He had been
kindly addressed by a human being.
lie had been told that some one might
help him upward. His hand had been
shaken in gratitude. and he had been
called n good man. There was some
thing new here to hold his thoughts
and turn over In his mind, and he was
so preoccupied that he crcpt to his bed
in n coalyard without having begged
the usual crust.
ut must be that | am human be-
ing after all. If hadn't been, the girl
wouldn't have spoken as she did. To
! have some one shake hands with me,
to call me n good man, to thank me
for n service-I can't make 1t out. But
| it's come too late. I'm too old to
change Nothing could lift me up now,
nothing give me back what l have
lost. There's only one thing l can do,
and that's to pray God | may die like
a man-like the man once was"
A week later, though Bones heard
nothing of it, all London thrilled with
excitement and indignation over case
of kidnapping. A little girl. the daugh-
ter of a banker, had been caught up
at her fathers very gate in the dusk
of evening and carried off In carriage.
Bones never read the newspapers, and
it was seldom that he was in the COM
pany OF one who did. Had he read or
heard all about the case, however. 1t
would only have been of passing inter
est-iust another crime to lengthen the
daily list.
One day he slOuched along David
street again. He had been driven out
OF his lodgings in the coalyard, and as
winter was coming on he was looking
for vacant house to turn into o.
nights. Between Great George and
Canterbury StrCptS he discovered n ter