Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1902-09-11
DYING LIKE
a MAN
BY HOWARD WILLIAMS

| II 0y V0Ovv$\nO WILLIAMS -
6 . :
9 Copyright, 1901, by A. 8. Richardson =
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
How long Bones, the vagabond, had
been country tramp before he reach.
ed London could only be guessed at by
the butchers and fshmongers of 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 cues.
lions, and he volunteered no informa
ton.
Some one called him Bones the first
day he appeared, and the name stuck
to him. He accepted it without re.
mark. What is the odds to 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
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 it might have
been that of scores of others and would
have brought neither sympathy nor
sixpence. n.s >s
Bones was inoffensive. He was also.
passably honest, and when kicked out
Of the way he took it as matter of
course. He was content with the 4hab-
best raiment and had not too hearty
an appetite, so it came about that
he was allowed to hang about the mar
ket without complaint. His lodgings
were in vacant buildings, coalyards or
doorways, and the only time he got full
meals and decent bed was when the
police pulled him in and he was sent
to the workhouse.
He had put in ten years in London.
and there was no appreciable change in
him. He was gray haired, stoop shoul-
dered, ragged and red nosed, 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 pauper,
he said nothing about it and was not
worried. t-'E ,.GE,
| One day Bones was slouching along
David street. He was not begging or
| sightseeing or looking after coal to
| be put in. ILe was simply vagabondiz.
ing and letting his feet take his body
where they would. If policeman had
made an arrest, Bones would have had
no curiosity. If the fire engines had
come rafting up, he would not have
halted and become spectator. He had
witnessed dogfghts, street rows, fires
and arrests so often that they no Ion
ger held any interest.
One who saw him dragging along
with his eyes on the ground would have
said that nothing but kick from
truck horse could have aroused him,
and yet q mere trifle did the business.
OF sudden pet poodle pursued by
gang of boys ran up to Bones as if: to
ask for protection. He picked up the
|sdog and carried 1T along, and, though
threatened by the @hoodlums, he chung
to the canine. After walking two
blocks he came upon carriage con-
tanning a girl, about ten years old. The
poodle had escaped from the carriage
as it was driving through Willow place,
and the little one was crying piteously
over her loss. ":t
Bones walked directly to the vehicle
and placed the dog in her arms, and
the overjoyed 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 q
| name is Minnie, and it was so good of
you, and
But the driver shook his whip at the:
vagabond and started up his horses.
For the rest Of that day Bones was
| only outwardly Bones. He had been
kindly addressed by human being.
He had been told that some one might
help him upward. His hand had been
shaken in gratitude, and he had been
called a 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 crept to his bed
in a coalyard without having begged
the usual crust.
1T must be that l 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 good man. to thank me
for service-I can't make it out. But
it's come too late. I'm too old to
change. Nothing could lift me up now,
nothing give me back what have
lost. There's only one thing can do,
%hofsc To vrou Co1 7 NOV dio lilo