The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-26

Now, If George Buckley was here" he
answered, "he takes city folks in the sum-
mer time. If you want to come in and
set down, he may be along later. There's
freight fer him, and got an idee he may
come might"
Shorty had to be content with this, He
wished with all his heart that he had not
been fool enough to come to Millville. SO
far as he could see, there was no house
In sight. Nothing but trees and black
ness. :" - !
The agent finished his work and then
came In prepared to talk. =.
Live in New York;" he asked
mo-" said Shorty, Troy"
The agent was disappointed. New York
he could talk about. Troy was only q
name. He tried again: - y Z.
+ Coin to stop here long?" r.
Cant TELL" replied Shorty. Depends
on how it suits me- got kind of played
out. and they told me to take run up
this way for a couple of weeks"
you can't find a better spot said
the agent, or alb etter man to stop with
than Buckley if you can get him.
There was rumble in the air like dis
tant thunder.
Likely that's George now" said the
agent, "comin' over the covered bridge"
In few minutes a Wogan drew up at
the PLATFORM.
Hello, John! Got anything fer mel"
called voice.
"Evenin George. Back up to the
freighthouse, and I'll be with you In a
minute. That's him." he added to Shor-
ty. You sit right here, and I'll fix it fer
YOU !
Had the agent known that Shorty's bag
contained full set Of burglars tools his
invitation to 'sit right here" ,(within
reach of the money drawer) would not
have been given so heartily.
But Shorty was too weary and dis
couraged to think of work. :
In a short ime the two men came in.
tits all right" said the agent. ''Mr.
Buckley will take you"
The other man odded afgably.
1--WE amt jest fixed fer boarders YETI
he said, 'but guess we kin put you up.
If you're ready to start, the teams
ready" ~..~--
Shorty picked up his bag and followed
him to the platform. He stumbled awk-
wardly: into the wagon after Buckley and
pulled blanket over his knees.
Shorty never forgot that ride-the dark
ness the towering hills, the deep valleys,
the roughness of the road and the feeling
of help1essness and uncertainty that came
farther away from all he knew and UNDER
stood
They reached the farm at last, and
Shorty, too worn out to do more than
swallow a glass of milk, was shown to
his room.
When Buckley bid him good night and
left him to himself, Shorty almost broke
down. >
He undressed hurriedly and crept
into bed sick at heart with loneliness and
apprehension ofll-e knew not what. He
woke the next morning to find the sun
streaming into his room. He felt rested
and very hungry. Opening the window.
he filled his lungs with the cool sweet air
that acted on his brain like tonic. Yes
| terday was bad dream To-day he start
ed fresh. Everything was fresh and new.
The green hills in all their spring beau.
ty,, the. warm bright sunshine, the apple
blossoms almost brushing his face-every-
| thing was starting anew. Why not he?
| Shorty had never had so much out OF
! doors within his grasp before. He wanted
| to rub up against it, to soak 1t In.
He wondered who it all belonged to and
| if they would let him wallow in it without
| warning him Off. ,:sts p.
| Poor Shorty, worst product of the city
| streets, thief, perhaps murderer, untram-
! meled by conscience, immoral by nature,
yet hearing the call of the universal
| mother as all must hear it and, as al do
| not, feelingiand needing it!
Through the days that followed Shorty
seemed to move in dream.
|
time. He had found both and something
besides-something he could not UNDER
| stand, only feel Bad he had always
| known; good he knew but vaguely, but he
| felt tina this was good.
| Sometimes in the late afternoon when
| he lay stretched on the hillside watching
the last CLINT of sunlight on the stream
I below and the shadows crept down ana
filed the valley, thoughts Of his own shad-
| ow would come to him.
But these thoughts oppressed him very
| little. He was too far away In mind
| and body to let them worry him.
He had dropped his past like cloak
on that first morning and locked it secure
ly away with the kit Of burglars tools
We would gladly have put 1t from MIN
utterly but for one thing-the thought OF
| Maggie She was the bond, the link, ana
| he could not forget her.
10 Days stretched into weeks ana the
weeks into nearly two months.
At times he considered seriously the
necessity of doing something, OF going
| away, but he stayed on, doing nothing.
! AS in the old days he had read BOOKS
| until his last cent was gone, now he read
nature.
| In his heart he knew he would not
| move from the reading until driven, and
| in his happiness he did not care.