Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1903-04-24
BUSTER AND KID

He was small and dirty. and his attire was
fraementary; indeed. 90 much co. that the
casual observer wondered how he managed
10 keep inside Of it His appearance was
against him, and his language -replele
with adieclives OF a kind not used in polite
society-was open to improvement; but he
had one virtue-that one which is sed by
poets, newspapers and c0nversationalists
generally, 10 be a thing Of the past-chival-
fyi He was only ten, but in his short life
had seen and suffered as much asmany thrice
his age. His parents were dead, which was
perhaps a good thing, his father having
been more in than out Of prison, and his
mother-well, the less said Of her, the bet
ter; over-indugence in stimulants having
been the least Of her numerous weaknesses.
It should be mentioned for the benefit Of
the uninitiated, that he took his sobriquet
Of Buster" from a fondness for that deli
eacy called "a buster" namely, a halfpenny
roll, in which he INDUCED when in funds.
Buster had no relations worth men
tioning, but he had taken under his pro
lection a young lady eyed six, whose pa
rents were much the same as his own, except
that as they still adorned this world, she
had, in addition to starvation. to endure
course of blows and curses whenever the
temper. which was always In fact, but for
Busters" protection, the child must have
succnmbed TO this treatment, but she flew
to him whenever things got too bad, and
though he could not fight for her like a
knight Of old, he kept her away from her
mother, and ] fear the means he sometimes
took were such as would be condemned by
stiekler for truth Ave YOU seen that
brat O. mine, Buster" the mother would
say, and Buster" would reply-well know
ing that the child was slowed away beneath
a coster's barrow close by-"Yus seed her
goin' long the Cut, bout ten minutes ago.
and when the mother had departed. v0Wing
vengeance on the little unfortunate
Buster would haul the child out "Now,
kid, come on, she's of, and / 'ope she'll get
run in, that's ali Come on, young un, now
for supper supper being in affluent times,
fried fish and potatoes, which they took on
the nearest doorstep.
But there came a time when Busters"
luck seemed to desert him, competition in
the match and newspaper trade left him
behind and both he and the "kid" f" as he
called her, grew thin, and, il possible, more
ragged than ever Now, poor Buster"
though his religious training was scanty
had decided notions Of right and wrong,
particularly as to the rights of property
for, as he said, 1T amt fair for anybody
to collar my wittles, and l s'pose it amt
fair for me to collar theirs"
Buster" and "the kid" were wandering
about hand in hand one night, a raw fog
seeming to penetrate their very bones and
Buster" was gloomy, for there would be
no "fsh and taters" tonight, for he was
"broke" as he expressed it, "The kid" was
crying too, and altogether things were not
cheerful, but at last Buster" grew des-
perate "Cheer up, kid" said he "and wait
ere" and placing her on a convenient door
step, he ran off to the fish shop he patron
ized, and demanded "the usual Where's
the money" demanded the proprietor
"Ain't got none, you'll have to chalk ii
up" replied Buster"
"Not me" said the man, "no tick here
so out you goi"
And out Cluster" went, back to his lit
tie charge, expressing his opinion Of the
fsh-man in uneomphmentary terms.
But he couldn't let "the kid" 90
hungry, ard he wouldn't, either; he
returned to the shop and as TIE man
placed a tempting helping of "fsh and
taters"-in newspaper-on the counter,
Buster" snatched it up. and holted
crowded shop was empty in a moment.
everything forgotten but the chase
Cluster" ran his hardest, and had al
most reached "the kid" when-a shout
and horse pulled up suddenly Too late
"Buster" was under the horses feet, but
with his prize in his hands unchanged; he
scrambled to his feet, only to be collared by
the 6sh-man, who bawled for the police
but just then "the kid" struggled through
the crowd, in time to see the boy handed
over to the policeman, who took him by
the arm in the usual stolid way, and march
ed him off. They had not gone dozen
yards, before Buster" dropped. ''Iiulloa,
what's the game" said the policeman, but
his face changed when he looked at the boy.
and picking him up, he carried him with
rapid strides to the nearest surgery. The
doctor. after a quick examination, shook
mis- head. The fsh-man, who had pushed his
way in, remarked, "Come on, take i'm Of
to the Office I can't stay ere all night"
Every well, my friend, if you can't stay,
get out, the boy is dying--what is the boy
to be taken to the station forg"
''Stealing from my shop" rejoined the
other
Hell never steal again" said the doc
tor.
''Nor never did, afore," said Buster, .
feebly. II say, mister, am l goin' to die?"
The doctor looked keenly at the boy. and
then said gently, Eyes, my boy"
Soon" asked Buster
"Yes."
We'll, it don't matter much" said the
boy, "but, ] say, mister, who'll look after
the kid when I'm gomez" and the doctor
said hesitatingly, "God will take care Of
her"
"Ah," said the boy, a 'ope He win. but
she's had a rough time Of it, 7 say. the
parson what comes down our court used ter
say somethin' bout stealing being sin-wiil
my priggng that bit o. fish be scored
against me? Yer see. / didn't take it fer
myself, it was fer. the kid ] couldn't
let her go 'ungry-and she ain't got no one
else-good bye and the boy turned over
on his face and with shiyer Busters
spirit took wing.
"Bloomin' little thief" said the fsh-man
"Take yourself of, said the doctor. Gun
less you wish to be put outside"
who's agoin' to do it?" sneered the
man, you touch me, that's all. an III give
you in charge for assault"-but there The
representative Of law and order bore down
upon the fshman, and before that worthy
quite realized what was happening. he was
out in the street with the definite promise
Of a summons for "beiug drunk and disor
deIly and obstructing the police"
And the doctor looking down Of the IT.
lie form. with it's pinohed face. said SOFTLY
70 himself: "Will that be scored up against
him ] wonder '"-Temple Magazine.
Loathed the Crowd.