The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-01-22
CAUGHT IN The CROWDS.

| bass voice. He is much prouder of ii:
| voice than of his position in the bushes.
| world. Six days in the week his regular
| work ties him closely to big Tnahoga ny
desk or the third floor OF a big Stat.
! street shop. Sunday mornings he fire
| uUently accepts invitations to sing in vari
Gus churches in and about the city.
One Sunday recently he agreed TO &c
out TO Austin and sing bass Sclo during
| tho offertcry. a committee of prominent
| citizens of Austin brought him the invi
I tation and were so complimentary IL
presenting IL that he was exceedingly
anxious to do himself fun credit.
When he reached the church on tbs
| Sunday morning in question he found
| every pew filed and felt correspondence
| battered He introduced himself to the
| organist and was by him presented to The
| regular members of the choir as Mr.. -
| the distinguished bass soloist of Chi
! cago.
Just before the offertory all the mem
ters of the choir slipped down from the
choir loft and took seats in the body OF
! the church. where they could both see ard
| hear the soloist to the best advantage
| He had given his music TO the organisi
| and apparently. everything was in readi-
| ness
| Presently the moment came. The bass
singer advanced to the front of the choir
1 I,
! for q moment, waiting for the organist
1 t. begin the prelude. Not a sound came
! from the organ. The organist was play
! ing at the keys In frantic way, but they
were noiseiess. Then he slipped down
! from the bench in front of tn, organ
and ran around to the rear of the in
strument. In an Instant he was back
| again and beckonips; to the bass singer,
who promptly came back out of sight
100 ~ L.
list, 1.-The boy who pumps the organ has
gone away. We don't usually have any
music during the offertory and | forgot
to tell him. What on earth shall we
do?"
BY this time the congregation was get
ting nervous and restless. People were
clearing their threats and stirring in
their seats. Everybody knew that some
thing had happened. The ushers had al
ready begun to pass the collection plates
Put the bass singer was not Chicago
business man to be baffled by a little
thing like that.
I'll pump the organ myself" he said.
You go ahead and start playing"
In the green felds.' rolled out his
deep voice-just then his left hand fol-
lowed the pump handle down to the bot
tom of its stroke and, involuntarily
sounded an even deeper and entirely ir-
thank heaven he was not in sight By
hard work he managed to suppress more
than half of the gruntS which wanted to
follow at regular intervals, but when he
got through he was ready to weep. and
he has cut Austin entirely off his visit
ing list.
1t was big wagon with high sides,
loaded with bits of plaster and other
lax-
small. unkempt and thin looking horses
The wagon was in the street car tracks
running north, and when the State street
car came up behind ii the horses were
standing perfectly still and the boy on
the box was trying vainly to make them
move. Under foot the pavement was
covered with n slippery coat of ice.
The street car stopped and almost at
once another ran in behind it. The con-
Grctors of the two cars ran ahead to
see what was the matter and a number OF
passengers also went forward.
Then the driver handed down his whip
to one of the conductors and told him to
lash the off horse about the legs
He's the one said the boy with some
affecting references to the Deity. Give
il to him. The condemned old stiff has
got hades Of a big sore on his shoulder
and he won't try to work"
Whereupon the conductor gave IL TO
him" with all his muscle. the boy aiding
from his seat with the doubled ends OF
the lines. The horses made one or two
feeble attempts to move, but did not sue
coed In getting under way. Then half
a dozen men got hold of the wheels on
each side of the wagon and with the whip
and the doubled lines both in action the
wagon was finally boosted off the car
tracks. Whereupon the well dressed pas
sengers climbed back on the front plat
form. and one of them said: People
who send out balky horses like that Dug.
TO he pinched- III be fifteen minutes late
TO dinner"
jenkins IS a rich youth who lives near
Twenty-frst street ana Michigan avenue
Saturday night he put on his evening
clothes and went downtown to the the
alter. After the theater he was asked to
take supper with some friends. After
supper he sat talking until midnight
leaving just in time to catch the last
Cottage Grove cable train south
Jenkins had been up late every night
for more than a week before and was
extremely sleepy as he climbed on board
the car. He felt in his pocket for car
fare and finally succeeded in finding a
nickel and four pennies.
20. WELL" he said to himself. I'm only
need five cents, anyhow, so what's the
difference.
Il want to get OF at Twenty-frst
street" he said to the conductor, as he
handed over the nickel.
Then Jenkins leaned back in the cor
ner of the car and went sound asleep. He
was having a fine sleep when the con-
ductor grasped him by the shoulder and
shook him into consciousness.
Here you are" said the conductor. and
Jenkins, still half a sleep. tumbled off the
car on to the pavement. while the grip
man. in a hurry 10 finish his last trip.
got a quick grip on the rope and sent
his train swinging away 10 the south.
Jenkins rubbed his eyes and looked
around him. Somehow the surroundings
did not look familiar He failed TO rec
oCnize any OF the buildings which stand
about Twenty-frst street ard Wabash
avenue. He walked over to a Iamp-post
On the street sign WAS printed sixty
first
Whereupon jenkins said some things
not complimentary to the good sense Of
street car conductors.
Now. III have 70 wait for an owl car
ne growlsd to himself. "ard tin take me
a couple Of hours to get down home 20
street
Then an awful thought came to him.
He had only cents in his pocket and
was five miles from home without
friend within touching distance. An owl
car came along anc went iineIing past
while Jenkins stiil stood and wondered 4
what on earth he had better DO The idea
If walking five miles or more on a below 4
zero morning did NOT appeal 70 him. But
there seemed nothing else 10 do. He had .
walked perhaps a mile when two horse 4
covered wagon came rumbling along The
end gate happened 70 be down and len 3
kins climbed in The driver did not see
him and b felt II was not 7iteiv THAT
any Of his ar,stocratic friends would he
abroad q tina; hour of the morning Half .
2 mile north the wagon turned west and .
Is7kins fronref Of The ri6s had nal l