The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-27

OI remarks 10 the TWO otner boys, OStenta-
tiously for the benefit of the lad across
the street.
Say" he asked sarcasticalIy. "ain't it a
peach? Look at them kid gloves. Git onto
the windows"
He paused to whistle a bar of a popular
air extensively, but the boy across the
street paid no more attention TO the TRADE
than he did to the little fox terrier that
was barking at him from the next yard.
The flush that darkened his face may have
indicated anger, but he closed the door be-
hind him softly without looking around
The lad across the way was newcomer
in the neighborhood and had managed TO
march straight into unpopularity through
a series of objectionable miSdemeanors in
the eyes of the freckled boy. In the first
place, upon his presenting himself at school
he had gone without question into a class
where his head came only TO the shoulders
of the other boys. This in itself was gall
to the freckled boy, for his own head,
though not stupider was Derceptibly tall
er than any other in No. s. The other boy
was a Pole-an outlandish nationality. a
Pole, whose father made his living, not by
tinkering. other peoples plumbing as the
father of another Polish lad did, but by
Kidding. an ef1eminate vocation that evl-
IDENTIFY returned a disproportionate living.
And to top off with, the boy convicted
by word of mouth, of having had private
tutors; and he played under the instruc-
ton of his father on a sweet-toned instru-
ment of his own, making sounds that found
their way to the street at times with a
tenderness and expression that exasper-
ated the freckled boy beyond any sound he
had ever heard.
With all these shortcomings against boy
hood in the eyes of the youthful Napoleon,
ii was not strange that the very sight of
the Polish lads sharp features and refined
carriage should CRATE on his nerves as filing
saws or tearing paper does on those of
some grown people.
threw enc arm in bear hug around the
neck of the chunky lad, "come on felers,
let's us be moving. What's doing here?
Let us go round and see how the snow
forts coming on for Monday. Bob's go
ing TO be captain, Brick lieutenant and
Scotty runs the ammunition.
What you goin' TO be?'' asked the lank
boy
The other looked at him angrily. ''Who
got this here thing up?' he asked. I'm
going TO run the whole show. that's what
I'm going to do, whatcher s'pose.'
AS they talked the boys were walking
down the street their arms linked socially
over each others shoulders. AS they came
in front of the shabby brown house at the
corner the freckled boy locked in eagerly
at the windows. AS for windows, in the
small front there only one eight-paned
one that was not whitley covered over
with frost, for coal was high and wash
ings scarce. At a bird whistle from the
boy a baby head was framed at the frost
less window with a suddenness that sug-
gested a jack-in-the-boX. The pink two
year-old face was dimpled and spherical,
and at sight of the shabby boy in the red
sweater delighted smile spread over it
behind the glass
The freckled boy stopped hastily Hold
on fellers, he said, alphabetically; mas
gone and / want to run in an see Johnny
a minute. Wanter get my mittens, any
way"
He felt in his pocket and. feeling some
thing safe there, he lodged in at the gate.
and, unlocking the door with a key from
his pocket, he disappeared. AS he came
out a minute later, ostentatiousy beating
together pair of red mttens, the baby at
the window beat a chuckling goodbye at
him on the window with a big yellow
orange. 10 had
lifted from a fruit stall on his way home
from school.
Goodbye. honey" he called, grinning and
waving mitten as he walked backward
TO catch I'D with the other boys Say"
he said, wouldn't 1t jar you the sense
folks show about namin' kids Ma called
that kid in there John William, an me,
with a face like n bent dishpan Howard
Hilbert Wouldn't that shake your keys
Never mind, Pluggy," consoIed the
chunky boy; lit didn't stick. 1t amt likes
if you had to live up to it every day"
Betcher life it didn't stick" replied the
other, combatively. Amt no glue on me
for TO stick no such tissue-paper handles
as that guess not"
As they turned the corner in the direction
OF the fort, around the opposite corner
street was frozen and the wheels screeched
loudly above the heavy rumble AS 1t came
down the street the gate in front of the
little brown house swung open. By some
oversight that he never understood, the
freckled boy had forgotten to relock the
door Out upon the open highway, the for
hidden highway, stepped the youngster,
with the hesitat1ng lunge peculiar TO
newly-found infant locomotion. In one
hand was tightly held the orange The
fruit urgently needed the pocket knife of
the larger boy to make it edible; at present
ITS juices We're inaccessible for lack of a
hole in the end.
The little man looked up the street, then
he looked down the street anxiously APP
parently big boys develop wings the in
slant they reach the sidewalk for there
was no suggestion of boy in sight. The
inch of a nose wrinkled. Then something
across the street came into his line of
vision. This proved to be a woman with
basket on her arm and black cape about
her shoulders. To the youngster this
woman was known as very good substi-
tute for big brothers, so, taking heart, out
he toddled.
baby were both timed to cross the street at
the same moment-the latter Balancing his
chubby body carefully from one foot to the
noise. The youngster paid no particular at
tention TO the noise overhead, for the reason
that so far in his life most things had man
aged to get out of his way when he set his
mind on touring on his two legs. Besides
what between his orange and the woman in
the black cape, his mind was fully occupied
Suddenly he stopped short. He was
vaguely perplexed. The woman across the
street seemed to have gone distracted with
no reason in sight; she was beating the air
with her basket and calling to him excited
ly. Her actions, together with the noise
confused him and he paused to consider. an
unWlse thing to do Just three steps short of
rumbllng mountain of noise that il takes
SIX feet to stop IL on a straight road The
two van horses were Stolid Normandy fell
lows and they stopped of their own accord
but not till they had gone the six feet nee
essary. They had lifted their feet with
thoughtful care, but nevertheless one big
hoof had gone amuck.
The van driver climbed down and looked
back; then he went back, swearing under
MS breath. He picked up the small bundle
lying there on the crossing. The woman i'm
the cape had tainted dead away against a
tree box, and the van driver could only
stand there holding his burden with a face
whittier than the sides Of his own van He
held it helplessly while the usual crowd coll
lected and stared and the women cried and
the men talked. At the moment of the ac-
cident there had not been four persons to
be seen on the street; five minutes after
wards people were looking over one an
others shoulders and crowding in on one
another to get better view
Some one suggested ringing for the ambu-
lance, but before some one else could do it
there was a commotion at the edge of the
crowd. small man with sharp features
and sharper elbows was coming through the
crowd with the ease of a weasel through n
bunch of gabbling biddieS; under one arm
was leather violin case, and following him
came boy with the same cast of features
and wearing glasses. The mans ewes
flashed TO the van; then they flashed back
at the driver; he had it all in those two
glances of his black eyes. Stepping forward
he spoke: