The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-28

walk out in the town whers he vas
born and lived for 60 years. WITHOUT soLns
confounded boy trying to take MS ALss
what are you trying 20 do, anyway
stPlease, sir but we are carrying d
ladder replied Humpy.
But what business have you carrying
a, ladder through the streetsg
TT Dunno sir
s.0f course you don't, and no one else.
Get off the sidewalk and into the roao-
1yavs with 1t. By George, but q llhe
to tan the Jacket OF everyone. OF yoa-
/ rr1aa ladder was sheered Of int tbs
street and all went well until TIE Hlat
-crosswallz was reached 4nels 49,
three or four people waning q q. -
and though dumpy gave the Wof4 V
| halt the ladder kept going until u
| struck and knocked the legs out LI olal
under the young man VINO naQ = Sa-
/ in his hand and a cigarette in his NOUN.
by Jinkth. but I've been Ailosel.seSi
| DOWN. he cried, as two men asslsteo
him to rise 'sxyhn struelxth me- snow
/ me the man who 5struclzth mel.
cit was these boys with their Aaa-~
DER replied one CT the men.
I But we didn't mean to, explained
f s'Fefh you did-yeth you did! You
lmeanth to knock me down and ruin
my e1othess and I'll callth a policeman
and have you run inl DON'T let them
get away till e0mth back with 81 or
/ aBeys,a said a cab driver who loois-
led like 81 good nstured man. you wan
to dust right along with that laelS1eI.'
I've been boy myself, and dqa1
blame you for having q little 1uns BUS
don't carry it tee far.
! The boys moved on and did very well
u for the next two blocks. Then they
came to where one of the herses hltca-
ed to a brewery wagon had baked. anu
refused to go further Ahers was q
crowd around, and as the boys wanted
to get as near as possible, they kept
pushing on until the ladder was graz
ling ribs, arms and legs, ana hai1 2
dozen voices were shouting.
sfWho called out the fire department,
and what's this old ladder doing
Ifunpy was ahead and acting as
= captain, and q man with red nese
caught him by the arm and twisted
him around ana yelled:
Don't you know anything you
young cub? What are you tanning
) your way in here for2"
'I'm taking a ladder home." was the
: ssThen take it home In a balloon!
n Why. boy, if that ladder had poked me
/ in the side I'd nave twisted your neck
{ off in q minute. Here you mer-take
hold of this LADDER"
Half a. dozen men seized it and helped
: to 11eave it on to the Sidewalk and By
the time Humpy and. his friends had
found it three OF four rurgs had been
broken They picked it up and started
off, and, by twisting and lodging they
! got around the nearest corner and down
lone block There. they stopped to rest
2 and talk things oyer, but a the end Of
(. live minutes along came boy riding IN
"a homemade cart with a goat in thu
harness. OF course, he saw them and
/ cracked his whip ard shouted Gee
upl at his goat to show Off
It was just then that q large dog came
bounding across the street at the goat
He seized the goat by the neck and
! threw him down. and there was con-
7 fusion at once The yells and screams
a
men were pulling the dog of and two
r or three others helping the boy out
from the tangle Of his cart moving
t van came down the street It was icing
/. driven by a deaf man. but he had good
eyesight, and when he saw the crowd he
steered his big wagon close to the curb
kStone TO find cut all about it Two
wheels passed over the ladder and
smashed out every rung, ana the man
Z jumped down and shouted outs
Where is the man who left that lad
der there for my horses to stumble over
and be famed FOR Iife?'
r ut was a crowd of boys and here is
D one Of them replied the boy who had
been driving the goat.
: ''Oh. it was you, was 1t hlssed the
man. very wei. When get through
: using this whip on you, you won
4 ! leave no more ladders on the street,
! Don't you touch that boy said q
: lchunky man. HE has right to carry
a ladder along the street If he wants
E to-.
stAnd who are your
s Never mind who I am but don't
at you touch that boy"
FL A minute later there was fight in
which the whole crowd seemed to be
e. mixed up ana during the excitement
j. the seven boys got away. When they
I I reached Humpy's house they stopped
I at the gate and he was asked what he
3 was going to tell his mother.
1--WE got to tell her the truth. OF
G course" he replied; and when he went
I in and was asked if he had brought
the ladder he promptly replied.
: mo mother dear I got to thinking
! that father might fall and kill himself
: If got the ladder, and so I thought