The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-08-02

saw the band OF boys charging down
upon him he reared mp and then made |
n bolt down the street. The driver
came rushing ont and cuffed three or
four of the crowd and then followed
after the horse. Humpy was scared,
but the Watkins boy lshced him up by
saying;
"A lawn mower has got the same
rights on the streets as a milk wagon,
and they cant touch you. S'pose the
mower had got scared and run away.
could you have done anything with
the mllkman"
Things went all right for the next
five minutes, and then policeman
stopped the band and said:
Drawing an internal machine
through the streets. are you? Well
| I'll soon put stop to that"
please, sir, but it's only n lawn
mower" explained Humpy.
"rhen what's It making that noise
for?"
81 don't know, sir"
But you ought to know, and his
honor will sec that you do know when
you are brought before him. You are
on your way to blow up the city hall.
and don't you dare deny It,"
"Please, sir but think know why
the mower makes that whining noise"
volunteered the Watkins boy.
"Then out with IT,"
81 think II has the collie, sir"
ayes, | shouldn't wonder II It was.
| This weather's enough TO give crow
bar st. Vitus' dance. You'd better
stop at the drug store and give the
thing some peppermint"
Two blocks after leaving the officer,
who kept following them, with eyes Of
suspicion, the band met four big hood
| lum boys. who at once dcided to take
charge of things. There was a fight,
In which they were victorious. but they
were not mean spirited. After getting
possession of the machine they invited
the weeping and indignant Humpy and
his following 10 enter an old wood yard
with them and witness the fun. They
had Il goat shut up therein, and the fun
speedily began. The biggest hoodlum
took off his coat and cap and seized
| the handles of the mower and began
to chase the goat around. When he
got tired one of his crowd took up the
chase, and It was continued until at
length the frightened creature made n
long spring and leaped the fence. Then
Humpy, as owner Of the mower, was
trotted out and made to perform. and
It was over two hours before the own
er of the yard happened TO pass that
way and drove the whole crowd out
with Il club. Then the hoodlums went
their way, and the mower was headed
for home. Ii was within four blocks
of the Skinner house and was being
pushed along by two small boys who
insisted on sharing the honors when a
fat woman with a basket on her arm
turned in from side street She no
sooner caught sight OF the mower than
she cried out:
Her Long Lost Wheelbarrow.
"Ah. but It IL my long lost wheel
barrow In the hands Of these young
ruaiansl Give 1t up TO me at once"'
"But this Is no wheelbarrow," pro
tested Humpy.
Don't talk TO me, you young gallows
bird! DO you think I've arrived at the
age of ffty years and have got to
weigh over 200 pounds and cant tell
lawn mower from whelbarrowf
say that IT'S 'wheelbarrow that was
stolen from me whole year ago
There's the green paint ON II TO iden'
tify It. Hand It over or you shall go to
! jail"
madam, can't you see that this Is
i,a ief oil IInnnV
"A wheelbaTow has two handles and
wheel In front, while this
, "And you'd rob a poor old woman OF
, her only wheelbaTTow, would youE
shouted the other as she grabbed foI
the handle to get possession.
In the struggle she was upset anc
her basket knocked into the middle ol
the street, but as the boys ran away
with the machine an Ice wagon came
trotting along Just in time To run one
= wheel over and reduce the thing to I
wreck. The icemnn stopped and begai
TO Jaw, but in u minute he was gone
The crowd of boys, with Hnmpy a
their head. had melted away. Whel
Humpy stopped at last only the Wat
klns boy was with him.
Hump" he asked when he could ge
: his breath, "will your father give yo'
u n licking for thisf"
"The awfulest kind Of licking"
"Will you holler for mercy"
: "I'n holler TIL you can hear me
! mile away"
e "Then the boys and me will be In tn
d alley to hear you and be glad II haln'
} us. Goodby, Hump" Nj. QUAD,