Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1907-02-06
A BUNDLE
OF TRACTS
BY DR.. Knox CALDWELL
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.


SN~@ w. ~ 40 oCSSeAo AOSSUup 0UpVA0S0"
ly rotten. What you need is vaca-
ton. Take 1t. Get out and don't show
your face around here for two weeks"
Thus It came about that the next
day found me lOlllng comfortably ON a
settee, in shady part of the park.
MY nve years work on the newspaper
had given me wide acquaintanceship
within the city. Consequently, among
the passers-by, there were many
whose faces were familiar.
Presently two familiar figures came
within my field of vision. They were
pair of girls whom / had encoun-
tered many times in my search for
news, named respectively Mag" and
'Liz."
Being "a trlhe familiar with their
especial brand of graft" l decided to
watch and see with what success they
should operate it. So l lit my pipe
and waited expectantly, nor did have
long to wait.
Suddenly, there came wild shrek
and, in moment, people were rushing
pell nell toward the spot where a mo-
ment ago | had sighted this gifted
pair.
smiled sardonically and sat still,
for had seen the little play and its
inevitable denouement enacted many
times. Mag" the smaller one, had
just keeled over in fair imitation of
an epileptic fit while her sister 'Liz"f
lent her aid by wringing her hands
and proclaiming in heartrending ac-
cents, 20, me sister She's dyin'.
She's dyin'."
OF course the whole exhibition
would not take over five minutes and,
as finale, some sympathetic bystand-
er would pass around the hat for the
afflicted one. | yawned, as the little
circle disintegrated, and wondered
whether | ought to report "Liz" and
her confrere to the police or give her
a dime and ask for a story. Fate de-
cided the question for me.
/ The crowd had miraculously disap-
peared, having evidently forgotten
Mag and her troubles, while the
precious pair wandered slowly along
in my direction, keeping shifty eye
out meanwhile for possible police
man.
7 l pulled my hat down over my eyes
and pretended to sleep. Presently l
was rewarded by whining voice.
Please, mister, help poor girl that's /
got fits"
sat up and pushed back my hat. |
"Why, hello, Liz" said casually, "at
the old game l see. Why don't you
try something new?"
The girl, in whose hard and care
worn face there was not a trace of
fear, stared at me deiantly.
"Wot If we is?" she said sullenly,
folks like us has got to live some
way and the old gags is the best any
how. tried new one las week, and |
1t was all to the bum" Here she
stopped and looked at me suspiciously. |
go ON Liz" said l good naturally.
I'm not working this week and I'll
give my word of honor not to peach on
you. Sit down and tell me about it."
The hunted look left the girls face
and she glanced at me gratefully as |
she sat down.
Tanks, Mr.. Wells" she said, Il
taut you want no piker. Well, it was
like dis. Some O. de fly cops got wise
to our game an dey told us to quit it |
or get pinched, so we quit an KEEP in
de house fer while. T'ings to eat
got kinder scarce aroun' tn joint SO,
one night, says to Mag I'm goin' to
duck out an see what's dom an
took hike down to the Bow'ry.
IL wuz sneakin' along when, all Of .
sudden, runs into Marble Mary just
out from tree months trip to tn
islam. Mary she hooks into me an,
wen tells her me bad luck, she puts
me wise to a new lay that she says, is
a peach an winner. On de way home
4 lays me plans to try 1t out mex day.
Now dis Is kind of particular job
SO calls on all me frien's fer help.
"One lends me swell lid she's
Swiped somewhere, another hands me
a dress fer Mag an finally, we're bot
fixed up like duchesses and ready fer
parade.
Den gets out q new shiny hand
bag, dat l COPIED from somebody or
other, and packs 1t full O. paper until
1T looked like tn property of Mrs. Van
Astor.
vivid dat in me mitt, me and Mag
hits de pike fer down town. We
Iwuznt amin fer no cheap joint,
neither, but fer Wanacooper's, tn
SWEETEST place in town. Course, we
didn't know w'ether I'VE could get in
or not, but faint heart amt produc-
tive of anything to eat an anyhow we
couldn't do no more than get trowed
out.
well, luck was wild us, fer dey was
a big sale goin' on an tn bubbles an
carriages was linedup fer half a mile,
an swells goin' in an out like bees in
d rhive. Me an Mag waited a bit an
then slid in wild tn mob and nobody
said word.
I'VE wandered, around a while, keep |,
in an eye open fer the store cop, and
finally spots me meat--a big fat
woman wild her hands covered wild