New-York tribune., 1910-09-25
SUNDAY MAGAZINE FOR SEPTEMBER Is 1910

ers TO make 1t homelike. l got sod from o,+
by the Old graveyard to cover it and make =
green an Ike a coat to keep It warm in win
Ter and cool IN summer; and when the sod
grew and the flowers took heart pot 10
1hlnkin they used to thank me as onIv the
grass and green things can. Mr.. Mavor il
WASH my fault that the island orew lie
the flowers and the trees. Each snT;ng aood
brought more dirt. and il made me glad 70
see the island grow the way it did. And
cldn think twould ever be big enough 50
anyone would want to take II awav from
me- 1t was my home. l made that shack
eigger. with my own hands, piece bv piece.
iron qrttwood and lumber that | bought
plank f''''''A ~
Once a lawyer told me I ought tc go to
the recorder and get a paper. / done il. I
thought It was all | had to do The c;+v
crept down on the banks. and that made r,1t,
happy too, because 1t seemed to kind of
keep watch over my island and me, and
oilnk at me at night, and keep me company
when l was alone. | used to saw to nlvself.
1 ne island and the river and the CITY is nv
tam ly and all have. Lost all the Others
IN the war. There ain't no other place could
look the same TO me, and If there was I'm
too old and tired to find it. So now they're
goln to take 1t away from mel At first |
was sore. III fight some, l said. before
they get 1t, because if have TO leave it /
might as well be dead, anyhow Then this
boy here told me | might have to shoot at
the flag, and somehow, Mr.. Aavor. | CANT
I've seen 1t and loved It too MANY times
when 1t fiuttered in the smoke. and me and
the other boys was ready TO die for it-awav
back there when | was young"
He put his hands up on the edge Of the
desk and took a long breath. When he
spoke again his voice had lost its mOmentarv
ring and was utterly detected
So l CANT I fight for my island, YOU see.
All l can do IS beg for 1t. l want YOU men
to help to keep them from takin' it awav
from me- l don't want to 60 away from it.
1t doesn't I mean much to most folks, Mr.
Mayor: but It means all there is to me, be-
cause Il $ my home You see how II IS. don't
you: They're Robin me Of my homel"
He turned away and half faced the others.
and stood for several seconds. pitifullv
wrlnging his hands round his twisted hat.
and blinking from one face to another. as If
making mute appeal in all that he would
have voiced but had left unsaid. Somehow
his sturdy frame seemed to have taken age
and dropped IN this most terrible battle of
his life, and he felt ike an Outcast begging
at the feet OF the world. There was no
laughter now. and the Mayor, himself an
old, old man, leaned across his desk and
looked down at SQuatter Bills white head
There was movement from behind and
harsh "AhemI'
The Mayor looked up and nodded TO the
City Attorney, who had come hurriedly in
immaculate and precise IN garb. and, with
his eyeglasses shining in the light, stood
holding some papers n his hand.
NOUR HONOR he said crisply. there
has been some misrepresentation about
the property rights involved in Weatherby's
island. Il has been properly filed upon and
the papers were drawn by no less eminent
an authority than the present Supreme
Judge OF the State, the Hon. Charles Trude;
but by a clerical error the property never
appeared on the assessment rolls It IS de-
linQuent therefore IN taxes; but the title IS
clear to the owner, Ny. Weatherbv. The city
needs II, or part Of 1t At least, for its new
III