The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1910-07-23


Johnny Bounce and I were school
mates and fast friends. Johnny was
ounge han i, but stronger Every
boy who could lick me awaited himself
Of the opportunity just for the fun Of
H. Johnny could lick most Of them
and, noticing that I needed q friend. be
gan to lick every boy that licked me
This had a wholesome effect, and l
was soon let alone Indeed. 1 am not
sure that I did not impose on some Of
them. knowing that a dread Of Johns
big fist vOnld deter them from giving
me a deserved punishment
When we left school TO go q into
them I said &c John Bounce: Johnny.
I want you 10 understand that l owe
you a whole lot. IL / ever get a chance
to make a stand OF for what you've
done for me. III do IT,"
-Oh. you don't W. me anything.
Tom" be said Besides. | guess wei
both get along pretty well"
I didn't see John after our parting
for years. Then one day a man came
into my ONCE Of very forIorn appear
ance- I put my fingers In my pocket
to get out 10 cents when noticed the
fellow looking at me with a quizzicai
expression
You don't know me, TomT-
"yo. l don't"
I'm Johnny Bounce"
My heart sank. for I knew that the
world had been too much for John
However. / gave his hand a warm
grasp. asked him to sit down and tell
me what he had been doing. He said
he hadn't had much success thus far.
but he had irons In the fire" some Of
which he thought would pan out very
big. / had heard Of these irons be-
fore In connection with men who had
lost their grip on the world and knew
that instead Of irons they were gases
But I saw that John was sincere, so ]
did not discourage him
You can't run a thing Ike that.
John" I said. referring 10 one OF his
schemes, without being grub staked''
I haven't IN capital to put in. but ]
wish you would let me lend you what
you need from time to time I've got
SO here In my No? Don't need IT.
Well. whenever you do come right In
here and get it."
knew perfectly wen that he needed
money. but could not bring himself TO
take It from me. whose equal be lad
been In everything except an ability
to punch boys heads. and in this ne
had been my superior. | was Obliged
TO let him 90 without a1ording him
relief. but / took his address. resolving
to find some indirect way of giving
him money. But I was very busy at
the time and put the matter of. Be
sides. I am not an inventive genius and
failed to think Of any method OF lend
ing John Bounce money without ap-
pearfng to give IT,
One morning a woman came into my
ONCE and said she had heard John
Bounce, who boarded with her. speak
of me. She said that Bounce owed her
sS7 AZ for board, and she would Ike
me to tell her IL he had any property
on which she could levy. / told her
that Mr.. Bounce was a perfectly hon
orable man. but was trying to carry
through certain schemes without sufi-
Gent capital. She left with a check
for the amount Of her bill A week
later I received a note from John re-
GREETING that the woman had thought
Il necessary to adopt such strenuous
measures and assuring me that one of
his irons was at white heat u he
would soon call and return the amount
admired his plan Of enabling me to
help him Indirectly.
John never came to see me. His
pride, his s~ensitiveness, whatever It
was, wouldn't let him. One day a long
while after the board bill episode !
received a note from an undertaken
telling me that a man named John
Bounce had died In a boarding house
A letter from me had been found In
his room, and since there was No
money to bury him it was deemed ad-
visabls to notify me. The amount re-
Quired was about 500.
I was sorry now since poor John
was gone that I had not been able to
do more for him I inclosed a check
for the amount and authorized a call
for more. / did the latter as an ex-
use to my conscience for not attend
ing to the matter personally. I couldn't
bring myself to such q melancholy
duty.
A few months later I received a note
from one who wrote that he had been
an intimate friend Of the late Mr.. John
Bounce, the inventor. 1t was proposed
by several Of Mr.. Bounce's friends to
place q headstone at his grave There
were four men ready, to contrib
ute $50 each The cost Of the stone
would be $3.50. Knowing that ! had
been q schoolmate Of Mr.. Bounce. he
had ventured to write to know II I
would make one Of five. I at once sent
my check for $50.
A year passed. One morning l re-
ceIved a note from a lawyer stating
that John Bounce had died a few days
before (my hair stood on end with as
tonishment). that Mr.. Bounce had left
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