Year: 1876

A Story for the Boys.


Tip was the older of the two. I can'i
really say how old he was, and what il
more, Tip himself didn't know. He
wore q mans coat and a pair OF very
small trousers, but neither fitted him,
His hat was an old felt affair that he had
picked up in a back alley, and his head
seemed very much as if it might have
been picked up with it.


Top was the other partner. 1t was
Top who bought the melon, because he
had sold all his papers but one, and had
an uncommon handful of change. The
melon was cheap, too, and only a trife
spoiled, so the partners sat down on q
stone and ate it. Then Tip wiped his
mouth on his coat sleeve and looked at
Top, who had spread his last paper over
his knees, and was slowly spelling out
the news.


"There's row somewheres, but !
can't make out which side is lickin'; it's
the Turkeys or the 6ther fellers. What
be the Turkeys, Tip 2"


Baseball fellers, T reckon; them kind
is great at a scrimmage."


"And freshet carried of railroad
bridge. Tarnado in Dubbs county;
blowed all the oats down. Does oats
grow on trees, Tip, or bushes 2"


Bushes, and kind O. timber"


"'Tarrible CATASTROPHE What would
q catastrophe be, Tip 2"


"It's kind O. jumpin' animal.
Don't ye mind the one We seen to the
circus Z" ..


Top folded up his paper with sigh.


The circus was the beginning of the
partnership, when the two boys, curled
up together in crockery crate, had
been awakened in the dusk of May
morning by the long train of circus
wagons rumbling away into the country.
Half asleep, they followed on, keeping
pace with the great brown hulk that
strobe with swsying trunk after the
wagons, and glancing half fearfully at
the awkward camels that barred their
great teeth viciously, as if they would
not at all mind making mouthful of
the two little vagsbonds. Once o driver
noticed them, and cracked his long
whip at them; but they only fell back a
few steps. :.


"I say, Tip, let's 90 on till it stops" "
whispered Top and with q nod the bar
gain was concluded. ":


It was ten. o'clock before the circus
stopped, and the boys, footsore and
hungry, hung around the wagons, get
ting plentiful kicks and abuse. which
was no more than they were accustomed
to at home, but rewarded by glimpse
Of the animals as they were fed, and
making rare breakfast on q loaf OF
bread that girl in a dirty spangled
dress snatched from one OF the wagons
and tossed to them.


Top had risen in the world since then.
He had left rag picking and gone into
the newspaper business, and even picked
up little learning at the night class in
the ncwsboys' home. But be was loyal
to his partner, and often shared his
good fortune with him. He had plan
now for them both.


"I say, Tip, les you and mo go to
farmin'."


Tip looked at Top, took of his hat,
turned it over as if looking for an idea
in it, and then put it on again, and said
nothing.


"There's a chap comes down to the
home told US fellers il you 60 out West
bit, the guvment would let ye have q
farm free, jest fer living on t. Best
kind O. ground, too. We could raise
things 20 sell, besides havin' all the
melons and stuff you could swaller every
day."


"C'm OH" said Tip, his mouth water
ing at the thought. "ls it fur, out
West. do ye reckona"


GA good bit; but I've got some
money, and We can walk it easy. Git
yer other shirt, an we'll start to-mor-
row mornin'."


That night Top drew all his money
from the deposit at the newsboys' home
three dollars and si1ty-6ve cents.
The first thing he did was to buy two
clay pipes and paper Of tobacco. Then
he laid in store Of provisions, in the
shape OF sheet OF stale buns, triangle
of cheese, and q dozen herrings. Tip
was on hand promptly, with his other
shirt in wad under his arm, and the
two partners started "out West"


"Msy as well ride ten cents worth, !"
said Top, paying fare for the two on an
omnibus that ran to the city limits.


Afterward, they walked on toward the
open prairie, breakfasting as they went,
and adding to their stores a turnip and
a couple of tomatoes that had jolted
from some laden market wagon. Miles
after miles OF market gardens, where
women and children were hoeing and
wedding and gathering vegetables.
They stopped at one house and asked
for water, and woman in brown stuff
petticoat and white short gown offered
them some milk in big yellow bowl,
and piece of black bread. A boy was
washing long yellow carrots by the
pump. Tip bit one, and liked it. Tip
was always hungry. Then they went
on, and by-and-bye came to the end OF
the gardens. There were great stubbly
fields and stack OF yellow straw. They
sat down by this stack to rest, and then
Top thought of the pipes. The men
whom he knew always smoked when
they rested at noon, and so he and Tip
tried it. They had tried it before with
ends of cigars they had picked up, and
once Top had bought new cigar, If
teen-center, and smoked it all, though
il mado him fearfully sick. The pipes
did not seem to agree with them. Tip
felt particularly uncomfortable, and
wished he had not eaten that carrot.
They did not make any remarks about
it, but presently they put away tho
pipes and went to sleep in the sun.
When they walked it was sunset and
growing chilly.


"No use to go any furder tonight"
ssid Top; and they burrowed into the
straw and were as snug as two field
mice.


In the morning there were only
herring and two very dry buns for
breakfast; but the partners had seen
much smaller rations than that in their
day. They asked for water again when
they came to house, but the old lady
who opened the door must have been
deaf. She only shook her head and
shoo-ed them away as if they had been
two stray chickens. Next time they
had better luck. A fat little woman
with rosy red cheeks gave them a big
basket to fill with chips, and when it
was full she brought them each thick
slice of bread aud butter and great
nuffy brown doughnut. Afterward, they