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Lis Eig
HAPPY DAYS
TOMMY AND BABY
I can never scream and tumble
Jn
I can .neyer pound the table
Neyer jump up in the window,
Yell and call.
Mamma says we have a treasure,
Pink and small;
But I cannot see He walue,
No !
I am not allowed to hold it,”
Tam not clined ‘to squeeze it,
squawl;
Papa says a t a brother,
jot a doll;
But to call spel things a “people,”
Ain't that gall?
ome
Mack, the Messenger
By FRANK FOREST
CHAPTER 1.
TUE TWO MESSENGER BOYS.
The clock in the Broadway office of the
American District Telegraph Co. struck
ive, Outside the early gloom of a De-
sember evening had settled upon New York,
ind crowds began surging homeward over
she snow an . .
A buzzer rattled in the A. D. T. office,
ind the manager-exclaimed, gruffly:
“Mack!”
There was a stir among the half dozen
uniformed messenger boys; and a sturdy
little fellow of «bout sixteen separated
himself from the rest, a look’ of expecta-
tion on his -good-looking “face, and
querulous expression in his dark eyes,
“Yes, sir,’ the replied, stepping | forward.
“A call from 24 Maiden Lane.
“Isaac Goldstein, ‘the dealer in dia-
monds?
“Yes, Here's your time-slip.”
The boy hastened into the street, turning
up his collar and putting on his ‘gloves,
‘for.a raw, freezing gust of Ww ind struck him
as he opened the doo’
“Gee! Ain't it cold” he muttered,-as he
trudged toward the great jewelry center.
“I wish I was ‘home with mother in the
old Cherry street tenement. It’s a blamed
~ sight warmer ‘there than it is here, since I
bought that half ton of coal. I spose
mother’s workin’ away at her sewin' ma-
chine all alone ‘there, helpin’ me ter make
our livin’, and—ow
The last Siaotation burst from his lips
as jhe darted around the corner with his
head lowered, ‘and .suddenly ‘bumped into
another uniformed messenger boy, who was
coming toward him. The. force of their
collision ‘almost knocked them down,
“Aw, say!” yelled the other messenger,
who was a tough-looking red-headed youth
with a pug nose, “why don't yer be after
lookin’ where yer goin’? Is it me head -yer
wantin’ ter break?”
“Oh! Hello, Swipsey,” gasped Mack, rue-
fully rubbing his forehead. “That you?”
ure it’s me. An’ I'm blowed.if here
ain't Ed McDonald! Say, what did yer
bunk inter me like that fer? Are yer git-
tin’ bloind entoirely, Mack?”
“Tt owas an accident, Swipes. Goin’ to the
office
Naw! I got ther sack ter-day, fer sassin’
ther ‘boss. . Where are yer goit
“Down the Lane to old Isaac ‘Goldstein’ 3.
Just Got the -call.”
“Oh, I s'pose he’s got a jewelry package
fer yer ter deliver,” said Swipes, his crafty
eyes glittering and a evil look overspread-
jig his wicked fact
“{ don’t know) yet, But that’s the kind
ofa job ‘re done for him several times
before, Well, I must hurry, rm sorry you
Jost your job, Swipes. So-lon:
And away hurried Mack to | Fine diamond
dealer's, while Swipes dodged into a hall-
we and slyly peered out after his retreat-
ing form
Mack ascended two flights of rickety
stairs in the old-fashioned building, whis-
tling a tune, and paused at a door bearing
Goldstein’s name. Just then a stifled voice
inside began to yell:
“Help! Help! I'm dyin’!”
There followed a violent crash and a
heavy fall.
Mack was startled and turned p.
“Gee whiz!” he. gasped.
For an instant he felt like beating a
hasty retreat. But he was a very plucky
and ai aggressive boy; and his coolness quick-
ly returi
“TH fa out what's happenin'!” he mut-'
tered, and grasping the knob of Goldstein's
door, he turned it, and dashed into ‘the
little gloomy office
a contained a gate, a counter, a desk an
d
{a8 d chairs. A dim gas-jet showed
/ Mack. 7 Mitte fat man, with a bald head
and.athin, black beard, lying huddled up
yo on the pars beetde a chair he had over-
_teenod when he
— . ao,
~~
aWhare ‘tbat?
It was Goldstein, and he was as pale as
death, and gasping for breath.
Over to him rushed Mack, and erie his
head from the floor he cried, excite
“Mr, Goldstein! Mr. Goldstein! what is
the matter?”
The old jeweler turned his fishy eyes
upon Mack, and finally, recovering his
breath, he sat up, bathed in a cold sweat,
and gasped, huskily:
“Hallo, Mack! Vas dot you, mein poy?
Mein cracious, I tink dot epell vas de last
of old Isaac. I vas glad you come in—yah,
ferry glad.”
ay, are you. fakin’?” asked Mack.
“Were you only chuekin’ a bluff or are you
really booked for the cemetery, Mr. Gold-
stein?”
. “Nein, Mack, mein poy. I often haf me
dem spells, Id vos mein heart. Some
vun of dem vill finish me, for sure.”
“Are you feelin’ any better? I'll get a
I vos all righd now, Mack.
But I’m a seek man. Here, helb me to
I vill sit in.mein chair. So—so.
ovat did you ring me up fer?” de-
manded Mack, as he assisted tke old dia-
mond ‘broker to get in his chair -at the
des!
“Vell, replied Goldstein, after a- mo-
ment’s thought, as he picked up an envelope
from his desk and handed it to the boy,
“you dake dot to Meestair Dan Driscoll in
No. 8 Pell street, vich is a saloon. Bfery-
pody dere vas bad mans, so you look oud
puddy goot for yourselluf—yes?” .
“AIL right, " assented Mack, pocketing the
note, “Is t
“Nein,” said acidstein, taking a small
parcel from his pocket and handing it to
the boy. “Put dot where nopody -vill seen
id, Mack. Dot kackage vos vort.a goot deal
ohf money. Eef you lost id I vill make
your gompany pay me feefty tousan’ :dol-
lar, so you pedder be mighdy vareful mit
| id—see? De gompany vill put you in chail
if you lost such valuables,.so look oud.”
“It's addressed to James Fairchild, on
Fifth avenue,” said Mack,.as he read the
inscription on the parcel. “Want a receipt
for it?”
“Sure Ido,” assented Goldstein, emphati-
cally. “I vos goin’ ter took dem t’ings
meinselluf. But I’m a seck man, und
couldn't done id. I had ter send for you,
Mack. You vas a honest poy. I know dot
I can drust you, son, ’cause you ofden de-
liver valuable packages for me_ before.
“Mack, vill yer do dot message der care-
fullest what you can?”
“You could trust me with your life, sir,”
said the boy. “Do you expect a reply to
either of the messages?”
“Only a receipt for dot package, Mack.
o now, mein poy. I feel pedder.
Soon I vill oe all righd, I vait here for yer
0 coom
“All neht, Sie Goldstein,” said the boy,
and seeing that the old man was fast re-
covering, he left the dingy office, groped his
way down the dark stairs, whistling a
popular tune, and finally reached the street.
he ‘passed the -hallway in which
Swipes was lurking that evil-minded young
scoundrel pounced on him, exclaiming:
“Say, Mack, me bye, yer can’t shake me,
kin yer?
“I thought you went home long ago,”
laughed Mack, as Swipes strode along be-
side him. “What are you hanging around
after, anyway?”
“Nuttin,” replied Swipes, “only I'm
afeerd me ole man will lam ther stuffin’s
out o’ me when I tell him I’m sacked. Did
yer see ole Goldstein?”
age and he gave me two errands to
“Anything special?”
“Well,” said Mack, innocently, “one’s a
note to some guy in Pell street, and the
other’s a valuable little bundle to a mil-
lionaire banker and broker living on Fifth
avenue. Two extremes, ain’t they
“Yair,” replied Swipes, savelescty, “Who
is ther Chinatown yap?”
“S féllor named Driscoll,
street.”
Swipes gave a sudden start. A queer
look swept over his face, and he knitted
his brows in deep thought for a moment,
and then said
“I spose ther Tifth avenyer swell gits a
bundle of sparklers. Ole Goldstein is a
foxy guy. I’m after hearfn’ that he’s a
fence an’ buys.stolen goods,”
“Maybe,” assented Mack, shrugging his
shoulders, “If he does it ain’t any of my
business. Swipes, I know he's too mean to
give a feller a tip, though, so there isn’t
nothin’ in actin’ as ‘his messenger.”
in 8 Pell
“Sure Mike,” said Swipes, . “Well, here
we are ter Park Row. I'll leave yer an’,
gO home ter git my Nekin’. Good-night, |
Mack.”
“Good-night, Swipes.”
And Swipes boarded a Third avenue car!
and rode away.
Mack walked rapidly up Park Row to
Chatham Square, and turned into the nar-:
Tow little alley called Pell stre
It was lined with Chinese houses, and
owing to the bad weather, was singularly
eserted by pedestrians,
Along went Mack toward Doycrs sures
and as he passed a dilapidated buildi
infested with Chinamen, a man .of about
twenty, in shabby dlothing, Sprang from a
gloomy hallway in front o
‘he cap on his head o iO Ned’ down
over his pale, haggard face, upon which
ns stamped the ‘fatal marke of an opium
Te suddenly gripped Mack by the throat.
“Utter a sound -and I’ kill you!” he
hissed fn the startled boy's ear, and he
jerked Mack over into .the ‘hallway.
Mack was not going to tamely submit ‘to
this abuse, however, ‘and he punched and
kicked at the fellow like a wildcat.
he could not utter a yell for help on ac
count of the choking grip on his windpipe.
There was a figure in the hall looking
very much like Swipes, who hissed:
“Haye yer got him,
“Yes, and he’s a terror.”
“Wait! I'll fix him.”
And bang! came mething down on
Mack's head, knocking him senseless.
The moment he fell his assailants got the
package from his pockets and, .rushing
down ibe street, they disappeared around
the corn
CHAPTER I].
‘ SAVING A GIRL'S LIFE,
“Melican boy no doad, allee samee,” said
a gigantic Chinaman with a scar on his
‘yellow face, as he pulled Mack out of the
hallway, ten minutes afterward.
There was a crowd of Mongolians stand-
ing around jabbering extitedly, and a po-
liceman pushed his way through the crowd,
demanding, . fie! ye
“What's de matter ‘there, Hop Lee?
“No savvy,” answered ‘the giant China-
man, stepping back,
“Wuz dis lad brung ‘out of your j‘int?”
“No, Me findee he ‘half dead inee hall,
be.” ©
“Hey, Jerry Fox!” yelled the policeman
to a ward detective in the crowd.
A short, wiry man, with, a .close-cut,
brown mustache elbowed his way through
the group of. Chinese, a look of interest on
his thin, hatchety face, and bending a keen
glance on the boy, ne exdiaime
“It’s an A, D, boy. Some one has
knocked him out. he’s reviving now,
2 as he comes around we'll find out
what ails him.”
Poor Mack came to his senses, and at
once discovered that he had - been robbed.
t gave him a feeling of
He struggled to his feet, plated wildly at
the faces around him, and cried:
I’ve been laid out and phund ered.”
“Who did it?” asked the detective, quick-
ly. “Speak out. I'm Detective Jerry Fox.”
“A shabby duck, about twenty, with a
pale, drawn face. He looked like a dope-
fiend. The thumb on his left hand was
missing.”
“That’s Dan Driscoll, the pipe,” declared
thes detective
hat son" gasped Mack, “Why, he’s
the. feller Mr. Goldstein sent me to with a
letter. Ile’s my bundle of jewelry.
Which way did he go? You see, I’m Mack,
the messenger, and I’m responsible for that
parcel
“Down Doyers street: I seen him,” re-
plied the policeman, positively,
“Then I'm after him!” asserted ae mes-
senger, Tesolutely, “‘ that
packase away from him. I's. valuable. If
go back without it old Goldstein, the
ua iden Lane jewerer may have me ar-
rested for losing 1
And away he dashed at full speed, leay-
ing the crowd behind to discuss the matter,
The fact was Mack was afraid to return
z
3
and report his loss,
Te came out on Chatham Square without
secing a'sign of the thief, and a feeling of
despair overwhelmed him. He gave up all
hope now of ever recovering the parcel,
‘startled young girl turn
the -girl around -just.as the three hors:
fire-
Down from the Bowery came &
engine drawn .by ‘high-spirited horses, and
followed by an excited crowd of rub
men and boys.
Smoke and “sparks were pouring up out
of the funne), and.a trail of purning ember:
from the furnace below was Jett ae
wake as the engine came tearing do I t
square with the horses cat a furious gallop.;
Clang—clang!
-tright -upon the rumbling engine as i
‘ re down upon
rect Or terror burst ‘trom the e girl's 8 ny
d she broke into a run to get ow
way of the ‘flying horses 80 dangerous
r her. .
methe é driver was bracing himself an
hanging onto the reins with all. bi
strength, for the horses wore plunging an|
slipping on the icy pave
lie saw the girl and welled at her like
adman to get out of the Ww
m she might have succeeded in doing 54
too, but unluckily she slipped and fet
sprawling directly in the path of the gal
loping horses.
A shout of horror burst from the sped
tators and the driver turned deathly pa
and struggled desperately to swing hi
horses aside, It was useless; their mome
tum was too great, and the ‘street too sliy}
On they came with a wild rush, ke
up a cloud of snow, and it seemed as i
life would be crusbed out of the Peau
girk At this critical moment Ma:
plunged forward.
Tho plucky little fellow had no fear fq
himself as he dashed in front of the fiyit
horses and seized the girl, who was tryit
to rise.
Exerting all “his strength, Mack sww
ashed by within san inch of. his body.
oorhe girl’s life -was saved!
Then such a tremendous ‘cheer for th
dllant young messenger ‘burst from tl
spectators that old Chatham Square fair
Tan;
Up leaped the girl as the crowd rush:
toward them, her face pale .and her ey
suffused with tears of gratitude as si
zazed at Mack.
“I owo you my life!” she gasped, excite
ly. “You are the bravest boy in the world
ay mention it,” replied Mack, flusi
“Come, Give me your hand and we
run ‘pack to the carriage.. Your father
badly scared, and is now running towaa
us. My name is Mack. Were you in
ured?”
“I ain't hurt,” she panted as they dashe:
away. “Just a few bruises—that's all.”
In a moment they reached the old gentle:
man, who had alighted from the cab, an‘
he élasped the girl in .his arms emotion
ally, _Kdssed her, and gasped in hoarse
ton
“My poor little pet.
would be mangled.”
“And -would but for this fearles4
boy,” she replied, pointing at Mack.
The old man glanced at Mack searchingls|
a moment, and exclaimed:
“T thank you sincerely, my lad. Here 1s)
my card, Call and see me, I mean to re-
ward your gourage handsomely, . What is
your name?
“Ed McDonald; but everybody calls me
Mack, sir.”
“ANl right.
old gentleman.
To escape the erowd swarming around
them, he hastily entered the cab with hi:
daughter, spoke to the liveried coachman]
banged the door shut, and they were swift
ly nen away.
e crowd praised Mack so high-
y that, -he ‘Was glad to escape from them.
and they raced ahead to the roaring Jf Arey
down in City -Ifall Place. -
Mack might have been tempted to run‘to
the fire, too, but the poor boy recalled his
loss, and sadly walked over to a store wit-
do
Oh, I thought you
TH remember that,” said the
Iiere he glanced carelessly-at the card
the old gentleman had given him, and a
and leaned against a lamp-post wondering
what he should do.
d so a handsome private cab
pulled up at the curb near by, the door
opened, and a beautiful girl of fifteen
allanted, “tad in stylish clothing, and a
prett;
She haa tig, blue eyes, and plump, crim-
son chee
In the cab sat her father, a white-bearded
‘old gentleman {na fur coat and silk hat.
“Hurry up, Violet,” he exclaimed. “Run
over to the corner of Division street, and
see if your brother is there, Don’t let him
know I’m waiting here in the cab, but en-
tice him over here if you can. Then we'll
Bet him into the carriage and bring him
hom :
“an right, papa,” answered the itl, and
treet
|| She started across
stre
Mack watched the little ‘beauty with an
admiring glance.
just ‘as she reached the car-tracks
‘there sounded the clang of a bell, the warn--
ing shriek of a whistle, and ‘the clatter of
flying ‘hoofs,
votes in his
low cry of intense astonishment burst from
his lips, for upon the pasteboard was
printed:
“James Fairchild, banker and broker,
No. 40 Wall Street.’
The boy had good reason to be amazed,
for it was the same man to whose private
residence old Isaac Goldstein had sent him
with the valuable package of jewelry which?
had been Stolen from him! a
“Well, by jingo!” muttered the aston-
ished messenger. “This is queer, IIe must
be the same party I was goin’ to see, Now
I don’t dare to go near him. What would
he think of me when he hears what hap-
pened? I'l bet he'll forget all about his
gratitude .and have me ed. But—my!
That was a lovely daughter he had! I’m
glad I saved the pretty little thing. She
looked at me so sweetly, and seemed so glad }
of what I did for her!”
j He tematned there fully an hour; then
he wae rudely aroused from his reyerte.
Hello, there, yout” hissed’ a rasping
a i a
The boy Wheel around Ihe Ugtintzg.