St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-05-18
Little Jinks.

having real lOVe 1Of his mother
more, the moment that saw his case
was deserving one, l was ready to ex-
ert myself to the utmost to help him
out of the mire. My own mother had a
hard struggle to keep her harum- -scarum
boy i'll order but sooner than cause a
tear to gather in her eye, | would have
chopped off my right hand. She was
my idol whom | used to worship in Sc
cret; and many Il time when she thought
me fast asleep, have been peeping out
from under the blankets, watching her
sewing, and wishing that | were strong
enough and big enough to work for heI
myself. But let me explain. | receiv-
ed the following note one morning as
entered the office.
II missed my purse when | reached
home, so my pocket must have been
picked somewhere between the Mansion
House and Finsbury square,"
This brief communication was signed
by well-known banker, il Jolly old
bachelor living in Finsbury Square. He
was little man and inclined to be fat !;
but he had il large warm heart-as
had discovered long beforehand seem
ed to live in kind of genial atmOs-
phere, marked by every body and envied
| by none. | soon felt mOmentary sur
prise that thief had found it in his
heart to victimize such IA man.
Calling ut his house, the following
ensued:
at is not so much the money that
concerns me,n he said ''though the
loss of that would be serious to poor
man, but in the inner pocket | had
slowed away some papers and an old
memorandum which | shall miss very
much. If you just get me them, you
can let the poor wretch keep the money
This proposal was against all law and
order, and he must have known it /; but
| had to remind him of the fact.
''Ah, yes, | know" he said i'll his
quick way with a merry smile. ats
against the law, of course, but you de-
tectives can easily stretch point when
you have IL mind to; and besides, l
only throw out the hint. Get the con
tents of the inner pocket-the rest also,
if you cam"
''You did not feel yourself tugged OF
jostled on your way home ?"
"No l felt nothing, and did not miss
the purse till came"
After eliciting the facts could in
connection with the matter | returned
to the Office, determined to work with
a will to trace his purse and its con-
tents. But | did not even hear of it.
No one among my numerous acquain-
tances seemed particularly flush OF
money; the empty purse was not pick
ed up anywhere or brought in; and
began to fear it had left London and
the thief with it.
But little before ten o'clock next
morning, while we were chatting away
Il slim morsel of Il boy made his appear
ance, with his eyes all red and swelled
with crying, and asked if this was q de-
tective's office. We all stared around
and gazed at the little intruder. The
strangest thing about the boy was his
''shyness"-he was Il mere shadow of /
boy, though he had Il prepOssessing lit
tie face, in spite of the bleariug effect
of the crying.
Being answered i'll the affirmative he
remained moment silent, during whicl
| could see, by the quivering of his lip
that he was struggling hard to appear
manly and firm, while making his mex
speech; he then suddenly produced the
purse of Mr.. S., the banker, anC
hastily got out the words:
''If you please, Pm thief-and moth
er is dead, and I've come for you to pu
me in Jail"
He was choking and shaking all owe
us he got the words out, but it was NJ
use. A binding rush of tears came t.
. his eyes and the heavy purse drOppe,
at his feet.
There was strange silence in th,
room. Nobody rushed forward with
pair of handouts, or grasped him by th,
collar to hustle him off to the cell. H,
was so small, so forlorn and pitiful look
ing.
l touched him gently on the shoulder
"What's your name ?" | asked bu
| was not prepared for the change whicl
this question produced. His face flush
ed up and tears burst out of his eyes, a
he said:
s.My name is Willie Bell, but the,
call me Little Jinks' now. That's VIII.
ran away from the House. But
pitched into them before left-not TO
= that, but for something else" And the
recollection seemed to afford the littl,
= man kind of fierce pleasure.
''Oh, so you run away from TIN
House. l suppose your mother wa
pretty poor, Willie--nOt well otf-eh !?
''That's it, SIR" he cried, with sud
den intelligence flashing out of his tear
ful eyes.
:, "That's how she died-Pm sure of i
IL because she hadn't enough to eat.
tried to save her by stealing the purs
= after l ran away from home but whel
| got home-she couldn't eat-and sh
died without knowing what had done
Do you think they'll tell her in heave
that stole it 7"
e He appeared so anxious for negativ
). that was forced to say:
1t 81 don't think they will, Willie, be
e cause that would he sure to make he
unhappy-wOuldn't it ?"
This brought fresh burst of sobbin
!. and then he said:
81 hope I'll be hanged. want t
r die now. It's no use living withou
is mother, and everybody else is crue
4. There's nobody to put their arms aroun
s. me when am hungry. l-I-Tm try
RS ing not to cry-I made it all up betor
. came that l wouldn't cry-but some
how, can't help it, 1t seems very har
that God should take her away, for
loved her so, and Pm such small boy
T. could not get out an answer, AN
nohod,. alsa seemed ready to speak