Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-02-21

LEAD MS purSuer6 TO lis own u0SG, DuG
away from 1t.
The lemons bobbed up and down in
his pockets, and his heart bobbed up
and down in his breast, and he ran very
fast, but after him came those who could
run longer. The grocer. little, long
limbed, active man-and a policeman
two of them. Very soon all the tagrag
and bob tail on the river street; and the
Cry stop thief was taken from the gro
GERS mouth by the crowd, so that soon
he had no need to below it himself, but
could save his lungs for running.
Let no one blame the grocer; he knew
nothing about the sick child up stairs.
All he saw was we'll patched, able
bodied boy making off with so much
profit in the shape of four lemons. His
there was nothing in this rifle of 6. his
basket and his store to touch his heart
particularly. If you we're a grocer
perhaps you are-you'd know how ag
gravated he was, and what Just cause he
thought he had for following that flying
figure with purposes of vengeance. And
the boy was thief.
The chase lasted long while, con-
sidering all things, but it ended at last.
Tom tripped over curb-stone and came
to the ground. He was lifted by his
collar, and from his pockets were taken
the great yellow lemons.
"The finest in the lot, the young
devil - cried the grocer.
And now there was nothing to do but
to choke down his sobs as he was led
to the station house. He had no idea
of excuslng himself by mentioning his
sick sister. He would take his punish
ment, whatever it might be, without
word. He was son of Adam, but he
was not so mean as his forefather. Had
mentioned Eve-never.
Little he knew who brought up the
rear of that long procession that had
turned out to see him caught.
Kitty lying in bed, had heard the
noise of the pursuit, and had risen to
her knees and thrust her head from the
narrow opening of the window just at
the moment wheE Tom started on his
hopeless race. She knew in moment
what had happened. She knew that
Tom had stolen some lemons for her.
She remembered seeing them her
words" and such lot of lemons in
the shop down stairs why had she
uttered them And now what could she
do but to follow them and tell the truth,
and ask them to punish her, not Tom ?
She had not been able to stand on her
little feet for many days, but now the
brief strength of fever was upon her,
and she found herself making her way,
barefooted, and in her little night gown,
down the stairs and into the street. No
one took heed of her. Barefoot children
we're the rule, not the exception, in
those streets that summer day, and she
had walked only little way when back
came the crowd that had left her far
behind, on its way to the station-house,
Tom in their midst with his cap over
his eyes, as though he were going to
immediate execution. She did not know
the laws of her country sufficiently to
be sure that he was not.
The statiOn-house-a we'll patrOnized
institution in that neighborhood-
very near. Into its doors, between it's
great gas-lamps, marched the officers
and their prisoner, and the grocer, and
all the ragmufins, who, were at once
driven back. They crushed and crowd
ed away before the flourish of clubs,
and Kitty was pressed against the brick
wall. She was almost too small to be
seen, and six sailors, part of the crew of
the Peter Potter, who had been called
upon to give evidence in the case of
comrade who had been beaten to jelly
by the mate during the voyage home,
and were slowly filing out, never
noticed her: but the seventh, tall,
robust man of 40, paused and stopped
down, and said:
"Well, little lass, what is the
matter ?"
sob, everything % said Kitty. sob,
please, please. don't hurt him; hurt
me. [ said there were lots of lemons in
the shop, and he took them for me, be-
cause was sick. Please do it to me,
whatever gets done to thieves. Please,
he's my brother
"It's the boy who was just taken in
yonder. you mean ?" asked the sailor.
eyes, brother Tom," said Kitty;
"and they won't let me in, and I feel
so queer.
And the sailor bending over her, lifted
her in his arms.
'You are too sick to be in the street,
lassie," he said, and strobe into the
building again, and there in the great
room, before the latest and whitest
headed old gentlemen she had ever seen,
stood Tom and the grocer.
"Sure, and your Honor sees 'em, )"
said the grocer, holding out the lemons.
"Four great beauties, and saw him
take them with my own two eyes"
Kitty's head was swimming, ard she
was as cold as she had been hot now,
but high and shrill her baby voice
arose:
sit was for me he took them. I
cried [ was so hot. [ said there were
lemons in the shop. Please, please do
| it to nae whatever it is.
Tom turned, and saw his little sister;
and for the first time broke down and
crieo; but through his tears he man
aged to sob:
"She don't know. She's not much
but baby. guess the fever got into
her head. She's got nothing to do with
it,
"Now, if might speak. your Hon
Or" cried the sailor.
sBut you can't" replied the Justice
of the Peace. Who are you? This