Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-05-13

asked if this was the detective office. W.
all started round and gaZed at the it'll
intruder. The strangest thing about HIN
was 'skinnyness'-he was mere shadow
of a boy, though he had a prepossessine
face, in spite of the clearing effect of thu
crying.
Being answered in the affirmative, he
remained moment silent, during which ]
could see, by the quivering of his lip, that
he was struggling hard to appear mani,
and firm while making his next speech; hi
then suddenly produced the purse of Mr.
s., the banker, and hastily got Out
the words:
eff you please, Pm thief-and mother
is dead-and I've come for you to put mt
in jail"
He was choking and shaking all over a.
he got the words out, but it was no use
A binding rush OF tears came to his eyes,
and the heavy purse dropped at his feet.
There was strange silence in the room
Nobody rushed forward with a pair Of
handouts, or grasped him by the collar to
hustle him off to cell. He was so small
so folorn and pitiful looking.
touched him gently on the shoulder.
Whats your name?'' 1 asked; but
was not prepared for the change the sim
pie question produced. His face flushed
up, and every tear burst out of his eyes
as he said:
my name is Willie Bell, but they al
call me Little Jinks' now. That's why ]
ran away from the home But pitched
into them before I left-not for that, but
for something else,'' and the recollection
seemed to afford the little man a kind of
fierce pleasure.
: "Oh, so you ran away from the home.
I suppose your mother was pretty poor,
Willie-not we'll off-eh?"
That's it, SIR he cried, with sudden
intelligence flashing out of his fearful eyes
''That's how she died-I'm sure of it-be.
cause she hadn It enough to eat. tried t6
save her by stealing the purse after I ran
away from the 'home;;' but when I got
home-when I got home-she couldn't
eat-and she died without knowing what
I had done. Do you think they'll tell her
in heaven that stole lt?''
He appeared so anxious for a negative
that was forced to say:
II don't think they will, Willie, because
that would be sure to make her unhappy
wouldn't it?''
This brought fresh burst of sobbing
and then be said:
II hope I'll be hanged. [ want to die
now. It's no living without mother, and
everybody else so cruel. There's nobody
to put their arms round me when 1 an
hungry. I-I-I'm trying not to cry
made it all up before came that ]
wouldn't cry. But somehow 1 can't heII
it, 1t seems very hard that God should
take her away, for 1 loved her so, and I'm
such small boy.''
L could not get an answer, and nobod!
else seemed ready to speak. I picked III
the purse and motioned to him to follow
me into another room, and there poo
Willie told me his mothers history, and /;
sad, sad history it was.
1t was the old story-a garrett, pinchins
want, and a hard struggle for bare life
which finally drove the mother into deli
cate health, and the boy into one o
the s'homes'7 of London.
But here poor Willie's troubles increased
The boys of the ''home" crowded round
the strange little arrival, and dubbed hin
little Jinks." No rudeness or unkind
ness wss meant-it was their custom, ant
he had to give up asking them to call hin
Willie, for ''Little Jinks," they woult
have him, and nothing else. The first da.
passed all we'll enough-he made one OF
two acquaintance and at night, when al
were asleep. and the cold moonlight stole
into the dormitory, he had good cry
keeping his head muffied in the bedclothe
to stife the sound.
But fresh griefs were in store for him
In an evil hour he had confid ed to some o
his new acquaintance some particulars o
his own life and history; and next da.
when he found them torturing one of thei
number, a mute named Johnnie, he hor
rifed them by firing up, knocking dow
one of then, relasing the sufferer, and
daring them to touch him again.
An excited circle instantly form ed roun(
him.
"What is it?'' cried one, elbowing in.
tits Jinks' the beggar, the starved rat,
spitefully answered the foored boy, gath
ering himself up and wiping the blood from
his nose. "Why couldn't he stay in hi
hole, and not come in among gentlemen?
"What's he done?"
'Stuck up for Johnnie"
''Oh, my! Ha! ha! ha!'' and the jeerins
laugh ran round all.
81 don't care what you say.'' chokingly
returned ''Jinks," blushing to the ears
and then turning dangerously white
"Y ou're pack of cruel brutes!''
"Ha! ha! ha!' laughed the boys. "What
pity his mother isn't here. Ho! no! ho!'
''Don't speak of my mother, 1 warn pou
don't!'' said links, with strange flashing
of the eyes.
''Ho! no! no! Do you hear him? His
mothers beggar, too"
'sOf course she is. He told me so; and
my uncle threw her farthing on the
street one day, Ho! no! -
The last speaker didn't get his laugh
out, for though he lowered up tall and
strong, Jinks had flashed through the air
at his throat like a bloodhound. They
fought long and 6ercely, and, small as he
was, thinks" seemed to be getting the best
of it, when one of the assistant masters
suddenly appeared on the scene, and put
an end to the struggle.
And now 'sJinks'' experienced the dan.
ger of going against the majority. The
small boy and himself gave the true YER
Z all