Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1881-05-25
Little links"

having a real love for bis mother ;
more. the moment that saw that bis
case was a deserving enc, l was ready
to exert myselfto the utmost to hell
him out ofthe mire. Ny own mother
had a hard struggle to keep her harum'
scarum boy 10 order; but sooner thar
cause tear 10 gather in her eye, J
would have chopped ehmy right hand
She was my idol whom used TO worship
in secret; and many time when she
thought me asleep, I have been peep
ing out from under the blankets, watch
ing her sewing, and watching that
were strong enough and big enough tC
work for her myself. But let nae ex'
plain. received the following note
one morning as 1 entered the Office:
L missed my purse when L reached
home, so my pockets must have beer
picked somewhere between the Man
sion house and Finsbury square,
This brief communication was signed
by a we'll known banker, jolly old
bachelor living in Flnsbury square. He
wa. a little man, and inclined to be fat
but be had large warm heart-as l hat
discovered long beforehand seemed tc
live in kind of genial atmosphere,
liked by everybody and envied by none
I even ielt nomentary surprise thai
a thief had found 1t in his heart tc
vlctimize such man.
Calling at his house, the following
ensued:
1T is not much the money that con-
Germs me- he said; though the loss o.
that would be serious to a poor man
but in the inner pocket 1 had slowed
away some papers and an old memo
randum which l shall miss very much
If you Just get them, you can let the
poor wretch keep the money
This proposal was against all law
and order, and he must have known 1T
but | had to remind him of the fact.
'Ah, yes, I know he said in hi:
quick way, with a merry smile. IT'S
against the law, OF course, but you de-
tectiyes can easily stretch point when
YOU have a mind to: aud beside, 1 only
throw out the hint. Get the contents
of the inner pscket-the rest also, j
you can.
You did not feel yourself tugged OF
iostled anywhere on your way home?
No, sir
After elictlng all the facts could in
connection with the matter, returned
TO the office, determined to work with
will to trace his purse and Its contents
But | did not even hear of it. No one
among my numerous acquaintance
seemed particularly flush Of money
the empty purse was not picked up any
where or brought 10; and l began tc
fear that It had left London, and The
thief with it.
In this, however, was mistaken.
A little before ten O'Clock next morn
ing while we were chatting away,
slim morsel ola boy made his appear
ance, with his eyes all red and swellet
with crying, and asked if this wal
the detective Office. We all started
round and gazed at the little intruder
The straugest thing about him was
'sklnnyness'-he was a mere shadow ol
a boy, though he had a prepossesslng
face, in spite Of the blearing effect o
the crying.
Being answered in the affirmative h
remained a moment silent, during which
| could see, by the quiverlng OF his lip
that he was struggling hard to appea
manly and firm while making his mex
speech he then suddenly produced The
nurse ofMr. s., the banker, an(
hastily got out the words;
If you please, I'm a thiei--an'
mother is dead-and I've come for yo
to put me IN iail.'
He was checking and shaking all owe
as he GOT the words out, but 1t was n
use. A binding rush Of tears came t
his eyes. and the heavy purse droppe'
at his feet.
There was a strange silence in th'
room. Nobody rushed forward with
pair Of handouts, or grasped him by tn
collar to hustle him off to cell. ID
was so small-so foiorn and pltlin
locking.
touched him gently on the shoulder
what's your nameY asked; but
was not prepared for the change th
simple question produced. His lac
flushed up, and every tear burst ost o
bis eyes as he said:
NV name is Willie Bell, but they a
call me Little Jlnks' now. Ihat'
why | ran away from the 'home.' bV
T stitched into them before 1 leit-n'
for that. but for something else,' an
tho recollection seemed TO afford ID
Ihttle man a kind of fierce pleasure =,
oh. so you ran away frsm u
home, / suppose your mother WI
pretty poor, wlllie--not we'll oh-eh
That's it, sir, he cried, with sudde
intelligence flashing out OF bis tcar'
ewes. That's how she died-~l'm SUI
Of it-because she hadn't enough to ca
| 7 ,ried to save Iler by stealing the purs
otter ran away from the 'home;' b
when / got home--when got home
she couldn't eat-and she died witho
tuewing what I had dOne' DO "
think they'll tell her in heaven 'na'
aiOlsH''