Mexico weekly ledger., 1883-01-11
PECK'S BAD BOY.
He and His Pa in Chicago.

y
being arrested in Chicago?" said the
grocery man to the bad boy, as he |
came in with can for kerosene and
a jug for vinegar.
"Well, it was true, but the police
let him go after they hit him few
licks and took him to the station"
says the boy, as he got the vinegar
into the kerosene can. and the kero-
sene in the jug. "You see pa and
me went down there to stay over
night and have fun. Ma said she
druther we would be away than not
when they were cleaning house, and
pa thought it would do me good to
travel, and sort Of get tone, and he
thought maybe I'd be better and not
play jokes, but 1 guess it was born in
me. Do you know actually think
of mean things to do when 1 am in
most solemn places. They took me
to a funeral once, and l got to think
ing what a stampede there would be
if the corpse would come to life and
sit up in the coffin, and l snickered
right out, and pa took me out doors
and kicked my pants. don't think
he orter kicked me for 1t, cause
didn't think of it a purpose. Such
things have occurred, and 1 have
read about them, and poor boy
ought to be allowed to think, hadn't
he?"
eyes; but what about his being
arrested? Never mind the funeral"
said the grocery man, as he took his
knife and picked some of the lead out
the weights on the scales.
''We went down on the cars and pa
had headache because he had been
out all night electioneering for the
prohibition ticket, and he was cross
and scolded me, and once he pulled
my ear cause I asked him if he knew
the girl he was winking at in a seat
across the aisle.
II didn't enjoy myself much, and
some men were talking about kldnap-
ping children, and it gave me an ijee,
and just before got to Chicago, I
went after a drink of water at the
other end of the car, and I saw man
who looked as though he wouldn't
stand any fooling, and 1 whispered
ard told him that the bald-headed
man l was sitting with was taking me
away from my home in Milwaukee,
and l mistrusted he was going to
make thief or pick-pocket of me.
l said 's-h-h,' and told him not to
say anything or the man would maui
me. Then l went back to the seat
and asked pa to buy me a gold watch,
and he looked mad and cuffed me on
the ear. The man that l whispered
to got to talking with some other men,
and when we got off the cars at Chi
cagO a policeman came to pa and took
him by the neck and said: MIR. Kid
napper, I guess we will run you in.
Pa was mad and tried to jerk away
and the cop choked him, and an
other cop came along and helped, and
the passengers crowded around and
wanted to lynch pa, and pa wanted
to know what they meant, and they
asked him where he stole the kid
and asked me if wasn't him. look
ed scared, as though 1 was afraid tt
say no, and said: Yes, SIR;
guess so.' Then the police said th'
poor boy was scarf, and they woult
take US both to the station, and tbel
E made pa walk spry, and when he hell
back they jerked him along. He wa
offul mad, and said he would max
e somebody smart for this. l hoped j
T. wouldn't be me. At the station the,
e charged him with kidnapping a bo
: from Milwaukee, and he said il wa
u = lie, and 1 was his boy, and 1 sal
: of course I was, and the boss aske
4 who told the cops pa was kidnappel
f and they said damfino, and then tn
It boss told pa he could go, and pa an
me went away. I looked so sorr
d for pa that he never tumbled to mt
3 that I was to blame.
a 'tWe walked around town all day
and went to the stores, and at nigf
d d pa was offul tired, and he put me
II bed in the tavern and he went out ,
II walk around and get rested. 1 WI
+. not tired, and L walked all aroun
d the hotel. 1 thought pa had gone
a theatre, and that made me maj
a and l thought / would play joke c
= him. Our room was 2f0, and Il
next room was 212, and there was
a. old maid with Scotch terrier occ
II pied PIP. i saw her twice and 81
,e called me names, cause she thoug
y, wanted to steal her dog. Th
h. made me mad at her, and SO / tot
in my jack-knife and drew the tacks o
IN Of the tin thing that the numbe
v were painted on, and put the o
to maids ON our door and our number
4 a. her door, and then went to bed.
le tried to keep awake, so as to help
ne if he had any difficulty, butt que
MS / get asleep, but woke up when t
dog barked. If the dogs bark b
not woke me mp the woman's scres
q. would, and hadn't, pa would. Y
he see, pa came home from the thea,
in about 'leven, and he had been drir