Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-12-26


Tho man looked ut Tommy. He
looked ut him SO hard that Tommy
could only stare back at him, wonder
ing what made him so, and then the
man said slowly ~ don't know"
"Oh, yes, you'll be good. Now, say
you'll be good, an then you'll mean TO
be good, an you can come out" said
Tommy, and he shook his head so that
the yellow curls on either side waved TO
and fro. The man didn't answer, and
Tommy went on. NOW, YOU see,
when my mamma shut me up / was an
awful bad boy, cause / bn Ellen one
day cause she wouldn't bring up and
put on my shoes, an my mamma she
sat down by the door, an she said If L d
say really / was going to be good /
would be good, an so ] said really /
was, an she opened the door an came
out, an I'm a real good 10y now. Now,
you say you'll be good really, an then
I'll 60 tell my mamma, an she'll open
the door"
just then man came up, and, open
ing tiny little door in the gate, hand
ell the man a plate with something on
1t.
The man took it and put IL on the
floor. "Have some?' he said
"No, thank YOU" said Tommy, look
ing scornfully at the plate. '"That
doesn't look good like what we have.
Don you have chicken? We're going
to have chicken to-day. saw 'em
when i came out"
mo; they don't have chicken here"
said the man, and he pushed away the
plate with his foot, as If he didn't like
the look of it,
"Well, now, you're going to be good,
aren't youP" and Tommy put ON his
most coaxing and winning air. b
The man sat very still, and then he
suddenly put his hand through the bars:
yes" he said, 81 guess Tam going to
be good. Shake hands on IT,"
Tommy jumped up in such hurry
that he spilled all the dandelions, and
put his little hand in the mans big one,
and put up his lips for kiss, and when
the man had kissed him Tommy said:
"Now I'll go and tell my mamma, an
she'll let you out" Then he picked up
his pail and shovel, and said: II guess
l don't want those flowers. There's
lots out in our yard" and then he
stood still minute looking at the man,
who was looking straight at him. Pres
emily Tommy opened his eyes and
mouth wide: ''Why!" he said, "you
amt going to cry-youre too big.
Mamma says I'm too big to cry"
NO" said the man; I'm not going
to cry" And yet Tommy was sure
that big tears were in his eyes. The
man put out his hand: "Shake hands, "
10 4 4 4
"Why, yesr' said Tommy; "but
they'll let you out now cause you're
goin' to be good. I'll tell 'em. Good
bye. I'll come back right Off" And
so he went away to the big gate, pass
ing the room where the man had been
asleep. But he WAS sitting up then.
"Good-morning," said Tommy, stop
ping a minute. The man lifted sui
len, cross face, and said. in very cross
voice: "Gct out with you!" and Tom
my, fairly scared this time, ran to the
gate crying: "Oh, let me out! quick
let me outr And Mr.. Young let him
out, and, before he could lock the gate
again, Tommy was running home across
the garden just as fast rs his legs could
carry him, and he never stopped until
he got safely inside the kitchen-door.
And then he was busy with his din
ner, and so busy after his dinner-for he
went to the circus-that he quite forgot
about his visit and the poor man that
was locked up, until he was going to
bed; then he said: "Oh! Mamma, they
have such funny little beds in the Jail;
and, mamma, | forgot TO tell you,
there's man there-an' he says he'll
be really good-an' won't you let him
come out nowP"
Tommy's mother looked very much
surprised, and said "Why, where haze
you been, my little boy?"
So, although Tommy was very sleepy,
he told about his visit to the man. After
Tommy had finished his story, his moth
er held him very tight in her arms for a
minute, and then said: but, Tommy,
you know l said you mustn't go into
Carry's house"
"Well, / forgot said TOMMY
truly did, and l won't 90 any more;
only, mamma, do let him out, cause
he's goin to be good" Tommy was
very, very sleepy, but he found time to
wonder, before he fairly went off into
dreamland, why his mothers eyes and
mouth looked so queer when she leaned
over and kissed him good night.
Just like crying" he thought, and
the next minute was fast asleep. And
at about the same time Mr.. Young stood
talking to the man in the jail.
80 you had n visitor this morningPn
Eyes" said the man, "and spent
the best half-hour with that little fell
low that I've had since / took up my
lodgings in this hole"
well, goodnight" said Mr.. Young,
and he went on.
The man threw himself on his bed,
but not to sleep; he tossed restlessly all
night long, and through the long, mar
row window opposite the door of his
cell the very same stars looked in upon
him that looked in on little Tommy,
sound asleep in his crib. He lay Hat
on his back, with parted lips and rosy
cheeks, one fat arm thrown over his head
and one extended along his side, with his
fingers thrust out of the bars of his
crib, that he might put out his hand to
find his mothers If he should wake
in the night.
A day or two after Tommys visit TO
the Jail, the man, with whom he had
talked so innocently, and who called
himself Williams, was taken to the
courtroom for trial. There was little
to be said in his defense, and the evil
tlence against him was strong. He was
found guilty of robbing a safe, and so
the Judge sentenced him to five years
at hard labor in the State Prison at
Oharlestown, Mass. He was taken there
at once and put to work.
Now, this man had never worked in
all his life. His father was rich
man, and had, for years, given
him plenty of money TO spend.
But he got into bad company, partly
because he always had plenty of money
in his pocket, and when he fell into bad
company his father refused to give him
any money, and then turned him outfof
his house. And he had learned TO think
il easier to steal than to work; and one
niUht no with several othar mon rohhe1