The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1899-08-26
. Toni Tedonu :
BY S. Rhett Roman. 4


T0NI had been altar boy now for
nearly six months, and, in conse-
Quance. his position had been greatly
improved. NO "2.y with the community
al large. but anlo.g the ragged urchins
awarmfn~ around Decatur and Old
lcvee streets.
Even Mere Felix. the old bottle wnm-
an OF ~. -h~EtHony's alley. was less
in her attacks. more eau
tiuus how She struck at him when he
passed by. and not quite so vicious ia
her abuse Of his dead mother.
Toni SAT ON the front steps of the
cathedral, and looked MI at the beau
tiful. foMrTinr saflre in front; at the
pa9h@ tints ri the evening sky; the Ia
perinr ma,ts ma rigging and red fun
nels o.. the ships lined up along the
wharves y!o3d where the Traffic Of the
levee sgont gosie.d II a dist ant. ceassIess
hum and rumble: and at the CURING
smoke OF Il locomotive as. it switched
some hcavy freight trains back and
forth. wiz ""umbIing Pcrsistency-
Fer all seemed 10 Toni i revelation
something ne Ind never.noted before.
Aad re+ tie l2' years of his young.
but troublesome life HAD been spent
r:"r4aherc.ron Tie levee, in the narrow
strssss aut@ro"uaal aliey1ays adjoin-
ing and psas nd sse old eatheaxRi art
Jackson >luare. liz which I've used 10
steal. to throw stones at the SparroWs.
when no one was looking.
.f5U; sat Oily, his chin resting in
the pnlalS o. ms hands. his elbows on
his. Euecs. ala he pondered if he were,
really Toni Tcdona, the yagrant n
IMP Of yore. .
4+-4-t44.-+t -. whose code @f morals
had been summed UP in the words:
do neI be tpmus QUIZ whese agile
fingers Were Yonf t2 stead anything
Tor ID to TN, Aisbest PisasE for AZ!
t5sssfAAtr PIE sh%A
ors oJ night. N those days not long
ago. Deiorc pere Itaurent. bId taken
him'in.
For TOMS bgi4 strepidty. his cool
during ard matchless, effr99tery had
made him a tool of raft vh9sfe for the
reckless. Turbulent. criminal poPula-
tiop around ti.sviahprs-s. at~adshassxiall.
sharp features. brilliant dark eyes and
Short curlfrg black hair had become
well Known to the local police, as was
his hooking insolence and his clever
ness in getting out ofscrapes where one
less quicl-wittcd would have been cor
nprPd and trapped -. -,
Toni 2sstnss 4s,sd!y torseaogniaf ti%-
sell,
How was it he had refused. fiercely
and ,at last with blows, to accompany
that lawless band Of which he had erst-
while been chief. gathered that evening
for. raid long meditated on old he
lou, the butchers, premises, out aby
the barracks? Belou. who was cor
dia4lv hated by al the rabhle 'ofG uhs
market?
II was not through fear of the stout
old tiaScon and his stick. Toniw would
mock and ieer with glee at both: nor
fearoof-KfG bis-nioutir4 dog Eaat
Toni kn2wa sure specific to quell the
noisy blustsr Of. 4 watchdog, whether,
~blooGhoNnd or.buil pup. - s~. , -
II was not because Toni hesitated-to.
~appropriase Be4Yu:s fruit and .vegfta,
bIes. 1Nihr:hai Mhged oo''fohg and
tiercely 'betweenr the two factions
Croufs band and Belou! tbe close-fist,
eda brutal butchep) for hi1p to look
rpon the destroying of his enemy as
ANYTHING but a fair reprisaTof war;
And when. with hootings and re-
prss,cbes the, boz. sclrried of down
~tI14tt7f' tt7t@z<5+-'ff:& -