The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-02
TOM KID.
His Mysterious and UnaccountabIe Disap-
pearance Recalled by IA Theatrical Man.

u W ~ WAN
Talking about mysterious and unaccount,
able disappearance" said a New York theatri.
cal man. Il don't believe there was ever one In
this town or anywhere else that was moro
mysterious and unaccountable than that OF
Tom Maguire's kid. The way Tom got that
kid was rather odd. too. 1t happened about
the time Joe Arthur brought out The Still
Alarm at the Fourteenth Street Theatre. nine
years or so ago. Tom Mcguire was business
manager there. and was standing in the lobby
OF the theatre one day when n wretched-look-
ing specimen OF the street Arab pushed a door
open and went in. He was not over a yard
high. and was ragged and dirty. Taking it
for granted that the well looking indivld-
ual inside was the man he wanted to see. the
little gamin went straight to business.
Say. mister he said. 'hain't yous got
somethin' for me to dor
Tom MaGuire's first impulse was to tell the
boy to get out. but before he could do 80 the
little fellow said earnestly:
81 don't want to beg nothin'. mister. want
some money. but l want to earn it.
THE eager and straightforward manner Of
the r%agamufin rather struck Mcguire.
well. what can you do p he asked.
81 kin do anythin' dat hain't bigger'n I am.
mister was the confident reply.
This pleased Tom Mcguire still more, and
rs the theatre, was Just then sending. out boys
to distribute dodgers he gave the kid a bundle
and told him to distribute them in a certain
boy hurried away with the dodgers. and before
the time was up he was back at the theatre. -,
he said. an I've come back to cit some more
to carry; SOS | kin I'LL out me time. ,See?'
oThs fact OF a street boy being willing to do
Manager Mcguire, was amazed. He said moth
ers. In TAX ing them the boy ma ie some sug-
gestio9s about the best PLACES to distribute
to follow them out. The little fellow was back
on time. Mcguire handed him the promised
quarter. and the kid asked whether he could
the next morning at 10 O'Clock and they would
see Nothing more was thought OF the boy.
came a sharp tap at the box Office window. and
looking down Manager Mcguire saw the rag
ged little chap of the day before.
Hero | am. mistern he said. Wat a
yous goin' &c, put me at dis tine?'
Magutr9 told him he could distribute some
maan1sr a moment; and then boldly said,
".idy?in t'iks Know. XIV w {%aS is sf it %' a 'a'0f'
We'll, IN tell you. mister said the boy. L
S SssR sS5ii"' LEo %aRairf' 1HfeSly; az sce sffayW19 eli 1T t de
morrow me weeks up. an owe, de house 80
S Sait m snI hai MRnt e1 TO pay ,1 it. do De E ~ %it cents nn. You T"l
yons put up SO cents on me sal'ry -
:, WV ouhdCllN VI III ltlutS. dlHlDSJ
carried Tom ,Maguire's breath away. He gazed
at the wretchcd mite OF humanity in mute as
steady, look of his own. and before he knew
what he was doing Mcguire had handed the
a ho yh tn" 90 cents ,s and t i mn hin to come again
work. The kid thanked the manager and
went out with his dodgers.
Mcguire. We won't see him again.
a. hnt at ~ the next morning the tap came at
Here | ami p!ped the voice Of Toms kid.
,,Wat's d, somethin' yous has got fer me to do
"The boy had now aroused Maguire's un-
qualified interest. He began to ask the boy
something about himself. All that tho little
were both dead. and that he had been left with
no home or relatives and had become a waif:
Manager R~osenqucst,. Harry Lacy. Joe Arthur.
Mrs. kosenqucst, and Mrs. Colvillc also took an
Interest in him When he was tropsformed from
and woll-drrssed boy ne was found to be as
IAN 80 ss. brlEhtiGyea z lad as any one would
he was. but it was Judged that he was IL or II.
Joe Arthur wanted r. take him at once as the
Masuirss GhjsctSod to his s oifns o on the stage H@s i9 Hs
took the kid to his own house and got him a
s street !" 3 riRaess So 5ST aon1inu nSpS to G i've eo WITT fbo
Mcguire family. but insisted on paying some
thing out of his earnings, for his board. He
lie with everybody at the store, as he
Friday. after he had. been a few weeks
at the furniture store. he was sent by some
of the men at noon hour to fetch them their
pail OF dinner beer. He had 81 so due him from
the store for his weeks salary. which would
have been paid the next day. He had also
three, or four dollars OF. savings in Tom Ma
guire's keeping. He took the pail and trlppcd
merrily ont OF the store on his errand as he
had done many times before. He never came
hack, Managers Rosenquest and Mcguire and
Mr.: R%oscen9uest and Mrs, Colville made every
without, success. Nothing has ever been seen
or heard OF him from that day to this. He dis
appeared as completely as IL he had never
been. IL that wasn't about rs mysterious and
unaccountablc a disappearance AZ well could
be. then | don't know what mysterious and I'M
disappearance are"