The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-06-09
Tender Hearted Woman Kissed
the Lad in the Courtroom - In
dignant Man Said 1t Was a
Shame 10 Cast a Stigma on His
Name-Old Employer Offered 70
Pay Him Larger Wages.

bought groceries and. sometimes. meat: he
DHsht shoes for the kids. and gay. cheap
! goods from which a neighhor woman. for a
1 silaH price. made tiny frocks. Joe even
kids.
Ana all this time he was saving up money
in pennies and nickels and dimes-..to git
de ol woman out"
hut Joe was growing thia-so thin that his
GRIM! Lace took on a peaked look. and his
Sfay eyes seemed uniuly large and unduly
s;nken- Sometimes. when Joe would come
nome in the evening. his feet would drag
heavily; and sometimes when IL Was )
o clock in the morning he found il fear
inilN hard work 10 kick the ragged covers
OH and jump out of bed for his days work.
| Joe DIDN'T know this. nobody told him 50.
anu mirrors were made for girls and grand
ioihs who didn't have 10 sell papers. But
Jod did know that the kids were fat and
rosy checked and bright eyeG: that they
Were dressed as warmly and as neatly as
any OF their neishbors-and that IL was
joe. and Joe alone. TO whom they had to
look for support.
Nobody will tell just how it happened: but
somehody-maybe II was Mrs. Mullican. who
hfes fourth story back. turn to your left:
or MIS- Andrews. who lives lust across The
brick-psved. grease-smeared court. or Mrs.
Schhnlut. who lives third floor front. and
lakes roomers-somebody said Joe and the
mus didnt have enough to keen soul and
oody together; somebody carried the tale
y an officer Of the Society for the Preven-
uon of Cruelty to Children.
And the mischief was done,
When Joe went home Saturday evening he
round u strange man there; and the strange
man was talking TO the kids-who very
prompt ran from him and toward .Joe.
10 whose legs and hands and arms they
lung even after he had jumped each of
tNtrn IN In H. a a,l l.--
Inc strange man was an officer OF the
society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
ohiidren- He told Joe why he was there
tnat he was to take him and the two little
girls TO a place where they would be cared
Tor: that ii was inhuman for them to he
ieit there. with only themselves TO depend
upon.
Joe's big eyes flashed with anger.
Il won't CO." he cried. AN 1 won't let
you take the kids. We don't need none Of
your meddlin'. We kin stay here all right.
an git along all right an you amt got no
business comm round an pokin' your nose
IN where you're not wanted"
The officer argued. but Joe was firm, and
growing angrier; and the kids began TO
cry. And the upshot of IL was that before
the officer of the e. p. c. G. could persuade
Joe and the kids to 90 with him. the big.
rough. blue-coated policeman had to take
a hand In the matter.
SVrs ttfi4ucfcu. Wtpt N his anger. Dut
then the kids began to cry more loudly
and he ceased to weep. For the rest of the
way TO the society's detention rooms he
was comforting the kids.
Joe spent nearly forty-eight hours in the
detention rooms. And Ii was an awful null
sance- There were people who came around
bothering him with questions. and laugh
ing at his replies, and Shaping him on the
back and telling him he was the right
sort" and "a game younGster"; and taking
pictures of himself and the kids for the
newspapers. 1t made Joe hot" He told
them they made him tired"
Besides. Joe didn't know what they were
going to do with him and the kids when
they got them into the courtroom. He told
the kids it would 'be all right. all right
but how could n fellow tell? Look at
what they had done to the old woman!
Sent her to the Island for thirty days. and
she doing nothing but going on a little jag
with her own money.
So Joe was not comfortable in his mind
when he and the kids were led into the