Waterbury Democrat., 1902-01-30
CLEVER RASCALS.

"One day, as one of the good ex- press trains on the Consolidated was pulling out of New York, says the New London Telegraph, ''the passen- gers in the smoking car became inter- ested in the plight of a young lad, some IA years of age, who had lost his ticket. The conductor was making his first trip through the train and when he came to the boy the young fellow put his hand in his pocket for the requisite pasteboard~ He didn't find it in the first pocket. nor in the second, ened and went through his pockets all over again but without other result than to assure himself, he said. that his pocket had been picked, for not only was his ticket gone. but every cent of money that he had in the world. Then he broke down and be- gan to cry. He was an honest, coun- try-bred lad.
 He told the conductor that his ticket had been one to Bangor, Me. He belonged in little Maine town, he said, and was the only son of wid- owed mother He had gone to New York to seek his fortune nearly q year before and had worked in a big down. town wholesale store as q light porter for small wages. He had bought some clothes during the year and had saved every cent that he could outside of that expenditure. Now he had got 9 telegram that his mother was dying and that she begged to see him before she went away forever. He had taken his little savings, begged few days off from his employers, and started for home to bid goodbye to his dying mother He had $S left after paying for his ticket and had put the money and the paStboard away together in his trousers pocket. Now both were gone and he could not go home He could never see his dear old mother again on earth. She would die think ing that he did not care, for he had not even the means to telegraph to her, and no way of getting back to New York from Stamford, where the con- ductor told him he would have to leave the train. The conductor was sorry enough for the boy, but he could not help him.
 By the time the boy had finished his story he was surrounded by a sym pathetic group of passengers, many Of whom were visibly affected by his pa- thetic tale. Conspicuous among them was f1orid, portly man of prosperous appearance. who looked like a banker. The lads sad plight moved this person quite to tears and when the boy looked despairingly around at the group at the finish of his story the portly man jumped up impulsively, took off his hat and wiping his eyes, addressed the other passengers. sGentlemen,' said he. I can't stand this; this case is the most pitiable l ever met with in the course of my long life. l move you that we put him through. Let us pay the boys fare to his home and make up little purse for him so that he may comfort the last days of his poor old mother with the best that money can buy. Here's a $5 bill to start with. Now who is going to chip il? :? And the old gentleman threw a note into his tall hat and passed along the aisle soliciting contributions to the inn promptu charity.
 His countenance beamed benevo- lence and his generosity was so infec- tions that the money fairly flew out of the pockets of the passengers. He got about $50 out of that one car and then organized a committee to go through the train and explain what was up to the rest of the passengers. In this way the fund for the unlucky boy grew pretty close to a hundred. The boy shed tears of gratitude when it was turned over to him. And not a soul on the train suspected that there was anything fshy about the game un- til when, after the train left Norwalk, the passengers suddenly became aware that neither thea boy from Maine nor the banker-loolSing man wefe longer numbered among them. Two of the slyest -grafters that ever hung up their hats in New England"