Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-07-16
Town Tales

! Tommy's mother died when he was a
small child. He was unusually bright
for one of his years. The neighbors
took to him. One day he strayed down
10 the business section of the city.
That was a few years after the death
Of his mother. He was then a boy of
school age. He dFifted into a store
from which the daily newspapers were
circulated. The proprietor liked the
face of the little fellow and when he
! asked for job gave him one.
Tommy turned out to be one of the
! best boys that had ever been employed
! by the establishment. He was trusted
to make sales in the store and collect
the bills at the first of each month
The business was growing and Tom
my's responsibilities increased. He
was ambitious, and was encouraged.
His wages were raised. He was taken
in as a member of the prOprietoT's
family.
Tommy. feeling that he was no long
or child. sought companions. He
did not have any trouble getting &C
quainted. and consequently the road
was easy. He reported late for work,
and was reminded that he would have
to improve. He promised that he
would. He did for awhile. II
was noticed that he was def with
his hands. He had been practicing.
his boss could not learn where pick
ing pockets. One day the stoTekecper
caught Tommy lifting roll of bills
I ,.F L..
was scolded. He said he WAS only
| joking.
Tommy continued TO live at the
home of his boss. One night the lat
ter came home later than his aCcus-
toned hour His wife told him that
some one had been tamperiug with the
shutters an hour or such matter be
fore his arrival. She accused her hus-
band of trying to brighten her. He
denied that he had been near the win
dow of her room. Ii was not him.
II must have been burglar. The
wife did not want to believe that il
was the boy. that her husband had
thought as much of as he would had
he been one of his own had proven
him false She had To- tell him that if
it was not him who had been at the
window it was Tommy, for she saw
him walk away. She would rather
think that it had been her husband
playing a trick on her. bat since he
protested that it as not him, she had
to blame Tommy. TOmmy's boss
hated to believe it, too. Tommy's boss
would bring home the receipts of the
night sales at the store Some nights
4. I,
the money was kept in the house. He
supposed that the boss was home and
in bed when he tried the shutters, and
found them secured.
Tommy was not told about the visit
of the burglar He went about his
work. but was watched. One day he
failed to return after he had been
sent out to collect He had left the
city. lie had gone out to see the
world. The city had grown too small
TO hold him. No one ever knew
where he headed for. Tommy dropped
completely out of sight. disappointing
the hopes of those who had looked
on him as one who some day would
make a mark for himself in the bust
ness community.
Two years ago a western StoCkman
who had a train of cattle that he was
having shipped to Chicago was APP
preached by a pleasant faced young
man in the stock yards at Kansas City,
Mo. The young fellow had been in
hard luck. He wanted to get to Chi
CaGo. He had relatives there. and they
would help him. The cattle raiser
was impressed by the young fellows
story. and told him he could accom-
pany him to Chicago as a cattle
punchcL The cattle raiser was sleep
ing in a caboOsc during the trip. He
took the young stranger in and pro
vidcd bnnk for him. During the
night the cattle man wakcned sudden
~ and discovered that his wallet and
money were gone. SO was the stranG
II that he had taken in. Fortunately
the train was in the stock yards. and
the alarm was given. and before
Tommy could make his way out he
was cOrralled. He is now serving a
term i'll the Missouri penitcntiary for
robbery.