The Cairo bulletin., 1905-08-12
IcoPyrish', 1904. BY The BObbs1M.rrili companyA
- IT. Z 1,NVsFH

tim. was tingling all through. ] /
didn't care rap what became of me |
for just that minute. ! forgot about |
Tom. prayed that the cop wouldn't |
come for a minute yet-but only that |
| might answer him.
you're mighty smart. amt YOU |
You can sit back here and sheer at |
me, can't you? And feel so big and |
smart and triumphant! what've you
done but catch a girl at her first |
bungling job 1t makes you feel aw,
fully cocky, don't it? What big
man am II BAH / blew the smoke
up toward the ceiling from my mouth.
with just that satisfied gall that he
had had; or rather I pretended TO
He let down the front legs Of his chair
and began to stare at me-
"And you don't know it all. Mr.
Manager, not you. Your clown.
criminal don't Jump into the ring be.
cause he's so full of fun he can't stay
| out. He goes in for the same reason
the real clown does--because he gets
hungry and thirsty and sleepy and
/ tired like other men. and he's got to
fill his stomach and cover his back and
get place to sleep And it's because
| your kind gets too much that my kind
gets so little it has to piece it out with
this sort of thing. No, you don't know
| 1t quite all.
There's girl named Nancy olden
that could tell you lot, smart as you
are, She could show you the inside
Of the Cruelty, where she was put so
/ young she never knew that children
had mothers and fathers, till red
haired girl named Mag Monahan told
her; and then she was mighty glad
she hadn't any. She thought that all
! little girls were bloodless and dirty.
and all little boys were filthy and had
| black purple marks where their IA
theirs had tried to gouge out their
yes She thought all women were
ike the matron who came with
/ visitor UP 70 the bare room, where We
| played without toys-the new, dirty
/ newly bruised ones Of us. and the old
clean, healing ones Of us-and said:
Here, chicks, is a lady who's come
% see you. Tell her how happy you
ire here Then Mays freckied little
face her finger in her mouth, looked
up like this. She was always afraid II
/ might he her mother come for her
Md the crippled boy ierked himself
This wayI used to mimic him, and
he'd laugh with the rest of them--over
the bare floor. He always hoped for
a penny. Sometimes he even got it,
i And the boy with the gouged eye
The would hold his pants up like this
He had just come in, and there was
nothing to fit him. And he'd put his
other hand over his bad eye and blink
up at her like this. And the littlest
4 boy-oh! ha! ha! ha, you ought to
/ nave seen that littlest boy. He was iE
skirts, an old dress they'd given me
to wear the first day | came; there
we're no pants small enough for him
He'd back up into the corner and hide
his face-lille this-and peep over his
shoulder; he had squint that way
that made his face SO funny. See, it
9ody-my God.-it was blue with
gelts And me-Id put the baby
Town that'd been left on the door
steps 81 the Cruelty and Id waltz up
o the lady, the nice, patronizing, rich
lady, with her handkerchief to her
nose and her lorgnette to her eyes
see, like this. l knew just what graft
would work her | knew what she
! wanted there I'd learned. SO 10
make her curtsy like this. and III
The piousest sing-song I'd
i There was a heavy step out in the
hail-it was the policeman! I'd forgot
while | was talking. | was back
back in the empty garnet, al the top
Of the Cruelty, could smell the
smell of the poor, the dirty, weak sick
poor. could taste the porridge in the
thick little bowls, like those in the
bear story Molly tells her kid. |
could hear the st!tled sobs that wise.
poor children give--quiet ones, so
they'll not be beaten again. could
eel the night, when strange, desert
ed, tortured babies lie for the first
ime each in his small white cot, the
new ones waking the old with their
ries In nightmare OF what had hap
)encd before they got to the Cruelty
could see the world barred over, az
saw 1t first through the Cruelty's
3arred windows, and as must see
| again, now that
You see, you don't know 1t quite
ll-yet, Mr.. Manager!" | spat 1t out
It him, and then walked to the cop
ny hands ready for the bracelets.
But there's one thing do know!'
les big fellow but quick on his
Get, and In minute he was up and
etween me and the cop And there
sn't theatrical man In all America
hat knows II quicker than Fred ODER.
ruler. that can detect II sooner and
evelop it better And you've got It
;irl, you've got 1t! Officer take this
or your trouble couldn't hold the
elbow, after all, Never mind which
way he went; Ill call up the Office
ind explain
He shut the door after the cop, and
anne back TO me. had fallen into Q
hair. Ny knees were weak, and
l AZ