Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-06-14

game OF craps under the elevated
stairs, and Johnny was "layin' fer the
cop"
Johnny felt he should not linger at
che corner this morning, but II MS
Siren" should win out" the order
would be coffee and rolls for two,
Johnny had to live. So he waited for
his breakfast, while his breakfast
waited on luck-not an unusual stu
alton for Johnny.
Come crap-come seven," a throw
Of the dice, a cry of victory, an oath
of defeat, and %Johnny's whistle and jig
came to a dead stop together. Johnny's
'fren'" went broke.
Johnny's eyes grew wide and SOL
emn. He looked at his "fren'." No
man could tell what Johnny was think
ing. Johnny said:
Yer chump!"
sits tough said his "fren'."
dds bein' a sport on a couple o
cents!" said Johnny, in fine disdail.
II tolt cher not t. do it on an empty
stomick. II yer got t gamble ye;
oughtn't never t. do it If yer amt
first got yer roll-an' a cup O. coffee on
the side"
At this the curbstone winner AMI
loser joined forces and sent up a howl
of derision, hurting at Johnny the
choicest bits of their picturesque vo-
cabulary.
.G'wan, youse!" retorted Johnny.
Then, adhering to his policy of "havin'
yer say an quittin'," he suddenly re-
membered-Johnny always remem
bered in the nick of time-that he had
urgent business with Santa Claus.
Now the big show window and the
grotto therein had no attraction for
Johnny--Johnny had an artistic tem-
permanent, an imagination. The dis
guise of this Santa Claus was "toc
thin" He was not the Kris Kringle
of Johnny's dream. Johnny thought
the re must be something queer" with
the crowd that allowed itself to BIZ
taken in by dat wise old guy"
Johnny expected no Christmas gift;
but his spirit was not ~disconsolate
neither was there rebellion in hi:
heart. Johnny's crying want CANT
from his stomach; he had to live
SO he turned his attention to the crows
going into the store. For a few mo
ments he was lost in a moving mass
then he emerged on the inside Of TIN
great swinging doors. How "deal
easy, Johnny thought. The warn
air took him in its fond embrace-hoy
nice it was. But suddenly he squirme'
and almost doubled himself. He fel
hand grab his jacket at the back o
his neck.
what are you doing here?"
Johnny shot a look over his shoul
der and thought he saw a giant stani
ing over him. 1t was only a floor
3 walker.
"I-I'm lookin' fer a job. Don't che
. want no more cash boys?"
l The spoken word would have faile:
but Johnny's eyes got in their flo
I work.
How old are you, anyhow"
Johnny looked small for ten. II
I might be a year or two older; br
9 Johnny had to live, and with as nue.
8 gertrude as if he had his birth ceY
9 tiicate to back him up, ne answered:
Fourteen" F.
The giant looked quizzically at II
midget.
WELL" he said, this is the last ds
d of the rush, but they are taking ever.
body ON. You might 60 up and 81
1t the superintendent. His Office is
l. the head of the stairs there"
It Johnny made for the stairs. Seen
1t sngly he lost no time as he zigzaggt
tarough the crowd of shoppers, b
IN that short passage Johnny sa
a. "heaped counters Of riches" he sa
y "~pocketbooks in every hand" and o
10 Of the pocketbooks flowed streams
ID money" When Johnny reached t
y top OF the stairs, he paused and look
ID back, then darted across the hall. N
five minutes later an employee viii
in pered to the house detective:
81 There's trouble up there, a WON,
had her pocket picked"
At the top of the first landing the
ID wa a gathering crowd and a WON;
bewailing a lost pocketbook. The pla
clothes man arrived on the scene, Al
C. as he was listening to the complai
n his eyes lighted on Johnny. John
is was sinking along the wall, his ha:
err behind him. He certainly looked
". suspicious character.
what have you got there?" cri
Che detective?"
&c Johnny stared at the detective a
Ill said nothing.
lie "You have a pocketbook!" The
81 tective bounced on Johnny a
MS dragged him toward the loser OF I
Sc purse,
)r. AIsfound IT," Johnny produced
Ok pocketbook from behind his back.
held on to 1t.
Don't lia.v said the detective, W
IN, q c~ocksureness that impressed his
aners. He pointed to the black d
nt' I'D pocketbooA In Johnny's hand q
~ said, dramatically: Madam, there
9 u pocketbcoki"
te il4rlN, f&& dWa