The sun., 1908-04-18
bURED BY THE GOLDEN NORTH
ALLIE AND CLARENCE RAN AWAY
TO DIG UP NUGGETS.
Allie IL One Of the Young stebbInses Of
WOrcester-He wanted TO Yell "hush,
You Devils, Mush!" 10 His Sled Dogs and
Clarence Had 70 GO ~ His Assistant.

It was not very long after that classic Of
Alaskan life and adventure "Missoula Jack,
the Miner fell into Allie Stebbine's ha9ds
up in Worcester, Mass, that he realized his
destiny. Allie is only II, and his brother
and side partner Clarence is only 10. And
Il may seem odd that Allie should have
seen from single reading Of 'hissoula
Jack, the Miner that he was cut out 10
wear two revolvers in his belt and go DASH
ing through the Alaskan wilds with big
aled of supplies drawn by seven fierce and
woolly dogs and shout impressively at
them. "Mush, you devils, mushl' and finally
come back with great dignity and the same
sleigh full Of pure gold dust, with nugget
or two to be made into brooch for pother'
But II took only one reading Of this volume
TO convince Allie that this was his destiny
and to jump at it.
BY last Monday their plans were made,
for Clarence would not be contented until
he had pricd Allies resolution out OF his
mind. He was sworn TO a vow OF secrecy
and got permission to 60 along.
"You think you can drive all them dogs
inst by Yourself said Clarence scornfully.
but YOU can't do nothing with animals
the way | can. Think Of the way trained
them white mice. Besides, you'll have TO
have somebody to help you guard the gold
watch and watch, just like on a ship
They planned TO take si2, which was the
aggregate Of their savings in the three dime
and nickel banks they maintained, their
select library consisting OF a school geogra-
ply with a section on Alaska and, ui course
the volume labelled "MissOula Jack the
Miner" Their last resolves were made on
Monday night. the last good bys said to
the ellison girls down the street, who Won
dered where the gold was coming from
which their swains referred to 40 freely.
And as the two pals came along Blooming
dale road in through the front gate and saw
the pleasant lamps shining out from the
Stebbns sitting room Some OF the last
gulps in the throat were put down TOO.
Pa was tired and asleep on the sofa when
they got In. But mother was rocking
quietly under the lamp making the knitting
needles 20 click, click, click. .,
@Well, where have You boys been all
day?" she said putting the task by, You
lust sit down here and we'll have good
read What shall II be, the Jungle BOOK
or Hans Andersen
There was dignihed protest on the part OF
Allie. He had some very important busl-
ness to attend to early in the morning.
aOh, you droll rascal laughed his
mother and half smothered him in her
arms Then she made him sit down on the
hassock on one side Of her, Clarence on the
other. And then Mowgli crept out OF the
dark cave. there in the corner by the book
case. and went ooursing the wilds with the
forest folk and Allie saw first with wonder
ment and then quite without II that the
forest folk were now seven white woolly
dogs, all strung out in a line and Mowgh-
why, Mowgli was himself running along
beside the wild Alaskan trail with two re-
yolyers in his belt, shouting, 'Mush, you
devils, mush' and then gold-gold-nug-
gets for mother.
He did not know that the evenl voice
finally stopped. that mother looked down
first on one side, then on the other, smiled
and then said to herself, The darlingsl
Both fast asleep Then she picked up
Allie and gathered him in her arms, for he
was getting quite sprawly, as she thought,
and took him up TO bed and deftly slipped
his knickers Oh and 50 into his long night
gown and snuggled him in. And then the
same with Clarence.
And vet after that the two boys still
persisted in their determination TO get away
by hook OF crook to the land OF dogs, gold
and revolvers. How they ever came 70 do
| il il something which mothers must be asked
about. mere reporter cannot iathom 1t,
But next afternoon-that was last Tuesday
they went down 10 Father Stebbins't
hardware store and while Pa Stebbins was
out with his clerks Allie borrowed S6i
| from the safe. This would seem TO con-
| ffIm some theories about infant damnation
| or infant deprayity or whatever Il is thatwa'
| thought to be medieval and not held any
| more.
And yet there are circumstances. Allie
| sitting on a high stool with his tongue
stuck out and pen gripped firmly In his
| right fiat is one. Another was an eN'
| trsordinary letter which read, we are bor-
rering the monny so as TO sure git to Alaska
| We hereby promise 10 pay back in nuggets
at 10 pur cent. intrust |. o. Y. Value Rec
your son Alfred S,ebbns love % mother
Then they walked out uf The back door
picked up the library and valise full OF
| clothes and three revolvers and jumped
the trolley for Providence. The next few
days are a tumble Of cars, Of whirling
land and water scapee and finally Of miles
of houses and then the crowded river,
ships, steamers, the great bridge all the
| hurry and hustle and squalor and mystery
Of the city and the sea. They were in New
York.
What effect their days in New York had
on the Alaskan aspirations Of Allie and
Clarence Stebbins Of Worcester, Mass. II
would take many words TO tell. Anyway
Oficer Mike ConcannOn of the Eldridge
street station WAS passing lumber yard
at Broome and Tompkins street on Thurs.
day night when he saw flicker Of light from
within. He hunted and there In snug
neat Of boards and shavings built Under
the caves Of a big lumber pile he found two
boys.
One was asleep. The other by the light
of a new bicycle lamp. plainly swiped from
a hardware store, was reading not 'Missoula
lack the Miner but Barnes's Geography
al that page which celebrates the popula.
tion, the topography. the manufacturer
and the other features, natural and un'
natural, Of Worcester, Mas.
Concannon waited until he understood
Then he said without introduction, dc
YOU want 10 20 back therei7 Allie jumped
and said Involuntary, -l-e-e-s. As {
matter Of fact don't think | was quit'
square about that teS.'
What SOS" said cCncannon.
Lieut.. Billy Funston got Pa Stebbins OF
What am l going 10 do1 Well, wher
| think Of their mother, said Pa Stebbins
sIld like TO whale 'em for a week. But
was a boy once myself. Send 'em hom'
and tell EN- we're waiting at the station
And Billy Funston did.