Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1910-04-23
Jimmie the Kid
BY NJ QUAD
Copyright, 1909. by Associated Lit
erary Press.

Miss Alice Denton, stenographcr, was
a rcformer in n very quiet way. In
the village she had left behind her
there was no show to carry out her
ideas but she had not been in the city
n month when she had Jimmie the
Kid on her hands. She picked him up
on the street one evening. He was
fighting with bigger boy and getting
the worst OF it, though doing his best,
when Miss Denton rushed to the res
cue. and the bigger boy fed. Ky that
act she made Jimmie her friend.
Jimmie was taken into the boarding
house and the blood washed off his
face and his hair Combcd, and then he
was questioned. His name was jim
mic Skatc-SO named because he was
an orphan skating around for liv-
ing, no home, no relatives. the cop
pcrs bounding him from morning until
night because he would not steal pea
nuts and divide with them. When
his story was finished he had the girl
In tears. At the end OF another half
hour, by talking to Jimmie of his dead
mother In heaven. Sunday school the
WAYS Of goodness, and so ON, she had
him in tears. \ partnership was
formed She was to be Il guardian
angel to Jimmie and he was to mend
his ways. Five dollars was handed
him to get suit OF clothes, and his
profits selling newspapers would rent
him Il cheap room and buy his daily
bread At frequent intervals he was
to call on Miss Denton and report and
receive further advice and encourage
mcnt He was not to swear. fight,
smoke or do aught else to initiate
against the career mapped out for him.
Two evenings later Jimmie called.
wearing his new suit He had had
his hair cut also. He quite looked the
orphan whose motto was excelsior.
I Thank YOU. he didn't need any more
money; he was getting along famous
ly. As he said this he Winkcd in an
expressive way at Miss Denton. She
didn't understand it, and she didn't
quite like it, but she didn't want to
push a poor orphan to the wall all ut
once. Two hours were spent in trying
to teach the boy the first four letters
IF the alphabet, and then he took his
departure. Later on the girl found the
sum OF $3.50 on the stand. She knew
1t was not her money, and she raCkcd
her brains in vain to sClvc the prob
lem. Next morning the landlady solv-
ed 1t in moment. She said it WAS
money sent by Providence to one who
had been good to an orphan.
Two or three evenings later Jimmie
called again. The collar had been rip
ped off the new coat. and he was about
to be charged with lighting when he
explained that he had jumped off a
ferryboat to save Il would be suicide
and the would be had torn the collar
from its faStcningS. He was kissed
instead Of scoldch, and he felt so good
over it that he went right at 1t and
learned to distinguish the letter ~
from the letter 90" His daily profits
allowed him lobster salad once Il day,
and he was feeling that he had some
thing to live for. He winkcd the same
wink as before. 1t would have been
understood by a man to mean that the
PAIR ullupIStbbtl tuCl blut'I, Dul iIlt
girl failed to make 1t out and was a
bit piqued. An hour after Jimmic's
departure she found Il new silver purse
with 81 in it under Il chair. Here was
n new mystery for the landlady to
solve. She was equal to the emcrgen-
cy, however. 1t was explained that
when Providence began rewarding a
e., .;,rl,t Il Int
she would not be at all surprised to
see horse and buggy driven into the
house some evening.
Jimmie never missed two calls per
week and sometimes made three. lie
was eager to make mental progress,
and at some stage in the proceedings
he always indulged in that expressive
wink. One evening he was taken to
task for 1t, but instead of being cast
down he winked again and muttered
something about 'pardS." Sooner or
later after he left Miss Denton made
find Of money or jewelry. One aft
ernOOn Il messenger left Il valuable
mutf at the house for her. Again 1t
was new jacket. If she hadn't been
a lNl'l lil'i anu IL bIlt Idhh
been believer in Providence the key
of the mystery might have been soon
er graSped. AS it was 1t seemed un-
fathomable
Two months had passed and Jimmie
had come so near the governOrship
that he had learned the alphabet down
to &c" when Providence let go OF the
case and detective took it up. The
boy called one evening and handed
out a diamond bracelet which he said
he had received for stopping a runa-
way trolley car and saving the lives
of forty people. He was praised for
his galantry and promise made to
keep the jewel safe for him, and just
then the detective entered and took
him by the neck. This was practical
ly. lie took Miss Denton by the neck
theoretically. When the landlady
came in and talked about the ways OF
Providence she was also invited to 80
along to the station house.
All the plunder had been preserved.
Miss Denton and the landlady had to
get a lawyer and do great deal Of
weeping besides to get out Of it, but
Jimmie did no weeping. He just