Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-30
At the End Of the Rainbow.
OF EVIL REPCTE.
BY Walt Mason.
OF EVIL REPCTE.
By Walt Mason.

We'll. Jim Skalligcr has left the town
at last" announced the assessor. Last
night he was aroused from his sleep BY
knock at his door. and when he opened
IL he found a committee OF citizens in
masks who informed him that if he was
found In the town after twenty -four
hours he would be given a coat OF tar
and feathers as an appreciation OF his
sterling worth and many noble qualities
OF mind and heart. Jim concluded that
the committee was in earnest. and lie
decided To try change OF air.
The committee should have been in
better business. said tho village patri-
arch 1t is true that Jim has an un-
savory reputation. IL anything happens
to be stolen in this town people taxi il
for granted that Jim lifted IL. bat have
no doubt that a grave injustice has been
done him. Several years ago this unfor-
tunate man was found in Deacon High
lows henhouse filing a sack tn un-
dressed chickens. He arrested and
cast into the tollbooth. and | attended
his trial I'm the police court. and his
frank and manly attitude made a great
impression upon me.
He resorted to none of the ordinary
subterfuEes to escape punishment. He
didn't try to prove an albi or plead in
sanity or self-defense He didn't say
anything about starving grandmother
or bedridden uncle. He admitted cam
d!dly that he was swiping the chickens
because he needed some money for the
Fourth of July. and have always con-
Sidered IL a shame that the Judge gave
him the limit. There il much good IN
a man who Will confess the truth as Jim
did.
THE experience gave him bad repu-
tation. and he has been the town goat
ever since. No other charge was ever
proved against him. and | don't believe
he was responsible for the crimes OF
which he was accused. | know how
such a reputation as his operates
when l was a boy 1 was caught
stealing watermelons one bright moon
light night. All the boys of my ac-
quaintance stole watermelons and rob
bed orchards. but they used more
strategy than / was master Of The boy
who steals watermelons on moonlight
night hasn't the first essentials OF a sue
cessful criminal in his makeup. He
should walt until the nights dark
and then get I'm his work. The man who
owned the melon patch was an old tight
wad, and he made a bigger fuss over
my indiscretion than Washington made
when Benedict Arnold went wrong. He
was one of the school directors, and the
teacher boarded at his place
Next morning when school opened the
teacher called me up to the platform
where he had his desk and exhibited
hideous mien that to be hated | need but
to be seen. He told with dramatic fire.
the awful story OF my crime. and pre-
dicted that I would end my career on the
gallows. Every male kid I'm the school
had raided melon patches. yet / can re
member even yet how those boys looked
at me though l We're a leper in the
wilderness.
We'll. my friends, my reputation as
a kleptomaniac was made right there.
and for year 1 led miserable life. Ny
parents believed i'm natural depravity. and
stood up for the teacher as against their
own offspring. ] was blamed for every
thing that happened in the school. and
usually got a licking just before tho
school was dismissed at O'Clock The
other boys played all kinds of tricks
with impunity, knowing that I'd be held
responsible for Them and pretty soon my
reputation a desperate spread over tho
entire countryside.
Finally, somebody put handful OF
cartridges or a stick of dynamite or
the building was pretty nearly blown off.
/ was expelled from school I'm disgrace.
and my life seemed ruined. But an uncle
came on a visit and he believed | WAS
imposed upon and felt sorry for me. So
he started an investigation. doing some
tall sleuth,ng. and went TO the teacher
with proofs that I was like the driven
snow In my innocence. The teacher re
fused to look at the proofs, and my uncle
knocked him down and sat on him until
he changed his mind, and L was rein
stated with apologies.
THAT was long, long ago, but i haven {
forgotten a detail of the story, and tn"
recollection causes me to feel lot OF
sympathy for man like Jim Skalligel.
You may now pass around Your horse
hair cigars, Mr.. Storekeeper."