The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-03-05
Daily Short Story
TOMMY MULLINS FOLKS

whsn Ton Nunin ssnior deserted
NAY. his wife The women q ths tone
TssS -Ss isSrns 70 iS S"a ss. v SisR ss5
% N occasion Their gus we're
tipped with wrath Tor Tom and Win
shsir Nh St, sRees5%sns Tor N.5s 6St e
they found no use Tor either vitupcrs-
ton or sympathy.
Nj Muiin. we're ycu asking about
aid Mary. looking al her ~neiEhbors
TRANQUILITY cut OF eyes that had fallen
into deep caNerns % darkness turiug
he forthisht of Toms absence -Mr
morning. tSsss You RinSiy. MN ma aih'
hss lookin' FOR work NJ Lowell way.
an. when hs nnd- d. sure. little Tom
Tsss snsw rs ' sS sHss,e'
hrANely. but they ID not dare TO prote
esySnd whA, sue told them on hsr
her lips. IN the pitifgi eaEerness of her
sunken eysS her SORROW was written
PLAIN fcr them 70 read. but she would
not let them read the writing aIouf.
Ihf other women. some o them.
knew what II meant 20 be deserted FOR
long or short times. To them II was a
only n source OF shame Il meant
primarily. not that her support was
ana her trials were brutality increased
not that her husband had failed but
mat she had failed. she had not held
her own. In h seemed to her-for
creature-thc frst duty OF a wife. she
had fallen short. and the chief glory
had lost. she had a pitifui little pride.
and she would not endure sympathy.
when Toms absence could be no long
er explained away she moved from the
region where she was known. free from
the Insult OF understanding eyes. she
worked for herself and little Tom.
IL was In the fourth year OF her
loneliness aud the tenth OF Tommys
existence that she gave up the un-
equal ~struggie; In the beginninE OF her
Illness she had been distracted over het
boys future. but by aud by even that
anxiety slipped from ner. and she died
smiling peacefully.
during the six month that followed. He
was n quiet boy with n wistful face.
and the good n~siEhbors OF his mother
declared with great unanimity and We
henenoe that he should never so TO
the soclsty. never. not while they
mad nfe m their bodies. They meant
H. too but circumstance were too
strong for them. The husband OF this
one lost his place. and Tommy was
leaving a helpless brood. and Tommys
share OF the trundle bed was needed.
Moreover he became a tribe more bar
barrie than he had been. founder Of
running the streets and not above
teasing the Italian fruit Vender or
stealing occasional apples from the Irish
when he took TO throwing stones aud
broke the pawnbroker's plnte-glsss win
dow. After that heinous defense there
was but one place for Tommy-thc re-
form school; and thither he departed.
tear-stained and terrified, amid n chorus
OF Sdmonitions and counsels from his
small army OF late foster-mothers.
The son OF Tom and Mary. thrown
into the big. ugly building on the out
skirts OF The city. passed from unreal
soning fright, through uneNpressed dis
like OF his surroundings and a silent
hatred OF the routine OF his days. 20 a
state of mind not far removed from con-
'TNnfmFnf He EVglff1N nRUnfTaH "a WfAa
knowledge OF evil from the worse boys
among them he was herded; but he had
something OF his mothers quality. Vice
rebounded from him as olncious sym
PATTY did from her.
He had been at the school two FEARS
when the new superintendent came.
During all that time he had no, gone
beyond the confines OF the institution.
except when. as a member OF the Junior
baseball team, he "a 1ourneyed to the
grounds OF another juvenile asylum. lie
mad not especially pinned for freedom.
after the FIRST few months; but on sum
day afternoons. when the families and
friends Of the young inmates were per-
United to visit them. he. with no VISIT
ors. had panss OF great loneliness. IL
was then That he used TO rub his knuck-
les Into his eyes. hinki OF his mother.
The new superintendent brought with
MN tho renown of = penelogtst Of the
newest. most humanitarian tyne. All
sorts OF improvements were made in the
conduct Of the school. and cV~ entualiy 4.
was announced tibet on certain Sundays
HH.s 80 q . liza
stRndinC would he allowed out. on honor
There was great excitement and great
oy. The swelling importance Of the first
batch Of boys permitted To leave the
grounds unattended was beautiful to
witness. Their proud return In the
evening. their delirht in themselves as
persons to be trusted. their staggering
tales OF their adventures IN the city
all these things were impressive. Rut
the thing which most impressed Tommy
Mullin was their talk OF their folks"
This one bed exhibited himself proudly
10 m uncle. who he'd bestowed p quarter
upon himself: thst one hrd dincd with a
married sister. M had seen her baby.
and here wes Q hpg Of cookies in con-
tirmation OF the tale.
Tommy listened %wistfully. He said
nothing.
Amt you got any folks demanded &,
boy who had just finished relating tn
story Of his meeting with his mother
and stepfsther.
Yep. plenty. Tommy nom
c~halantly suddenly per-eiving the shane
OF being without q family.
why don't you go 10 sec them%'
Guess ] will. next Sunday" was
Tommy's casual rctoindcr
The SUPERINTENDENT found no record NJ
the relations whom Tommy MuIiin an
piled for permission 20 visit: but Tom
my had been committed on COMPLAINT OF
n ~pawnbroker. and 10 was part OF the su-
pertntendents theory not to be suspic-
ious or prying. So Tommy went out
unEuarded. from the schoo rounds. his