Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1916-11-10

Rokeson:
"What did you tell that lie for?" he
demanded. "Why did you say you
saw me steal the gateT'
what did you trip me for, as I
ducked past you?" countered Henry,
with equal fierceness. ".And then why
did you grab me and hold me till the
cop could catch up with us?"
II didn't" cried Tom. "You stun
bled on the curb, just in front of me.
I was trying to help you up, when"
The door of their cell swung open.
The lieutenant and the doorman and
well-dressed man in civilian clothes
stood in the dim-lit corridor outside.
Tom recognized the civilian as Hinkle
Rokeson, whom he had often seen on
the street.
The erstwhile austere lieutenant
was positively wriggling with embar-
rassment as he addressed Henry Roke-
son.
"Mr. Rokeson," he said, "Officer
Harding made one Of his bonehead
breaks when he arrested you. hope
you'll accept the apologies Of the po-
lice department"
Next morning Con the testimony Of
Patrolman Harding) wise and just
agistrate-former law partner of
Hinkle Rokeson-sOlemnly imposed
fine OF ten dollars upon Tom Norris
sey, adding a lecture and an admoni-
ton that next time it would 60 harder
with the young criminal.
The four ensuing years brought
peace and simple prosperity to the
Morrissey household. Tom worked
hard and efficiently at his trade.
AS a result he was able to buy on
installments pretty cottage on Hud-
son lane, where he installed his in
valid mother and sister, Mabel.
The little household in the Hudson
lane cottage was ideally happy. The
sickly mother, in her own home at last
and with her beloved fower-beds to
keep her outdoors, grew daily strong
er. Mabel, studying at the normal
school, grew into graceful and beauti-
IuI young WOmannOOQ.
Tom, in his free hours, helped his
mother with her tiny flower gardens
and Mabel with her lessons, or taught
new tricks to his fluffy yellow mongrel
puppy, Hutch" He was gloriously
content with life.
Hudson lane backed up against Har-
ward street, the towns most preten-
htiOus th0rOughfare. Thus, Toms back
garden was separated only by picket
fence and hedge from the rear grounds
of huge and snowy mansion that
stood on Harvard street. This man
sion's grounds, indeed, ran back all
the way to Hudson lane, on both sides
of Toms little patch of land.
The mansion was owned by Hinkle
RokesOn. At the extreme rear Of his
grounds, fronting or. Hudson lane, he
maintained his kennel of priZe-winning
bulldogs.
One June afternoon, few minutes
before six o'clock. Tom Morrissey re-
turned from work.
In the garden Mrs. Morrissey and
Mabel were bending over flower bed,
rearranging some uprooted nasturtium
plants.
His mother, looking up from her
task at the flower bed, met his smile
and called out a word of tender well
come to him.
ave didn't expect you home so ear
ly," she said as Tom bent down to
III 90 NJ full
tionate hand through Mabel's curly
hair.
'Why are you replanting the mas
turtiums?" asked her son. "They
seemed to be doing so WELL"
"They were," said Mabel, "but to-
day some of those priz. chickens of
the Rokesons got out of their coop
and flew over the fence into our yard
and scratched up every nasturtium
in the whole bed. Wasn't it horrid?"
'Too bad" sympathized Tom, 'but
I'll replant the rest Of them, now that
I'm here. You and Mabel rest on the
porch and do the heavy looking on"
Heavy looking on, indeed!" scoffed
his mother. 'Do you realize / have
the supper to get ready? There will
be only you and I to eat it tonight.
Mabel is going to supper at the Payn-
tiers! And afterward she and Elsie
Paynter are going to dance at the
pavilion"
AS he bent to his garden work, Tom
heard two mems voices in converse
ton on the far side OF the picket fence
that divided his lot from the end of
the Rokeson grounds in which the ken
nels were situated. He recognized the
voices as those of Hinkle Rokeson and
Henry. They were evidently inspect
ing the kennels.
Bring out old Champion Colborn,"
Tom presently heard Henry order the
kennel man. 81 want to look at that
barbed-wire scratch on his shoulder"
Tom, turning his head, saw the ken
mel man open heavy wire door In
one of the enclosures. Out trotted a /
massive white bulldog, perhaps eighty |
pounds In weight, huge muscles bulg- |
ing through the surface Of his CLOS
sy white hide.