The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-09-24

raCner more severe beating than
usual. Rebellion was raging in his
heart, and he cried out:
''You can lick me, but I'm going to
do what I like!''
"You ungrateful little beast !" Shrek
ed the woman. go upstairs, and stay
there!"
Snarting and aching from the beat
ing the boy dragged himself up to his
comfortless room. AS the hours wore
on hunger asserted its claims. But he
was told not to dare to come down, as
he would get nothing to eat that day.
Then the forlOrn little chap took re-
solve. He waited till everything was
quiet, and he could hear the heavy
breathing OF Mrs. Perkins, and taking
his shoes in his hand, he crept noise
lessly out Of the house. It seemed very
strange to be walking through the
sleeping town in the middle of the
night. But at last he was free! It
was wonderful feeling Of power and
citation. He wandered on to the rail-
road. When train came along, he
got on, and was put of at the next
station. But he evaded pursuit, kept
on, and the place Of his thralldom saw
him no more.
Billy felt that somewhere there
would be machine shop that would
take him In. The one where he was
repulsed was Of course under the bane
full influence Of Mrs. Perkins. Every
thing In that place, except Miss Terry,
seemed to be soaked with the horrible
poison Of Mrs. Perkins. There certain
ly could not be another Mrs. Perkins
in the world. He had never heard Of
their going In pairs. And no matter
what happened to him, it couldn't be
as bad as Mrs. Perkins. So the little
chap trudged on. To be sure he had
to beg for something to eat, but when
one is very hungry, the humiliation Of
asking quite vanishes for the time be-
ing.
In the city he fell In with the news
boys and street Arabs, and slept in an
area way or inside packing box. But,
oh the Joy Of freedom the lifting Of
the awful premonition Of beating! It
was worth much hunger, boards for
bed, and rags for raiment. In short
time he was selling papers.
Then a man with the Christ love In
his heart which was always leading
him to seek out homeless boys who
sold papers and slept In doorways,
found Billy, and after that he went
oil In
bed. This man told him he thought it
would be good thing to go to a
night school, and Billy, who would
have walked into fire had this man
suggested 1t, willingly took his ad-
vice. and began attending the night
course Of study. Somehow Billy did
not care to run away from this school.
In the first place this friend expected
him to make good, and beside this, he
had begun to feel something of the re-
sponsibility Of making some prepare
ton for fighting chance In the battle
Of life.
When John Ritchie-that wasn't his
name, but the real man does not want
to be known-when John Richie found
that Billy wanted to work In a ma
chine shop, he soon found the place
for him to begin.
Eleven years from the time Billy
entered the machine shop he was ad-
mitted to the firm Of the big automo-
bile company. He had invented an
improvement that soon became so
valuable they found 1t to their ad
vantage to keep him with them. Billy,
now called Mr.. William Tyler was
happy In his work, and his success.
But always there remained the bitter
memories of his sorrowful childhood,
and the unweakened hatred of Mrs.
Perkins. Time did not seem to soften
this. The fostering sore Of revenge
never healed. For years he had been
looking forward to the day when he
could visit the little town, go to her,
and tell her what he thought of her
cruelty and injustice. He meant to
drive it all home to her with no un-
sparing force. He meant to snap his
fingers in her face, and show her what
he had become in spite Of her. If she
were still beating and starving some
defenseless child as she had him, he
meant to take the kid from her, and
show her up before the town.
The time had now come for taking
his revenge, and Billy boarded the
train for his native town. he found
the old house in other hands, and was
told that Mrs. Perkins was In the poor
house, SO other means than his had
taken part in his revenge. But he
meant 1t should be complete, and he
went in search Of her. At the poor
house they sent in to him, thin, bent
old woman. She paused near the
door, nervously drying her red. water
soaked hands on a soiled, wet apron,
wisps Of grey hair Imply hanging
about the drawn, wrinkled face, the
weary eyes staring uncomprehendingly
at him. When Billy told her who he
was, she dropped weakly into chair,
and began to sob, trying to dry her
eyes on the wet apron, and saying
nothing. Billy also said nothing. His
revenge had evaporated like mist
that had never been. When he did
find words to speak, he said: II have
come to take you away where you can
be comfortable. I have plenty to give
you home"
Observation-Disclosures