Putnam patriot., 1920-12-17


 could they resist expressing their fore bodiues
 The old folks loved their boy too well to reproaeh him for his desertion nov IT. the first flush of his young manhood but their hearts did ache al thought of the separation.
 "You'l soon get tired of all that hurly-burly there Tn the city, Tom" his old father told him. And when you do want you always to remem- Der that we've still got place for you back here at the old homestead. 1t tnnyn'f be as fine and showy as lots you'll see there in the city, but its more the sort that the good Lord in- tended you for. Ma and l are hopiug the best for you, son, but-when you do find out that your fortunes not away off there--just pocket your pride and come back here to us who love you"
 Sa .young Tom left the farm with shining eyes and q high heart and ad- ventured into the great, far-aHay city Iii quest of fame and fortune.
 How he fared there and all the sor- " disappolntments that repeatedly overlook him during that year of ab- seuee would be a long and narrowing story to tell He chased his rainbow to lts end yet found tue fabled pot of gold not there as he had so confidently and blatantly expected.
 Tom made applications for all sorts of office positions only to find himself quickly rejected because of his lack Of experience in those specific Ii
 "Mell, anyway. I'm young and hus- Ky aud used to hard manual labor. Tom censoled himself. "l can at lenst get job with contracting gang. as painter. or plumbers assistant, or teamster. That will suffice to keep me going for while until the sort of po- slfion l want turns up.'
 But even in those lines of work the green country boy found himself sud denly brought up short against blank wall. He had no references as to past city employment and nobody would hire him after once finding out that he had no union card.
 Huddled in his shabby overcoat on street corner in the squalid section of the city--the icy wind wtlstling around him and biting through his threadbare garments-poor Tom stood on the evening before Christmas. won definL where he might frd a shelter ln Wlich 10 sleep tils, night without freezing.
 Jus how long he had stood there, shiverlng in the chill wind on the ! s, et corner bitterness against the 1 grlat unferiine city ranking in his heart Tom did not know. He was l startled from his moody reverie by hearing hoarsr. Whecdling voice at his very elbow saAing what was in. tended as a confidential tone:
 How'd y'iike nice hot feed and some coin to Jingle in yer nants. bof Aint hungry. are Stt'
 Whrllug about, Tea saw that hls accoSter was an tne.e' sized. burly fel. low with tough. trueulent visage and hands sltoyed deep into the side pock- cts of his cont. lie wore battered cap with the visor pulled low down over his eyes and spat inadvertently upon the sidewalk each time before he spoke.
 How'd y'like the idea. huh7" he re iterated In his raucaus. grating voice. 1 sitlling closer as he spoke and casting wary eye up and down the nearly deserted, gloomy. wind-swept street. Tom regarded him with distaste and undisguised mistrust. He looked like a typical thug. But misery cannot be too fastidIous about the company 1t keeps. Finally Tom seowled blaekly and answered:
 What's that to you, anyway"
 Well. you're outta luck, ain't cha. pal? Yer on yer uppers, stony broke and maybe with an empty belly, too. huh. bo? We'll, I guessed that much. l ain't blind yet. ain't! We'll. need a pal for little job tonight and we both cea make iotta jack out of it, seer
 "You-you mean--hurglary Tom muttered hesltantly. with an involun- tary contraction of his heart
 .'llumphi Not anything like safe cracking or breaking into house, don't Too many people staying up wiih the kids over Christmas trees to- night ain't keen on takin' fool chances like that I'm tellin va. Nav, this I wantcha for Is something soft safe and easy as falling of los. You know the big prices people are willing to pay for real booze since the eoun- try went dry don't cha? We'll. right near here know q certain warehouse 1 that's got 20 eases of whisky stored in the basement. Real bonded stuff l The watchman is an old pal o' mine and is willing 10 let nS swine Il if we'll split on the coin we get after wards I've got another guy with a fiivver that's ready 10 meet us about o'clock this morning to haul away the stun as fast as We pass It up to him through the alley windows. We've got 1t all framed for fake capture and tying up of our other pal. the night watchman. so that the bulls can't get wise to him. We're willing to split four ways on the swag if v wanta go In on It with us. Whatcha say now. bo, huhl Safe and easy as falling off iog!"