The Lehi sun. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1913-1949, 1920-12-23

OF ONCE POSITIONS Only 10 uhu nimseh
quickly rejected because Of his lack
OF experience In those specific lin
"well. anyway, I'm young and hus-
ky and used TO hard manual labor"
Tom consoled himself. II can at least
get Job with a contracting gang. as
painter. or plumbers assistant, or
teamster. That will suffice TO keep me
going for a while until the sort Of po-
sitlOn 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 whistling
around him and biting through his
threadbare garments--poor Tom stood
on the evening before Christmas, won.
dering where he might ind shelter
in which to sleep that night without
| freezing.
Just how long he had stood there.
shlvering In the chill wind on the
street corner-bitterness against the
great, unfeeling city ranking in his
heart--Tom did not know. He was
startled from his moody reverie by
hearing q hoarse. wheedllng voice at
his very elbow. saying what was In
tended as a confidential tone:
"IIow'd y'like a nice hot feed and
some coin to Jingle In yer pants, boz
Amt hungry. are var
WhlrlIng about, Tom saw that his
accoster was an understood. burly EEL
low with n tough, truculent visage and
hands showed deep Into the side pock-
cts OF his coat. He wore a battered
cap with the visor pulled low down
over bis eyes and spat inadvertently
upon the sidewalk each time before he
spoke.
How'd y'like the idea. huhr he re-
Iterated In his raucous. grating voice,
Siding closer ns he spoke and casting
wary eye up and down the nearly
deserted. gloomy. wind-swept street
Tom regarded him with distaste and
undlsgulsed mlstrust. ne looked like
typical thug. But misery cannot be
too fastidlous about the company II
keeps. Finally Tom scowled biackly
and answered:
whats that to you. anyway
swell. you're outta luck. Amt cha.
palf Yer on yer uppers. stony broke
and maybe with an empty belly. too.
huh. boz Well. I guessed that much.
amt blind yet, ANTI Well.
need a pal for little Job tonight and
we both can make lotta Jack out OF
II. sect"
"You--you meaD-burglaryr Tom
mutiered hesitantly, with an lnvolun-
tary contraction Of his heart
"Humphi Not anything like safe
cracking or breaking into . house.
don't. Too many people staying ~
with the kids over Christmas trees 10.
night. amt keen on takln' fool
chances like that. I'm tellin' "a Nav,
this wantcha for is something soft
safe and easy as falling OF a log. You
know the big prices people are willing
.
try went dry. don't chat Well. right
near here know certain warehouse
that's got 20 cases OF whisky stored In
4 the basement. Real bonded stun
4 The Waterman In IN old pal o. mine
and Is willing 10 lei us swine II n
we'll split on the coin we get after
wards I've got another guy with q
fiivver that's ready 20 meet us about 2
O'Clock this morning to haul away the
stun as fast as we pass II up TO him
through the alley windowa We've
got II all framed for o fake capture
and tying up OF our other pal. the
night Waterman, so that the bulls can't
get wise to him. We're willing to split
four ways on the swas n y wanta 90
In on II with rs. Whatcha say now,
DO. huht Safe and easy as falling on
a logl"
The sinister appearance OF the ruff
|, fan repealed Tom. and the very
{ thought OF the crime they contemplate
ed struck him with fright. II meant
jail, disgrace, II they we're caught.
"But III never have done any.
thing like that IN my life" he STAN
mered weakly. teeth ehattering In the
biting wind. 1T would be criminal.
The whisky doesn't belong TO us. II
would be Illegal for us even TO try %
, sell II afterwards"
"Pahl" spat the ugiy-vlsaged man.
sneeringly. "You look pretty. a bird
like yOuse, talking that way about
what's lawful and all thatl Lots that
these rich guys have cared how you
got along since you came 70 town.
from the looks OF you'll They've got
fine, warm homes and coin and every.
thing. Volta they care whether poor
buns like US have TO 90 hungry or
freeze In the gutter on Christmas ever
Why should you care about them when
they don't give rap about your
You've got 20 80 on living aln't cha
huhr
Tom hunched his shudderlnE shout.
ders against the wind, trembling AS
much because OF his own moral Irreso.
I Ia