The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1920-12-09

ginning to tell upon them, were pes
lsimistic Of his chances Of success. nor
could they resist expressing their fore
bodings.
The old folks loved their boy toe
well to reproach him for his desertion
now in the first flush Of his young
manhood, but their hearts did ache at
thought Of the separation.
you'll soon get tired Of all that
hurly-burly there in the city, Tom, "
his old father told him. "And when
you do, I want you always to remem-
her that we've still got place for you
back here at the old homestead. 1t
Imayn't be as fine and snowy as lots
you'll see there in the city, but it's
more the sort that the good Lord in
tended you for. Ma and are hoping
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"
So young Tom left the farm with
shining eyes and q high heart and adj
ventured into the great, far-away city
in quest of fame and fortune.
How he Jared there and all the sOr-
ry disappointments that repeatedly
overlook him during that year of alb
sence would be long and narrowing
story to tell. He chased his rainbow
to its end, yet found the tabled 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 line
"Well, anyway, I'm young and hus-
ky and used to hard manual labor"
Tom cOnsoled himself. 81 can at least
get q job with contracting gang, as
a painter, or plumbers assistant, or
Iteamster. That will suffice to keep me
going for while until the sort of po-
sition 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 i'm his shabby overcoat on
q street corner in the squalid section
of the city-the icy wind whistling
around him and biting through his
threadbare garments-poor Tom stood
49,, +bn o,,on;po boforo NhriStp,oS won
dering where he might find shelter
I'm which to sleep that night without
freezing.
Just how long he had stood there,
shivering 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 a hoarse, wheedling voice at
his very elbow, saying what was in
tended as a confidential tone:
{ "How'd y'like a nice hot feed and
some coin to Jingle In yer pants, boz
Amt hungry, are ya7"
=, Whirling about, Tom saw that bis
,aceoster was an understood, burly fel-
low with q tough, truculent visage and
hands showed deep into the side pock-
cts of his coat. He wore battered
cap with the visor pulled low down
lover his eyes and spat malevolently
upon the sidewalk each time before he
spoke. ~ 49,
How'd y'like, the idea, huh?" he re-
iterated in his raucous, grating voice,
siding closer as he spoke and casting
IA wary eye up and down the. nearly
deserted, gloomy, wind-swept street.
Tom regarded him with distaste and
lundisguised mistrust. He looked like
a typical thug. But misery cannot be
too fastidiOus about the company it
keeps. Finally Tom scowled blackly
and answered:
! "What's that to you, anyways" ~
"Well. you're outta luck, amt cha,
pal? Yer on yer uppers, stony broke
and maybe with an empty belly, too,
huh. DO? Well. ! guessed that much.
Il amt blind yet, amt! Well, 1
need pal for little job tonight and
I'VE both eau make a lotta jack out of
ill., seer"
"You-you mean-burglary7" Tom
imuttered hesitantly, with an inv0lun-
ltary contraction of his heart.
"Humph! Not anything like safe
cracking or breaking into house,
don't. Too many people staying up
with the kids over Christmas trees to-
might. amt keen on takin' fool
chances like that, I'm tellin' va Nav,
this / wantcha for is something soft |;
safe and easy as falling off log. You
know the big prices people are willing
Ito pay for real booze since the coun-
TRY went dry, don't cha? Well, right
jnear here / know q certain warehouse
that's got 20 cases Of whisky stored in
the basement. Real bonded stuff I
THE Waterman is an old pal O. mine
)and is willing to let US swipe Il Il