Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 220 — page 7: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

TN NS EE i I ee ee Tom Tanner, Scalawag and Scapegrrace. rimesé boy asever— But it don’t become his ather to brag. Who mought | be a-talkin’ to, sir? ‘‘ Here is my card,” rejoined the gentleman. “Tam Mr. Clark, of the firm of Thompson, Clark & Co. Your boy applied tor a situation in our house, and | rather like his appearance and address. Is hein?’ ‘‘[’m very sorry to say as he’s not in, sir. But Vili vo on the hunt of bim instanter.” “That is vos necessary,” Mr. Clark quietly replie!|. ‘‘Send bim down to our house to- morrow morning, I would like to have a talk with him.” ‘‘T shall most sartainly do so,” answered Mr. Tanner obsequiously, as his visitor turned to leave the room, ‘* Take keer of the stairs, sir. Ther a bit broken.” “Thanks, Ishall be careful.” In a moment he was gone, Mr. Tanner turned to his wife with a look of proud satisfaction. ‘That’s a nobby feller, wife. I bet it’s a big firm. Our Frank /’7Il be a rich merchant yit. You mark my words, ‘“T hope he may, for I know he will be an honest one,” replied the little woman gratefully. CHAPTER VI. FRANK GETS INTO TROUBLE. FRANK TANNER was very much cast down as he walked listlessly along the streets of New York. Everything had been going wrong lately. His father’s idleness and Tom’s reckless- ness had thrown the whole burden of the family on his shoulders, and he was too young to have such a weight of responsibility. For several hours now he bad been looking for a situation, but had been curtly :efused at every place at which he applied. The trouble about Tom, too, was weighing upon bim. He had _ been all his life accustomed to look up to Tom, and now he could not get rid of the old feeling for his elder brother. He would not believe that Tom was bad at heart, and was sure that it was only his boyish wildness that got him into so many scrapes. Frank was only a boy yet, and not capable of a sound judgment of character, and he walked on very much in the blues about poor Tom. But his eyes caught sight of something that made a sudden change in his feelings. Several urchins were playing marbles on a quiet corner pf the pavement; ragged little vagrants, except that one seemed too well dressed for his company. A light shot into Frank’s eyes. He crept stealthily up, and in an instant pounced upon this well dressed urchin, bringing him to his feet with a sudden quick jerk. ‘What you doin’ thai fur? You let go me or Pu pus ou,” cried the belligerent lad. ‘*[ve been looking for you, you little thief,” exclaimed Frank. ‘‘A nicely dressed little hound you are now, with a stolen coat on your dirty back.” It was evident, in fact, that the boy’s coat was much too large for him, ‘It’s my coat!” yelled the lad. ‘ Daddy bought it fur me.” ‘‘You lie, you thief. That’s old Frank’s coat, which Tom Tanner put on you. Come with me. I’m responsible for that coat.” ‘IT won’t go a step, dang you!” screamed the boy, as Frauk dragged him along the pave- ment, “You shall go then,” and Frank set his teeth resolutely, ‘* You shall go, if I have to carry ou. - He was determined. He had been put ina false position by the loss of the coat, and was bent on setting himself right, no matter who suffered. : ‘Hello, boys!” cried Frank’s prisoner. ‘ Ye ain’t goin’ to let this fellow carry me off now, is ye?” The other urchins, at this appeal, made a combined assault on Frank, who had as much as he wanted to do in beating them off, and hold- ing on to his prisoner. , “You've got to come,” he cried. “That coat was stolen when it was in my care. Iam going to take it back, and you in it.” ‘Take yer old coat,” whined the boy. ‘It’s too big for me anyhow.” “T will take it, and you too,” answered Frank, with set teeth, as he warded off the blows of his assailants. He caught the boy by his coat collar. It was a poor hold, for the next instant the prisoner stooped, and slipped out of his ill-fitting coat as easily as a rat might slip out of a bushel bag. With a vicious kick at Frank’s shins the escaped captive ran off, followed by his com- forward to grasp the coat, but off -— — ——— ee —— panions, and with a shrill laugh of disdain as they left Frank standing alone holding the empty coat. For a moment he looked as if inclined to pursue them, Buta second thought restrained him. ‘*Maybe it’s as well to let him go,” he re- flected. ‘‘I might get Tom into trouble. I’ve got the coat; that’s the main item.” There was a deep sense of satisfaction in his mind, as he made his wry toward ChatLam street. He felt that his honor-was at stake, and erbaps even his honesty called in question. ‘his article had been stolen when under his charge. It would not have been stolen but for his taking that position, Frank was very sensi- tive where a question of honor was concerned, and felt as deeply responsible as though he had himself stolen the coat. He walked into old Franks’s clothing store with an air of quiet triumph, carrying the rescued article over bis shoulder, ‘Hey, poy! What brings you mit my store ag’in?” cried the Jew angrily. ‘*T have come for the money you owe me,” answered Frank, ‘*You git out! 1 owes youno monish. You brings me my coat, and I gives you all the monish I owes you.” ‘* Very well. Here is the coat.” The Jew’s eyes glistened. He sprung eagerly ‘rank backed “Not too fast,” he exclaimed. ‘l’ve brought you the coat. Haven’t I toed the mark plum in that?” hes the mark?’ repeated the Jew, question- ingly. ‘Yes. <Ain’t I square up? Haven’t I rubbed out my score? I thought you understood good English, Mr. Franks. aven’t I come up honest and sound?” Yes, yes!” cried the Jew. ‘‘ You’re a very goot poy. Gif me my coat.” ‘Will you take me on and give me a job again?’ ‘“ Yes, yes, I gif you one job ag’in.” ‘‘T guess you won’t, then,” answered Frank dryly. ‘‘Pay me off what you owe me, and Vi give you the coat.” rf owes you no notting,” replied the Jew dog: gedly. ‘You won’t pay me off then?” “You gif me the coat, or I have you arrested for stealin’, J.owes you no monish at all.” ‘“1’d serve you right if I carried the coat off again to where I got it,” answered Frank con- bampinog es ‘* But Pl be honest, whether you choose to play the rogue or not. Here is your coat,” The Jew made an eager grab for it, but he re- ceived it in a vigorous swipe across the face dealt with all the strength of Frank’s arm. Half blinded the greedy old rogue fell back. The in- dignant boy threw the coat after him, with such force that it twisted round and round his head. Then Frank stalked with dignity out of the store. ‘‘ Much usein taking all that trouble for ey he muttered. ‘‘ But honesty is honesty. If he chooses to be a rogue that don’t excuse me for being one. And anyhow I’ve had some satis- faction out of him,” He laughed quietly to himself at the thought of how he had paid the old Jew for his mean- ‘“Maybe I’d best go back and get a written character from him,” Frank continued. ‘It would be useful if I applied for another job as barker. I wonder what kind of a character old Franks would give me.” While thus cogitating he had proceeded a considerable distance, and had turned into a quiet street leading between two of the business streets, He had not proceeded far up this avenue be- fore he became aware of a tumult before him, Several boys, of about his own size, were furi- ously fighting. A second look showed Frank that it was a fight of three to one, and that the one was his brother Tom, who was evidently getting the worst of it. Frank didn’t like fighting. As he plainly said, he would rather run than fight any day, But it was not because he was a coward, but be- cause he thought fighting a disgraceful and low- lived business. ‘Suppose a boy calls me a liar,” he would say. ‘“ Will 1 prove I ain’t one by plugging his nose, and putting his eyes in mourning? If I ain’ta liar his saying so won’t make me one.” But this was a different matter. Here was Tom in danger. It was no time to stop and find out the cause of the quarrel. Without a mo- ti ment’s hesitation Frank plunged in, and aston- ished one of Tom’s antagonists by a touch un- der the ear that made bim see stars. ‘“‘Cowards!” he cried between his teeth, ‘‘Three of you on one! Give it to thi m, Tom! Pelt that curly-headed chap. Til tuke this one.” There was a sudden diversion in Tom’s favor, as Frank’s fi ts shot sharpiy to right and left. The three boys gave way before this reinforce- ment, leaving Tom, for the moment, free. The selfish young rogue took advantage of this oppor- tunity to take to his heels. He had been some- what punished, and with the instinct of the selfish coward he did not care who got hurt so he got off. Frank continued to fight, unaware of the cowardly action of his brother. But his an- tagonists were three young vagrants who were used to hard pummeling. They saw their advantage, and turned on the deveted hoy. He fought hard, but they were too much fer him, Frank turned his head despairing!y to look for Tom, and only then discovered that he bad been deserted, A quick sense of shame and indignation filled his beart. But much as Frank hated quarrel- ing, there was no back down in him. He was in for it now, and was going to either whip or be whipped. Blows fell thick and fast between the com- batants. Frank knocked down one of his as- sailants and grappled with another, the most dangerous of the three. He was heavier than Frank, but not so quick, and a vigorous wres- tling match followed. It ended by the two of them falling together into the muddy street, where they rolled like young savages each doing his best to disable the other, Frank’sother an- tagonists bovered around trying to get ina blow, but the movements of the wrestlers were too quick to permit it Yet even in the midst of the struggle Frank could not help feeling ashamed of bimself. He bad prided himself on bis self control and re- spectability, and here he was rolling in the mud, fighting with a street Arab. And much ashamed as he was of himseif, he was tenfold more ashamed of bis brother. ‘* But I am in for it, and l’ve got to lick or be licked,” he thought, setting his teeth firmly, and grinding his eneiny’s head into the mud, At this moment there was a diversion. Frank felt a desperate kick in the side from one of the other boys, and at the same time he heard a stern voice, ‘* How is this?” came in loud accents. “ Three to one? Shame on you, boys! Stop fighting, or I will call an officer.” , The magic word ‘‘cfficer ” suddenly took the starch out of the Arabs. The two upright ones backed off, and the other tore himself loose from Frank’s loosened grasp and scrambled to his feet. Frank followed him rather slowly, He had been overmatched, and his strength was nearly gone, Frank was an object when he had gained his feet. Mud from head to feet, even his hair matted with mud: his clothes torn: blood red- dening the mud-patches on his face: he was almost unrecognizable, He hoped, indeed, that he would not be recog- nized, for his involuntary glance toward the yentleman who had interfered gave him a start. t was Mr. Clark, of Thompson, Clark & Co. Thoroughly ashamed of bis appearance Frank turned his head, h: ping to escape the sharp eyes of the gentleman, “There is no use, my boy ” said Mr. Clark sharply. ‘I know you, and I am sorry enough to find you in ‘ucua disgraceful business,” The other boys, who had withdrawn tut a few steps, laughed at Frank’s downeast aspect. **T couldn’t belp it, Mr. Clark,” he bun bl answered, ‘And I’d do it again if those fel- lows attacked me,” he continued more fiercely, as the sound of their laugh caught bis eers. “‘T have no doubt you would, replie?’ Mr. Clark cuttingly. “I ‘see that you are full of * fight, I took a fancy to you, Frank Tanner, I have just been to see your parents, ard a ked them to send you down to my store. But you. needn't come, I don’t want you. You are jot the kind of boy that I care to take in hand.” Frank hung his head dejectedly. Tom had got him into trouble again. But a quick revul- sion came upon him. He had nothing rea)ly to be ashamed of. He had only sought to defend his bro*her against overvlelming odds, Frank lifted nis head wilh a proud movement, and looked Mr. Clark in the face, “T am sorry, Mr. Clark,” he seid, “for I would have liked to be wi h you. But I could- n't help fighting these boys; and if I had it to | JOO Goim (c S)