BILLY.

Evening Star, Issue 14186, 11 October 1909, Page 7

BILLY.

By J. J. Bell (Author of ‘ Wee Macgreegor,’ etc.)

Both body aqd face belied his age. The fbrmei' was much too slight, the latter much too wise for nine years. But sturdiness and fresh simplicity are not bred on “poverty, 1 hunger, a pci dirt,” and this boy had known little else frpm "his cradle, which had been an'old'soap-box. Probably he had been more in contact with soap then than sirtce. Tho past, however, troubled him as little as did his personal experience; and as for the future, there was no necessity to consider it, seeing that the ? resent contained food and warmth, li the summer sunshine he squatted on the door-step of the’ shut-up 'mansion, and ate a thick' slice of bread and jam. Some weeks previously he haj made a grand disepyery. Per the first time in his life he had left the’city proper behind him, and after a pretty long walk had come to where there were neither shops nor factories, only great, beautiful liouscs and fine gardens'. Many of the houses were closed, but more than sufficient for liis purpose were open; indeed, it gave him a comfortable feeling to realise that he would never bo able to call at them all. It is true that every call did not result in a ineal far nicer than he could got at homo; as often as not he met with a rebuff; but ho did not mind making two or three calls on tho certainty of being once successful. To-day tho results had been even more encouraging than usual, for two maids had willingly responded to his appeals'with a delicious beef sandwich and the aforesaid bread and jam. And what with the blue sky, tho bright sunshine, the warm step, the electric cars and motors find carriages flying past, not to mention his satisfied appetite, Billy was as happy as ever he had been in' his life. . , The closed house, whoso bottom step provided him with rest, was one of a short terrace, standing on a carriage drive well back from the main road. Broad square pillars flanked each end of the step; and when ho saw tho policeman strolling along the main road, Billy was wont to squeeze himself behind one of them. So far ho had escaped observation, though once in his anxiety he had nearly fallen into the area, •-twelve feet below. Of ordinary pedestrians, who were few and far between, he was not greatly afraid. On the contrary, since that happy day w'hen a lady had given him a penny, ho had regarded their approach more with expectation' than apprehension; allieit no more pennies had come to him. Still, one Can hope on a full stomach. Haying swallowed the last morsel of the bread and jam, ho licked bis fingers and wiped them on the leg of his trousers; Then from his ragged jacket he produced a half-smoked cigarette and a wooden match. Presently, he was leaning back against tho pillar, puffiing luxuriously. Ho felt perfectly comfortable. And he would have felt perfectly happy, also, had he not begun to think of his brother. Ho missed his elder brother Bob very much. Bob, it is true, had never been particularly kind to him, but ho had never failed to champion him against the other street boys who were inclined to make a butt of the younger. Billy had always boon a solitary little soul, and since Bob had boon taken away he had been lonelier than cvq:-. As he sat on the stop he wondered what Bob was doing, and what. Bob was getting to cat, and how Bob was being treated, and whether Bob would ever come back again He was sorry for Bob. He vividly remembered the day, a year ago, when Bob, struggling and screaming, had been taken away by two men who kept on smiling and saying it was all for Bob’s own good. Billy would have kicked tfio men had not his mother restrained him. She had not seemed to mind much. Indeed, she had afterwards expressed the wish that there had been a vacancy for Billy too! Billy shuddered, and felt in his pocket foi another “fag” He was iu the act of igniting it from tho remains of his first smoke when a sound or. the pavement startled him. Someone was coming along the terrace. Billy had gathered that ladies did not give pennies to boys who smoked, so he extinguished tho second “fag.” and replaced in in his pocket, at the same time dropping the first regretfully into the area. But when ho peeped round the pillar he discovered that ho had acted rather hastily. An old gentleman was approaching, and Billy at once summed him up as quite harmless. For the.old gentlemau uas Jiobhlipg laboriously with the assistance of two sticks, and was peering through uncommonly largo, dark glasses. “He’ll likely no’ see mo,” thought the boy, “an’ ho couldna catch 'me onyway. I’ll jist hide hero. He drew iu his bare logs and waited, regarding the new-comer not without interest! There was something fascinating about the groat, black spectacles on the ruddy, white-moustached countenance. “ I wdsht ho wud gi’e mo a penny,” said BjUy to himself. V But I doot he’ll no’ duo that.” The old gentle.man did not appear to observe the lad until ho reached the steps._ Then he halted abruptly. Well, boy, what are you doing here?” The question was put in a somewhat gruff voice. last faint hopo of a penny' evaporated. “‘Naethin’.” What wore you doing fh e minutes agqr ,; ... Billy began to feel uneasy. “ Niethiq’,” he said again, and wriggled lightly, r - “ You were smoking, boy.” Billy made to rise. “Sib still, boy.” Bflly collapsed. Ho wanted to bolt, and yet he could not. “ I saw you from my window,” the old gentleman continued. “ You shouldn't smoko. You are much too young. You must stop it. You must promise me never to smoko again till you are—Ah!” Here the old gentleman gave a queer grunt, and seemed about to fall on Billy, who shrank into his comer; but recovering himself ho tottered to the steps and, with great difficulty, seated himself on tho step above Billy’s. “ Don’t he afraid, boy,” ho gasped, and went on grunting for fully a minute, while Billy eyed him with four not unmixed with curiosity. ‘‘A Spa§m. boy,” ho said at last, tfie color returning to Ins face. “ Merply & spasm, but a—a dashed severe ope. Enqugh To raakp qn§ swear. But you must never go tjiati. Do you hear, way?

.Something compelled the boy to nod his head and muttpr “Ay.” “ That's right.” ' Tiie old gentleman’s voice was jipt quite so gruff. “And iiq more smoking—eh?” This time Billy did not respond. “Come, cornel”'said t}ie old gentleman. “Surely you do not really eniov smoking ?” * Billy, off his guard, “wcli, I'in- -er—surprised! Bat all the same you must give it up Do you ; hear, boy?” I Once more Billy made to rise. ' “Sit still, sit still,” said the old gentleman reassuringly. “I want to talk you, boy. We’ll drop the question ot smoking in the meantime. ' Where dp you live P” * • . Billy gayc the information gnrd"mgly. ° = “Father and mother quite wellt” “They’re fine!” “That’s right! And v hat does lather cloj' Billy hesitated. “ He’s dot o' work the noo, !i he replied at last, with a sus- ♦ atd/he-^sgjaoaer.

“That’s a pity. And mother—has she any work ?” • ‘ Ay; she ‘washes.’’ ‘ The old'gentlem’hn sighed. “A hard life! And haye 'ySti ariyf brothers and iisters?” he inquiro'd. "‘‘ '' ' "Five lqevin’3‘ah’ five deid. d’ye wqnt tp ! ken Tor ?*.’! *' ’’ T’ • “Are your five brothers and sisters at home?”'’ ‘ ‘ “Bob’s awa’.” “Is Bob the eldest?” “Ay.” “And where is Bob? At world;” “ What’d’ye want'to kcri for?”' “Tell mo \vhero Rob isj” said the old gentleman", with a 'quiet authority that'-Billy 1 bbtild'“riot resist. ' ‘"•They took him awa’ to a home to be trained, anVl'<l<»t never see him again.” The''boy’s Voice trembled- ' ' 1 Oh, yeSj'ypu’ll sOb liiiq again ’ And you must it is a splendid thing for your brother, my lad.” It’s no! He'didna want to gang.” “ Yes; but he’ll know better now.” Billy’shook Hi's head.” “TBob’lT never get ouy fqn whauy he is.” r ‘ Fuh!” , " , murmiired the old gentleman “Bo you know what fun is?” “Fine! ’ Wh'at dWe''waht ’to’ ken for?” 4 The old gentleman Ipecapio silent, and after a little while "Rdly 'got ‘up.' 1 " “ Stay,' iriy lad. Dqh’c| go ydt. Ypu haven't tplcl Billy" retired a couple' of paces, regarding "his questioner with increased suspicion. “Come, tell me yonr name.” “ What d’ye want to ken for?” “ Don’t bo afraid, fpr ypur own good.” , The words “for your own good” fell like a knell on Billy’s ears. With all his suspicions he "had never imagined the old gentleman to be anything worse than a sanitary inspector ’in plain clothes, wearing the' extraordinary spectacles by way of disguise, and hobbling on two sticks to deceive people. But now !” " ’ : - Billy turned and fled, thankful that he had given' a" Wrong addresk and 'incorrect details as tp his relatives. “Stop, stop!” ‘ ''' “' ' But Billy tore along the carriage drive, expecting momentarily to - hear sounds of pursuit, and blind to the policeman awaiting him at the end of the terrace.

I’ve had my eye on you for a long time,” said the constable, who, as a matter of fact, had never seen the boy before.

Weeping bitterly, Billy was dragged to where the old gentleman still sat, unable to rise without assistance

“Has lie stolen anything, sir?” asked the constable, saluting. “Fiddlesticks!” said the old gentleman, rather testily. “ I seemed to frighten him—that’s all. Help me up, will you? I think you had better bring him along to the house. Don’t erv, boy! There’s nothing to cry about. Good heavens! Rm pot going to eat you, and neither is the policeman.”

* ****** At the door of the big house the constable was dismissed with “ something for his trouble,” and Rilly, realising the uselessness of flight, yet still sobbing and trembling, accompanied the old gentleman indoors.

“Stay here for a moment, my lad,” said the old gentleman, indicating a chair in the hall. And Billy went and stood against the chair, as though" he had been stricken with catalepsy. Softly the old gentleman opened a door, peeped in, made a remark to someone inside, waited a little as if listening, nodded his head several times, and Anally beckoned to Billy. “Como array' piy 'ad,'’ he said, and took off his dark spectacles; and the boy, as he obeyed, wondered if this was really the man who had sat'on the steps with him.

Then Billy found hiniself pushed gently into a room, large and beautiful —far finer even than tpe Mission Hall at though it seemed dark after the brilliant sunshine outside; and it was some time ore ho caught sight of an old lad.V, with such'white hair, lying on a couch.

“This is the young man, Mary,” said the old gontlpmari. ‘ 5 See what you can make of him. I seemed to put my foot ip it. I’m afraid I’ve been too late in beginning this sort of work ” “Not a bjt too jate,' John.” Then she turped to Billy, who had taken off his cap as fie did at the Mission Hall treat. '

“Come nearer, my dear, and sit on that chair, and help yourself'to those sweets on the table—but perhaps you are hungry.” ■ t Billy shook his head.

“ "Well, perhaps you’ll have an appelater on,’’ she said, smiling. “ Will you tell me your' name, ' my dear?’’

“ Billy Martin,” ho mumbled. “Well, I’rh—suiprised!” exclaimed the gentleman. “When I fjsked him that, he ran away 1” “ But you won’t run away from mo, Will you, Billy?” • : 1 . “ Naw, Mistrpss.’’

Iho ok] gentleman hobbled to the door. “ I’ll look iii later,” he saidBy the time he camp hack Billy had turned ids hf-tls heart inside out, and the old lady had proved it to contain neither mpye nor less than the heart of § carefully nurtured child.

T i 18 -? oin » tßink over it, John, she said to her husband. “He has told me about Ids brother, and I have been trying to toll him how well oil his brother is. And I think it might be arranged—l’m sure you could arrange it. John—that Bill}’ might go to the same home as his brother is in and be beside Ids brothey. And soma

r - -V » '■ day be a great-help to his mother, -that'eb, ? fallowing «l Ittiqb.q. ‘ Billy is going to tell bis about this ’whbpever he gets Wl i? ?9WS tp be alarmed comes to sqe his mother ab«nt thb matter in a few : davt~are Saw, mistress.” “ explained to Billy that , r \ S i S?t to go to the home unless he hkps. "Still, it bo nice to .f 9SSW® ’Jroi|r TjrptJipy: 'again,' and get Plenty of good food, and become a fine, strong,"‘‘clever man—vvouldrf’f it; Billy? “Have some sweets.’ So you’ll think, over it, Billy? And—do veil I" believe cho'os'd t6"'go to .io\U* brtitlier —Arid now 'ii v s time" you im. "to hat.' ' Ring the bell, please.” fl " ’ ’ % ' * *■ * * * * About an hour later Billy left, jvith a parcel of good things for ahd his relatives. Tlie did gentleman nobbled to the door'witll him, ‘Ms hand." A lumpca’me'hitd Billy’s throat. He fumbled in ’his 1 jacket pocket.' ' ’ “ fc® said', h«fkih'. Y “ I thocht ye was codJin , . 1) The'old gentleman held out his hand. Billy put something in it, and ran down the steps “Well, I’m—surprised!” muttered the old gentleman, staring at his palm, whereon reposed three “ fags ” and two wooden matches.