THE TOMBOY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 225, 22 September 1928, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE TOMBOY.

(By EILEEN HILL.)

Josephine James, otherwise Joey, was the tomboy of her family. She joined in every tiff with her brothers, was an expert boxer, and at school was the despair of her teacher. Often her sweet-faced mother had sighed, "Joey when will you quieten down. You make far too much trouble. You are more like your brothers than your sister" (who, by tho way, should have been a model for the antique department). "Oh, mumsie, I'm only young oiice you know. If I was like Cecilia (the antiquated person), the place round here would be awfully dead." "Joey, you might try and avoid slang, my girl, you are getting worse every day." With that Joey gently patted her mother, and ran away to her brothers. "No rest for the wicked," so the saying goes, but it should have been "No rest for the mischievous," as far as Joey was concerned. IVoin morning till night she toiled upon some plan, and now she had hit upon, what she called a "corker." When she had gatiiered all her "gang" which included her brothers, Bob, Roy, Tom and George, she unfolded her plan. "Gosh, sis," said Bob, when she had fiuisbed, "You are not going to do that are you?" "Why not V came tho answer. "It will be great fun, and—'' slyly, "1 never thought boys were afraid 'to do what girls aren't." Bob blushed. "Aw, I didn't any I was frightened. But you've got to admit that it is a bit shaky." "That makes it more exciting. Are you boys going with me?" "Yes, of course, we shall; but remember, we were told never to go up there." "Oh, blow. I don't care." Jo stamped her small foot impatiently. Another whispered word or two and the gangsters departed. That night, five pyjama-clad figures crept stealthily out of the house. "Sh! Come this way. Ah! Here's tho ladder," the voice belonged to Josephine James, who giggled softly. "That miserly man will have the hops to-night." "Ain't you scared, sis?" whispered George, the baby of the family. "Bosh! If you arc, you'd "better run back to 'bed, or to mamma," she added maliciously. "N-o-o. I tk-tb»ink I'd rather come with you." "All right, and don't you go making any noise, or back you'll go." The children climbed up the ladder and walked along the flat-roofed houses. When they came to a certain house, they stopped, and cautiously lifting up the ventilator, peeped inside. An unexpected and singular sight met their ~aze In the room, a candle was lit and two men were inside, putting on clothes. On the floor, lay striped clothing, that to the watching children, seemed to breathe mischief. "My sainted aunt!" ejaculated Roy and Tom simultaneously. "I know those men. They are "

Joey silenced them with a kick. "Be quiet, you asses. You needn't go shouting it about, as we all know who they are. Well, our plan has gome to pieces now; but I know somebody's freedom that will so to pieces too, soon. You boys stay here; no, come down with me. I'll run over and get the 'bobby.' He'll be useful for once in his lazy life.'* The party retreated, and it was Jo who with the policemen, confronted two astonished men, in the act of helping themselves to the money of the miser, to whom they had made an unwelcome visit. • The nest day the policeman paid a visit also. "Well, my children, you have helped us to find those ex-escaped convicts (a bit of a complex isn't it?) And 1 think your due will come to you for doing so. May I ask," the policeman added with a twinkle in his eye«s, "what you were doing up at that hour of the night '(" Jo being foreman was spokesman. "Well, you see, we had planned to play a trick on that miser. We got a brick with a note tied to it, and we were going to throw it in through the ventilator. On the note we had written that someone was goiug to rob him, and as we knew he'd call the police, we thought it would be fun Avatching them, waiting for nothing." ° " oh > * nd so that's how you caught them. I wonder whose was the plan, who planned the plan (there's a trickster for you.) Ah, Jo, you were never a .-'ood dissembler. Your face gives you awav every time. Well, well, your tricks turn out useful sometimes." He emphasised 'sometimes." and turned away laughing. Shall I tell you what Joev and her brothers arc doing now V All right. They are tearing up and down the streets on bran-new bikes, which were given to them by the miser, who has woken up to the fact that "children are worth their weight in gold" (tell that to the marines). And Cecilia, oh, she ia regretting that she isn't so tomboyish, especially when she sees Joey flash past on her bicycle.