The Story-Teller.

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume x, Issue 919, 17 June 1891, Page 4

The Story-Teller.

.A SMALL BKBAD-STBALfcR. i

.^ t ( • § : • r ; {Contin%4d t ) \\\ r■* ■„, A ? clear-K«aded thief ' would nare dartad into the first marrow close, bnt this one laoked experionOo.' Ho got np a torrifio ipaao, and even stopped tf arinf j\L tho braad, but an «pprobo?iiiTo look backwards iid tho' miscbisf, and axTtsted bira tnori' effectually thjin twenty detectiTißfc armed to the teeth His foot, caught on a stone, and down ho K|ent gmasb on hisj, forehead, the loaf rolling from his grasp, and be himMlf lying Btanned lid • bleiding till he was dragged to his feet v by the baker, who, by way of counter, irritant speedily kicked him into cbhsciousnrss. ist*fti :■, f the ct,qw4 , wai^ a^fnanted by a poiiwman, and also by m»self,j^who had witnessed the rush froln •bore N^iw Street, and got down M qqicklyas ponible, exptoting much larger game. * Caught him m the tot/ cried ihe baker, triumphantly, branding, over the prisoner to me and the torn loaf to the toolic#raan, 'Saw him snatch it up-and bolt, but % W«s too quick ;f or the young devil.'

« JDid jog do that? ' I asked, quietly indicating the gash on the brow of tho daring criralnaU , * N6^ ho want down oatn'o eanioy — iorted him rights

-Llooked the. boy «11 over. He had tery little clothing on him, and lest flesh, He- might hate been Beven or •fght, but it is hard to tell oorrectly the age of a skeleton. The' gbaitly ' little face was tamed ap to mine with the eyes dilated with terror I* great at to comptetely itop the flow of teari, It was not the face of «n . ordinary yoohg thief;' cjr^me had put no stimp 1 there, though soffefing and want had been busy, * Did any one tell . you ■to , ateal the loaf f 'l asked, pitying the baby face and terrorised eyes. : «'No.' - ' '■ . ■■■';.■ ' -;•' ;; ■■ ■ * Did yon mean to giro it to anyone?' ..•No/..,. "... ' It was for yourself ? ' •Yes. 1 No handcuff would hare been of use on the small wrist, even if I had been inclined to use one, so I took his hand m my own and led the way np the street .The policeman carried the torn loaf «nd the big baker kept close at hand to prevent an> desperate: a l ' *mpt of -the great criminal 'at an escape. The crowd also were on the alert, so the law was well supported. Only there were some, .women . on the outskirts of the crowd who shouted alobl' their' pity for the ' our bairn/ and { ran with us, commenting loudly, and evidently considering us mewutrs, which we felt. There are times when even a detective does not feel altogether a hero. * What's your n»me ? ' I asked, wishing to shut put the sound of those women's voices. .'. / .....".' r '

'Freddy I^drd;* !^ 1 Have you a mother ? ' ' ' He said, Ye— es' so donbtingly that I tepeatedrr- * Have you ? * he answered— 1 Yes I have another mother.' 'And a father?' ' b* s Y;es ; he's a sailor.' , „

•Is lie at home ?' , ( • No^ he's away.' * And y6ur mother — is she at homo !'

■« K'o, she's oat.'

1 She's often out, I suppose ? ' « Yes.', ......

'Any more of you?' He said' hV had ' another sister, a baby/ anO that Vas nearly all he had to te11.,.-. ... . ..,.', „. . , ■ ... >

So we detained him — not locked up m the deepest dungeon — but sitting beforia fire with a bandage on his brow, and eating a good dinner, while I went to see his 'other mother, 1

He had freely admitted that he. did Hot know what made him take the loaf; he had new thought of such a ttiing till the steam of the new bread caught hisJieart,;and made him match and run. He was hungry, and did not hare his meals regularly. Sometimes neighbours gare him a piece, but often be had nothing. He thought he had had something the day before, bat was sure he had not that day till be ran off with th« loaf. His mother was often out »nd jo could not give him anything. The address he gave was Lochend's Close, near Ihe foot of the Canongate, and-I bad no difficulty ia finding the little den which he called • home, but the mother wag riot there. She was a Btepmother— a great big Irish woman — and sometimes went oat to wash, though the neighbours bettered that she got part of her husband's \ pay. When she vaV iot working ihe was drinking. They described the boy. as gentle and quiet,- and often nursing and tending t tn> i»aby ; f6r days , together; when the mother had not chanced to take it with her. ■'■'.. I Failed to get hold of Mri Ford that day, and next, morning Freddy was placed at the bar of the Police Court and charged with, the daring street robbery. The Bailie on the bench w»s startled when the small owner of the name of Freden'ck Ford was brought, ib, and bad to rise from his seat to see him at all. 'What if that bairn brought here, for?' he said, impatiently, as the little cbrpae-liko face was turned op to him. The ense was stated, and then I added what [ had learned. ' ' Pid yon ran away wit he loaf, my Urn V B »id ti)9 BuiJi* ip tb* pr/ioaer, titor * Huh HitjQgbt,