Jimmie Moore of BucktownTrotter, Melvin E. (Melvin Earnest)
General
Jimmie Moore of Bucktown
Trotter, Melvin E. (Melvin Earnest)
Christian life -- Fiction; Missionaries -- Fiction; Poor families -- Fiction
Fagin was white with rage and started for Jimmie, but Jimmie
straightened up and made himself as large as he could, and,
with his big gray eyes fastened upon Fagin, said, "I'm not scart
of yer bluff; yer coward 'nough ter hit me 'cause I'm little,
but yer goin' ter listen while I tell yer somfin. Yer killed
me Pa, an' yer know it. After yer got all his dough, yer put
him out and he was left in Rice's wagon box ter freeze, while
yer slept in yer good bed. When it come ter buryin' him yer
didn't give nothin' but a lot of poor booze ter git der people
drunk, and der funeral broke up in a free-for-all; now yer after
Bill 'cause yer tinks yer can git his pension. His woman's got
her second washin' out so fur dis mornin' an' when I ast her
how she did it she said she washed all night long, 'cause rent
was up and Bill was sick. Then she said she'd wash her finger
nails off if she could help Bill git saved. She loves Bill and
her kids jus' as much as your woman loves yer and yer kids,
and I don't see what yer want ter kill him off fer. Dey never
done nothin' ter you. Ah, go on! he wouldn't either git it nowhere
else if he didn't git it here." A big tear stole down Jimmie's
face as he stood looking first at Fagin and then at poor Bill.
"Der Bible say that God loves everybody, and I believe it 'cause
it says so, but I can't see no show fer a dog like you, Fagin.
You're worser than any guy I ever see'd. You go ter church every
Sunday mornin', and Sunday afternoon and the rest of the week
yer booze and steal and raise h----. Yer got ter----"
"Oh, shut up, you little fool; some one told you to say that;
no kid your age got off such a temperance talk without some
one helping him. That fresh guy from the Mission put you up
to rubbing it into me; I'll fix him, and you, too, if I ever
hear any more of it." Fagin was beaten by the boy and he felt
the defeat keenly.
"I suppose you'll hit him in der back of der head wid a stone,
like yer did der poor dago last spring. If yer lookin' fer a
good square game I tink Morton could fix yer so you'd need one
of yer fottygraffs on yer shirt front ter tell yer wife who
was comin' home ter dinner. Come on, Bill, let's git out of
here and go sign yer papers. Dis is no place fer gentlemen like
me and you."
Jimmie took Bill by the hand and started for the door. Bill
had not spoken during the "temperance lecture," and when Jimmie
took him by the hand he allowed himself to be led away and seemed
glad to have a chance to get out of the place. He did not want
to drink, and yet he could not help it.
"So long, Fagin," said Jimmie when he had reached the door with
Bill. "When yer confess next Sunday mornin' be sure ter tell
'em 'bout dis hold-up, and tell 'em dat all der money yer gits
is money yer steals from der women and kids of Bucktown. An'
say, Fagin," Jimmie yelled from the sidewalk, "tell 'em erbout
Bill's pension yer didn't git. So long."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account