Roseburg news-review., June 13, 1936, Image 8

ROS.EBURG NEWS-REVILW, kuchukli, URtuuii, jrtiuufti, junt u,
Cop
HhRE wis always
f something doin; on
V I Officer MikcM'Clos-
I ke,S be"' 'f "
I wasn't the traffic, it
fjJf was the kids the
And always it was
that little tough of 1
Jimmy Casey at the
bottom of ev erything.
"Tough" Casey was
what he liked to
be called. M'Closkey
knew that.
It was queer, but
somehow M'Closkey
knew, too, the secret desire of Jimmy's heart:
to have his picture published on the front page
of the newspapers with his full name under
it and "Tough" in parenthesis, the way they
do the regular stick-ups. Like this: "James
(Tough) Casey." Maybe Mike M'Closkey
knew about it because he had had pretty much
that kind of a secret longing himself when he
wis Jimmy's age.
Jimmy would have been as surprised as any
thing if he had known that the cop on the
corner could see right down into his mind like
that, for if there was anybody in all the world
hat Jimmy Casey hated it was Cop M'Closkey.
Sometimes, though, it was pretty hard for
Tough to remember he hated the big man with
a sort of flat crooked nose. It had been busted
with a ball bat when he was a kid, so he said.
Jimmy wondered how it could be done. He
longed for a nose like M'Closkey's.
Remembering your hatred came hard when
you saw M'Closkey standing there, a big burly
over-six footer in the midst of traffic rushing
this way, that way, in four directions. Some
times Jimmy Casey's eyes glistened as he
watched him at dusk behind the street refuse
box on the corner. Why, there wasn't any
body that dast move until M'Closkey let 'em!
Mike hated to run in that Casey kid, for he
knew that things were getting pretty serious
for Jimmy down at the Juvenile Court. In fact
they would have been very serious long ago
had it not been for M'Closkey. He had seen
the Judge in his chambers beforehand and had
told him about Jimmy.
"His mother went off with another guy,
Ver Honor, six years ago when the kid was
only five. She was nothing but Wop anyhow
and you couldn't expect much "
"But you say his father is Irish?" asked the
Judge.
"Oh, sure, ' Yer Honor," admitted Mike
deprecatingly, "but one of them pool-hall and
slot-machine bums, ileepin' off booze daytimes
and gone all night. If you wouldn't mind
tryin' the kid on probation, sir. He's not i
bad kid if somebody could get a-holt of him
right. I was kinda like him myself once."
At the Judge's suggestion, one of the
Y. M. C. A. men and the Probation Officer
himself had tried to "get a-holt" of Jimmy in
every way. They had called at the shack
Jimmy referred to as home. Casey Sr. listened
to them with a yawn, thanked them with a
charming smile, referred to his deep affection
for his son and his grief and surprise that
Jimmy had annoyed anybody.
THAT night when Jimmy joyously appeared
to get the supper, with t coi pie of
onions and a potato he had filched from
Jake's wagon ami two bits of steak bone he
had triumphantly unearthed from a garbage
can, Casey Sr. told him about the call. Wanted
to know why he had to bring disgrace upon
the mible name of Casey and heat him until
there were raw wells on the skinny little body.
Jimmy luted his father, too. Hut in a dif
ferent way from the hating of M'Closkey.
When, a few days later, somebody from the
schools came to find out why Jimmy hadn't
shown up for almost a week, Jimmy didn't
tell them alxnit his hack. He said that he
wasn't coining . any more. So they went to
Officer M'Closkey.
It was a warm evening in late May when,
t the behest of the school principal, Mike
M'Closkey dropped in at the shack somewhat
wearily to see if he could get a holt of Jimmy.
A steamy fragrance tilled the air. Jimmy had
t pair of old khaki pants roped around his
middle, hut he was shirtless and the scars on
his back were red and sinister.
"Where' d ye get them?" demanded M ( Ins
key svho knew without Asking and ached in
the knowing.
"Fighlin' and I kilt the cither guy. Wind
dye going to do about me now? 1 row
aiiudder scare into me?"
"This time ye're going to be sent up,"
M'Closkey roared. "Tell your stor, to the
Judge yourself. He ll gise ye full time and
no mercy." Then he snillid luxuriously.
Even on 1 hot night that stuff in the rutty
old kettle smelled gte.it. Tunny kid cooking
1 meal with the temperature like it was.
Cop M'Closkey told the Judge the whole
thing In the morning while Jimmy listened
defiant, surly, but with a strange, prideful
gleam in his eyes as' he heard M'Closkey re
porting everything. Even, curiously enough,
m 'Hie
Darragh Aldrich, Minnesota's distinguished nov
elist, was horn in Rithmond, Indiana, and went to
the Minnesota North Woods u hen hut a child. She
filled many posts on The Minneapolis Tribune.
She collaborated with George M. Cohan in his
stage and screen success "A Prince There Vi'as," and
il the author of the successful novels, "Enchanted
Hearts," "Peter Good For Nothing" and "Red
Headed School Ma'am."
about his cooking. And the Judge sentenced
James (Tough) Casey to the Juvenile Deten
tion Farm. Then he proceeded to show Jimmy
that everything he had done was just sneaking
and sly and cowardly. He showed how
M'Closkey had always been on the square with
him but he was too big a man to bother with
1 little mosquito like Jimmy any longer.
WHEN Jimmy Casey, bright-eyed and
clear-skinned, returned to Western street,
school avas about to begin. Jimmy opined that
he might as well go.
He hadn't forgotten M'Closkey. He asked
for him first thing. M'Closkey hadn't been
on duty for about a week, the gang told him.
Nobody knew why. Then, rather apologetically,
they told Jimmy about the Shillelagh Club,
M'Closkey had formed it about a month before.
It sounded good but Jimmy's eyes narrowed
and he didn't say so.
"Who's the kink?"
"Mike. Mike M'Closkey hisself. It's presi
dent he is. He wouldn't like to hear you call
him a kink. He don't believe in kinks."
"You gotta pass a exam to get in," ventured
lay fearfully. "Then you gotta pass another
exam to get your shillalay." With elaborate
usualness he twirled a wooden cudgel depend
ing from his wrist by a leather thong which
might have been logger's bootlace.
"Humph!" Tough's mouth curled but his
eyes shone with envy. "Where'd you get it?'
"Mike had 'em made fer us " it was
Skinny the Swede. "We've each got one.
Only the others left theirs to home 'cept me
and try."
" Cause you thought I'd take em away from
you "
"Hut Mike said "
"llnw'd you get this 'Mike' stuff?"
' Well, he told us to call him 'Mike in the
c lub That's one of the rules. First names."
"Hand over a shillalay." Tough assumed
control as usual. "I'll show you a few things."
Finally Uy swallowed hard and took upon
Ivmsclf the job of spokesman: "Have 1 heart,
Tough," he whined. "You can't join. You
ain't ellygihhle. You got the woiks and you're
discitiallylized."
"When you been sent up," Skinny the
Svvrle explained, "you're out. Y'sce, we're
sona assistant cops. We golla keep order.
And to keep order, e gotta show 'em what
order it. When you get in trouble yourself
it sho t you're not tough enough to stand the
gff "
' Hc-tcha!" lzjy came into the discussion
with a great twirl of his stick. "And the
Shillalay that takes the r;iff the best all week
comer
stands by Mike in the middle of the street
directin' traffic and helpin' spot stolen can
the next Sattidy night."
Jimmy made it,clear that he wouldn't join
their old club if they gave him a million.
Then he decided to begin on M'Closkey. He
knew where Pap kept his gun and he knew
where M'Closkey lived. . If the cop was laying
off for spell, he would probably be home
about dusk.
TOUGH Casey neared the M'Closkey bun
galow. He felt somewhat nervously of
The Thing in his pocket that made it bulge.
The Thing was cold to the touch but it would
spit fire. Pap wouldn't miss it for t while.
The fellows next door said Pap was out at the
works for ninety days.
Tough Casey's hand shook a little as it
hovered over the door bell. Before he had
pressed the button, M'Closkey's door flew open
suddenly. Tough staggered back step and all
but lost his balance. The anxious-looking
youngish man carrying a black bag looked for
a moment as startled as Tough himself.
"For the love of Pete!" he exclaimed, "What
.do you want, Kid?"
"1 w.inta sec Cop M'Closkey," Tough told
him in firm tones, gripping his gun.
"Then you will have to keep on wanting
for a while longer, my boy," the man told
him. "Officer M'Closkey and his wife are
both down with flu. There's nobody with
them. I've sent for nurse "
"I gotta see him," persisted Tough des
perately. "1 gotta sec him quick now!"
The doctor hesitated.
"Tell him" Jimmy's voice quivered for
his body was on fire as he fingered the cold
steel. "Tell him it's Tough Casey!"
The doctor weakenid as he saw Tough's
white face. "I II tell him, and see what he
says, Come in!"
Jimmy lookcj around. Golden oak furni
ture, radio, and a picture of M'Closkey with
his hair sli k and his wife all dolled up in
white with flowers on her. Through that door,
the kitchen! Think of cooking oi a white
stove like lint! But a coffee pot and other
things were sitting around on the M'Closkey
stove as if they'd been left in a hurry. Jimmy
had forgotten all about The Thing in his
pocket. His eyes cre shining. He whirled
about at a sound behind him.
"Mike says." the doctor was smiling it
Tough Casey, "that he will let you see him em
one condition. Seems he remembers the smell
of kind of soup you were making one night
when he called at your house. Says he and
Fiction
Nobody that carries gun can
carry a- shillelagh. So I thought I'd
make ye an even trade fer it."
nis wife haven't had anything to eat for two
days. Wants you to go ahead and make some
of that soup. The grocery will let you have
anything you need. But jon't show up until
you have that soup ready. Jump it. my car
if you like and I'll run you over to the
grocery."
Tough Casey's hand closed convulsively over
The Thing in his pocket. Think of M'Clos
key's remembering. You couldn't bump off 1
sick man anyhow. That was mosquito stuff.
"Sure! I'll chisel a ride," he said to the
doctor. On the way he spoke only once: "I
can make i lot sweller soup now. The Wop
cook learned me at the Farm. Takes longer
though. Guess I'll stick to the kind Mike
said."
"Good idea," agreed the doctor, smiling.
"And don't forget to strain it. I've written it
on the chart for the nurse so it will get by."
He glanced now and then at the tense little
face beside him. Think of that kid's taking
an interest in cooking! Only thing Mike
told him this had been the report from the
Farm which had seemed to hold him at all.
Got hold of recipe books and pored over them,
They had taught him arithmetic through these
books and spelling and grammar. The physi
cian had been all against letting Mike bother
with him now, sick as he was, but Mike had
pleaded so hard.
"It's my charvct, Doc he's the toughest kid
I've ever run acrost. He's kid like myself
was, and it's my chanct to get a-holl of him.
Tell him about my remembering the soup."
In order to realize fully that he -vasn't
weakening, Jimmy reminded himself pretty
often that they always gave the guys they were
going to hang s good meal before they bumped
'em off. With this as precedent, he could
let himself go.
Slowly the aroma of the steaming vegetables
filled the house. It was the best soup Jimmy
had ever made.
And then suddenly his heart turned over.
A thumping came from above, loud thump
ing as If it svere made by s heavy stick. The
nurse hadn't come. What had he better do?
He thrust his hand in his pocket and laid
Pap's gun on the table. Then he hesitated.
Suppose the nurse should come in and see it?
He pocketed it again and mounted the stairs
slowly.
"Hello, Jimmy Casey " Mike's voice was
hoarse. "Mary wants some ice mater. And
do you think ye could fix some for her?
There's cubes in the refrigerator." He ges
tured with the small shillelagh in his hand.
A LL THE way up
the stairs the frosted
crystal cubes tinkled cheerily in green
glass pitcher which he had eyed admiringly
when he first went into the kitchen. As Jimmy
by Darragh Aldrich
set it on the table by Mike's bed as he was
requested to do, the strangest thing of all
happened. It started with Mike's wanting to
know how soon the soup would be done and
saying that he couldn't stand waiting for it
much longer. At that, something in Jimmy s
breast seemed to swell and his eye dropi-d
to the shillelagh which lay alongside of him
on the bed.
"Come here, Kid." The hoarse roice was
very kind but the keen eyes were borinj
through Jimmy. Abashed, Jimmy obeyed, his
hand gripping the chill, hard Thing that he
wished he had left downstairs. "I'll offer yt
a trade," the voice went on, so low that even
Mary in the other bed paid no attention to it.
"I'll trade ye this shillelagh for what ye ,r;ot
In your pocket there . . , No, the other one,
where your hand is. How about it ?"
Jimmy turned suddenly sick. "I don't know
what ye mean," he said with the old sullen
look returning to his eyes.
"And don't ye now?" quizzed the other.
"Maybi ye haven't heard, then, about the
Shillelagh Club that's acting as my assistant on
the beat?"
, "Sure ". nervously "I heard about 'cm
soon as I got back."
"Well, then, ye don't need me tellin' ye
what this shillelagh means. Cut nobody that
carries i gun can carry a shillelagh. So I
thought I'd make ye an even trade fer it."
"But Izzy he said I wasn't ellygibble 'count
of the Farm." The tone as well as the words
told Mike M'Closkey precisely what he wanted
to know.
"And does that surprise me!" murmured
the man. "Why, with the report that they
gave me from the Farm I've got ye headin'
my list. Yer last offence of childishness was
before the club started so that can't keep ye
out, if ye care to make the trade."
It was a beautiful shillelagh, smooth wood
with a new thong and would twirl grand.
"If b'longs to Pap," as he drew The Thing
out slowly and laid it on the bed beside
M'Closkey.
"Sure," said M'Closkey, smiling. "If Pap
ever wants it, you tell him to ask me fer it."
And he slipped it under his pillow as Jimmy
lifted the shillelagh with shining eyes. "Don't
ye suppose that soup is done by now? V never
sniffed such a grand smell in me life."
By the time the soup was ready and Jimmy
had learned to twirl the shillelagh from his
wrist, the nurse had come. She let him strain
the soup himself. Then all he had to do was
to watch Mike and Mary propped up in bed,
enjoying every mouthful and praising it. Mary
smiled at Jimmy and told him she could never
hope to make a soup like that.
"I'd like to ask a favor of ye, Jim Casey,"
Officer M'Closkey was saying, man to man, as
the nurse took away the trays at last. "The
doctor says I've got to be careful for I long
time and I'm sort of dreading the Saturday
evening traffic. D'ye think, now, ye could
manage to help me out the first Saturday I'm
back on the job? I'd like a lift on spotting
them cars. I could give ye the numbers of the
stolen ones. But ye'd have to keep yer eyes
peeled."
A breathless, dizzying sensation swept over
Jimmy. Out there in the dusk alongside Big
M'Closkey helping him spot the stolen cars.
Jimmy gulped and gripped both hands on
the shillelagh until his muscles were white.
Something kept coming up in his throat.
"Sure," he said, casually, swallowing hard,
"sure I'd be glad to to take a night off and
help you any time Mike!"
BUT THE reason I'm comin' to you about
it, Judge " Mike M'Closkey was again
his strong and burly self as he leaned over
the dsk in the chambers of the Judge of the
Juvenile Court, "is because you know him and
me and how it is. I t'ought maybe you could
give me s character when I take it u-i legally.
It will be grand for Mary, Yer Honor," Mike
went on. "Ye ought to hear 'cm together in
the kitchen. And last Saturday night on traffic
duty, Yer Honor I could not help thinking
how foine it would be if it was my son stand
ing there alongside. You'd be surprised, Yer
Honor, how he's changed since I got -holt of
him."
"No, M'Closkey, I wouldn't be surprised St
all." The Judge made a note on his tab. "There
is, is you know, a probationary period. Plenty
of time to clvin;:c your minds, either of you.
Then I can help you with the details of the
adoption. Have you spoken to the lad about
it?"
Mike nodded, his held turned away.
"What did he say?"
"He looked kind of wild at first, as if he
wasn't hearing straight. Then says he, 'Gee,
Mike, do you mean it?' And then " Mike
brushed an ajologctic hand across his eyes
"I never see a kid cry so hard in all my life
Honest, Yer Honor, I was scairt. I I t'ought
he'd tear his insides out. But Mary, she
seemed to sort of know what to do. So I left
'em and t'ought I'd come down and talk with
you about fixin' it up and all."
Copyright,