"What? With that stamp right on top?"
"How can it?" said our official. "A train can only go just so fast,
stamp or no stamp."
"Oh."
Our boys and girls got a big thrill from this visit in back of that
partition, and told Gadsby so. On coming out of that building our party
saw a big patrolman putting a small boy into a patrol wagon. That
poor kid was but a bunch of rags, dirty, and in a fighting mood. Our
boys got a big laugh out of it. Our girls, though, did _not_. Young
Marian Hopkins, who had that fairy wand, you know, at our airport
inauguration, said:--
"Oh, that poor child! Will that cop put him in jail, Mayor Gadsby?" At
which His Honor instantly thought of a plan long in his mind. Branton
Hills had a court room, a child's court, in fact, at which a kindly man
looks out for just such young waifs--trying to find out why such tots
commit unlawful acts. So Gadsby said:--
"I don't know, Marian, but I want you young folks to go on a visit,
tonight, to our night court, to find out about just such wild boys.
How many want to go?"
To his satisfaction, all did; and so, that night that court room had
rows of young folks, all agog with curiosity which a first visit to a
court stirs up in a child. Just by luck, our young vagrant in rags was
brought in first, shaking with childish doubt as to what was going to
occur. But that kindly man sitting back of that big mahogany railing
had no thought of scaring a child, and said calmly:--
"Now, boy, what did you do that you ought not to do; and why did you do
it?"
As our boys sat nudging and winking, but with our girls growing sad
from sympathy, our young culprit said:--
"Aw! I grabs a bun, and dis big cop grabs my collar!"
"But why did you grab that bun? It wasn't yours, you know."
"_Gosh_, man!! I was _hungry!!_"
"Hungry? Don't your folks look out for you?"
"Naw; I do my own looking. And that's what I _was_ doing, too!"
"What had you for food all day?"
"Just that bun. And _say!!_ I only got _half_ of it! That big cop was
so rough!"
"Did that cop, as you call him, hurt you?"
"_Hurt!!_ I should say _not!!_ I put up a good stiff scrap! I paid him
back, blow for blow! No big gas-bag of a cop is going to wallop _this_
kid and not pay for it!"
"But, boy, don't your folks bring you up to know that it is wrong to
rob anybody?"
"Naw! My Dad robs folks, and just got six months for it. So why
shouldn't I? It's all right to do what your Dad will do, isn't it?"
"Not always, boy," and our girls in row two and our boys in row four
sat sad and glum at this portrayal of youthful sin. Finally that big
kindly man, thoughtfully rubbing his chin, said:--
"Whom did your Dad rob?"
"I dunno. It was a Ford car. Nobody wasn't in it, so why not grab it?
That's what Dad said. You can pick up a bit of cash for a car, you
know, boss. And say, if a car brung only six months, how long will I
squat in jail for swiping this half bun? Aw! Go slow, boss! I ain't no
bad kid! Only just a hungry mutt. Gosh!! _How_ I wish I had a glass of
milk!"
From row two a young, vigorous girlish form shot out, dashing for a
doorway; and as that big kindly man was still rubbing his chin, Marian
burst in again, rushing, sobbingly, to that sad bunch of rags, holding
out a pint of milk and two hot biscuits. A quick snatch by two horribly
dirty young hands, a limp flop on a mat at that big mahogany railing,
and a truly hungry child was oblivious to all around him. And I'll say
that our boys, in row four, had lumpy throats. But finally that big
kindly man said:--
"Though taking things unlawfully is wrong, conditions can occur in
which so young a culprit is not at fault. This young chap has had no
bringing up, but has run wild. A child will not know right from wrong
if not taught; and, as it is a primary animal instinct to obtain food
in any way, I will simply put this boy in a school which Branton Hills
maintains for just such youths."
At this both row two and row four burst out in such a storm of
hand-clapping that Gadsby found that this visit had shown his young
folks, from actual contact with a child without training, how important
child-raising is; and how proud a city is of such as act according to
law.