Page:Upbuilders by Lincoln Steffens.djvu/201



Judge Lindsey seized for this purpose the very preparations the police had made for their

“joke on the Judge.” He introduced Billy to the reporters.

“What do you think the cops have told these reporters, Billy?” he said. “They have told them that that fool Judge was going to trust little Billy B. to go to the industrial school all by himself, and that they were going to have the laugh on the Judge because they knew Billy better than the Judge did. They say they

know you’ll never go, and they are saying what a fine joke it will be to have the reporters write a story to-morrow telling how the Judge trusted Billy, and Billy threw the Judge down, ditched his papers, and ran away. And, gee whiz, it would be tough if I did get thrown down. But I’m not scared. I believe in you, and I’m going to trust you. I am going to give you these, your commitment papers, and your railroad ticket, and we’ll see whether you stay with me or stay with the police. I want these reporters to tell just what happens, so it’ll be up to you, Billy, to go to Golden or skip.”

As the Judge proceeded, Billy’s head began to go up in the air. By and by he pushed the cold tears out of his eyes, and when the Judge ceased to speak, those eyes were blazing.