Copyright, 1897, by Harper & Brothers. All Rights Reserved.
| published weekly. | NEW YORK, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1897. | five cents a copy. |
| vol. xviii.—no. 901. | two dollars a year. |
CRYING TOMMY.
BY MOLLY ELLIOT SEAWELL.
Jenks, the master-at-arms, otherwise known as Jimmylegs, was the bestJimmylegs in the naval service of the United States. His countenance wasusually as stolid as a mummy's, and his voice as steady as the Sphinx'smight have been. He would have announced "The magazine is on fire, sir,"in precisely the same tone as "John Smith has broken his liberty, sir."Therefore when Mr. Belton, First Lieutenant of the training-shipSpitfire, in his first interview after coming aboard, detected arudimentary grin upon Jimmylegs's usually impassive face, he stoppedshort in the perilous operation of shaving while the ship had a sharproll on, and asked:
"What is it, master-at-arms? Out with it!"
"Just this, sir," replied old Jenks, crossing his arms and tugging athis left whisker with his right hand. "Along o' that 'prentice boy,Hopkins—the other boys call him Crying Tommy, because he's alwaysblubbering about something or 'nother. That boy'd be worth good money toa undertaker, he's got such a distressful countenance. Well, sir, Ibrought him down, with a batch o' other boys...