Just Pals

1
The town of Norwalk
--- on the borderline
between Wyoming and
Nebraska.

2
The village sleuthhound.

	---Johnny Cookie.

3
"Do you want to
 grow up and be 
 a bum --- like that
 no 'count Bim?"

4
"Bim says I'm goin'
 to be president
 some day."

5
  Every town has its
"Bim"----the idol of
 its youths and bane 
 of its elders

	---BUCK JONES.

6
"You guys work so
 hard, I git tired
 watchin' you."

7
Mary Bruce, the
school teacher

    ----Helen Ferguson.

8
Harvey Cahill, the
local cashier of the
Express Company

    ----William Buckley.

9
A hobo - - -

   George Stone

10
"Do you want to
 earn two bits?"

11
"I got two bits."

12
"What do you mean,
 pickin' on a poor
 kid like that?"

13
"Look at Bim!"

14
Doctor Warren Stone,
who had recently 
located in Norwalk

    ----Edwin B. Tilton.

15
"Bim, you did nobly."

16
"She's sure some
   nifty jane!"

17
"Why don't you cop
 her while she's
 young an' ------ care-
 less?"

18
Just pals ---- with
common joys and
woes and growing
hunger pains.

19
"Come on, Bill, I'm
 goin' to get us a
 swell feed."

20
The original anvil
      chorus.

21
"If someone doesn't
 do something about
 that boy's future,
 he'll turn out just
 like that lazy good-
 for-nothing Bim!"

22
"If talk was a
 breeze, kid, that
 bunch would be a
 cyclone ---"

23
"The law'll take
 care o' this."

24
"Hello, chef --- anything
 we can do for you
 today?"

25
"'sassinate dem
 poultry fo' me an'
 you both eats."

26
"I ain't hungry
 ---- are you?"

27
"No ---- let's go."

28
"It's your bounden
 duty to see that
 the boy is sent
 to school."

29
"How long since you
 had a bath?"

30
"I don't remember
 --- how long since
 you had one?"

31
"None of your busi-
 ness! But you're
 going to get one
 pretty quick!"

32
"Bim! What are you
 trying to do?"

33
"He should start going
 to school Monday ---
 and I want you to
 promise me that he
 will."

34
"He won't like it
 much, but if you
 say he ought to
 go---I'll see that
 he does."

35
"There ain't nothin' the
 matter with you, is
 there? You didn't go
 to school, did you?
 Then why in hell
 send me?"

36
"It don't make no dif-
 ference 'bout me---I
 guess Miss Bruce knows
 best---an' I promised
 her----an' so you're
 goin'!"

37
Monday---and he
went.

38
"The law'll take
 care o' this."

39
"William---stand up!"

40
"William---a man had
 seventeen apples---
 he ate two and sold
 seven- - - how many
 were left?"

41
"Seven."

42
The end of the 
first day was not 
the end of woe.

43
"Wait --- I'm going 
 to scare that new
 kid stiff."

44
"Them clothes makes
 you look like Bim!"

45
"That's nothin' to
 be 'shamed of---
 Bim's a swell guy!"

46
"Swell guy! Why, 
 he's the town bum!"

47
"He said you was
 the town bum!"

48
"---an' he said you
 wasn't fit to live
 with pigs."

49
"By gosh, I said
 you were!"

50
"I'm short in my
 accounts ---- the
 traveling auditor's
 due and if you don't
 help me out----"

51
"How can I help
   you out?"

52
"You're in charge of
 the school memorial
 fund --- they're not
 using it now ---"

53
"Let me keep it
 in my cash until
 I make up the
 shortage."

54
"Mr. Holt, I got respon-
 sibilities now---an' I
 want a job ----- can't
 you use me?"

55
"Get a uniform and
 I'll put you on as
 porter."

56
"Gee, Bim! Won't
 you look great
 in a uniform."

57
"If you should
 need it, send me
 word and I'll bring
 it over in ten minutes."

58
Uniforms ---- even
in his dreams ---

59
"An' you risked your
 life like this for a
 no 'count bum like
 me!"

60
"Will he live, 
 Doc?"

61
 "Oh, he'll pull
through all right."

62
The doctor's wife.

63
"That's the same boy
 --- and if we get
 him away from Bim,
 we can get the re-
 ward."

64
"And you did it
 for me, what ain't
 worth as much as
 your little finger ---"

65
"Take that skullcap
 off and try to
 look motherly."

66
"You poor darling
      child."

67
"He won't be laid
 up long, will he?"

68
"There's no telling.
 He's going to need
 a lot of attention---
 a mother's care and
 absolute quiet."

69
"I'll work my fingers
 off ---- I'll give him
 everything he needs,
 Doc."

70
"But you can't give
 him a mother's
 care ---- and that 
 is most important."

71
"The poor, dear child
 --- who could think
 of money at a
 time like this."

72
"You must agree
 to leave him alone
 and entirely in my
 hands and I'll take
 care of everything."

73
It isn't long before 
Bill is well enough 
to ask embarrassing 
questions.

74
"Well, my little
 man, how do you
 feel today?"

75
"Rotten --- all dressed
 up like a damn
 bullfighter!"

76
"Say, why hasn't
 Bim been here
 to see me?"

77
"He said he was
 going away --- seem-
 ed mighty glad when
 we offered to take
 care of you."

78
"Aw, you're crazy
 with the heat."

79
"Well, what do
 you want?"

80
"I thought I'd call
 and see how the
 kid's getting along."

81
"If you want him
 to get well quickly,
 you'll have to keep
 your promise and
 stay away from here."

82
"Will you give him
 these flowers, so
 he'll know I'm thinkin'
 of him?"

83
"Well, dear children,
 the fund you all
 worked so hard to
 raise is now complete
 and the memorial will
 be started at once."

84
"Now, Miss Bruce,
 if you will turn
 the fund over to
 us ---"

85
"I'll go for it 
   at once."

86
"Bim, will you take
 this note to Mr.
 Cahill, personally?
 And hurry --- please--"

87
"I've got a letter
 for Mr. Cahill ---
 very important."

88
"He won't be back
 for an hour ---- will
 you wait?"

89
"The law'll take
 care o' this."

90
"The school teacher
 just drowned her-
 self and I'm going
 for the doctor."

91
"When you didn't
 come she drown-
 ed herself."

92
"You get me that
 money --- now! They
 ain't goin' to call 
 her no thief!"

93
"Say, Cahill, I got
 a scheme that'll
 interest a guy in
 your fix."

94
"Supposin' my gang
 robbed the Express 
 Office tonight -----
 they'd never know
 you was short."

95
"Empty!"

96
"That's why she
 tried to drown
 herself."

97
"You had the money
 --- what have you
 done with it?"

98
"I ain't got nothin'
      to say."

99
"The law'll take
 care o' this."

100
"You dirty crook!
 We're going to ride
 you out of town
 on a rail ------ and
 don't you ever come
 back."

101
"There goes Bim
 with my horses ---
 plug him!"

102
 "What the hell
struck us, anyhow?"

103
Nightfall across the
trail to Nowhere.

104
 The constable
communicates with
 the county seat.

105
"Say, pard, any
 chance of hornin'
 in on the eats?"

106
"All right."

107
"Why didn't Bim tell
 them, Auntie? Why
 should he suffer
 just to protect me?"

108
"Men like Bim ain't
 the kind who think
 of themselves when
 a good woman's in
 danger of being mis-
 judged ---"

109
"---- and that's more
 than I can say for
 all the memorial
 committees this town
 ever had!"

110
The 'little job in
Norwalk' does not
appeal to Bim.

111
"The boobs will all
 be at prayer meetin',
 and it's goin' to be
 an easy job."

112
"We may be boobs,
 but they ain't no
 gang o' thieves
 goin' to rob our
 town, if I know it!"

113
While the "good" men
of the city pray---

114
"I told you crooks
 they weren't no
 gang goin' to rob
 our town --- an' I
 meant it!"

115
"Sheriff, I didn't
 have no part in
 this robbery---I---"

116
"Why, the damned liar!
 He planned this job."

117
"It's that damn Bim
 again --- get a rope!"

118
 "Sheriff, you can
 have the other guys
 but this bum's goin'
 to decorate the limb
 of a tree!"

119
"I'm leaving this
 town tonight and
 you're going with
 me!"

120
The never-to-be-
forgotten rumble 
of Judge Lynch's
mob.

121
"They're after me!
 Hide me!"

122
"Don't let 'em hang
 Bim! The man they
 want's inside fight-
 ing the teacher!"

123
"Hold on, boys! This
 kid says the real
 culprit's hiding in
 the school."

124
"By Gad, you won't
 tell them!"

125
"You did this for
 my sake, Bim?"

126
After which, the 
heroes would have
been welcome to 
any spare bed in 
town.

127
 "William, darling,
your father's here!"

128
"I guess the other
 kid'll have to take
 my place."

129
"Goodbye---pal."

130
"That's not my boy!"

131
"I thought it was
 darn funny! The last
 time I heard of my
 old man he was in
 Sing Sing."

132
"Another one of your
    happy ideas."

133
"Do you know this
       man?"

134
"I do! He's the dis-
 charged chauffeur
 who kidnapped my
 boy!"

135
"Say something ---
 you big stiff!"

136
"I-- I-- Bill says
 --- I mean --- you
 know ---- if --- well,
 will you?"

137
"The law'll take
 care o' this."