The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1870-09-10
Select Mistellang,
MONEY AT INTEREST.
BY AMY RANDOLPH.


i And Mrs. Parker sat trife more erect
: if it were possible, in her buffalo cushioned
: wagon-seat, and grasped her blue cotton um
: brella tighter. But her husband, Paul Par
9 ker, on whose kindly face the boy turned
his gaze, said:
'Se, here, boy I've only got fifty-cent
. piece, and its more money than ought tc
give away. ] shall be here at three o'clock
this day week, opposite this very tavern
will you t. here to pay it back to me
Mind, L only lend it to you; and may be
I'll be able to find some work for you by
that time
Yes sir said the boy. gleefully, as he
scrambled up the side of the wheel. i will
be here, sure
Paul Parker, you're fool said the wo-
man, angrily. you scatter your money about
as though there was no end to it. Do you
suppose you'll ever see your fifty cents
again p
Il hope so, wife, said the old man, touch
ing his placid horse gently with the reins,
and urging him into sleepy jog-tro. Il
should be sorry to think there wasn't no
truth ir that bright-eyed little fellow. Give
the world a chance, that's all I've got to
say
The blisterirg August sunshine was pour
ing into little garret room in one of the
most squalid and neglected purliens of the
town, where brutaL,ookiug man sat smok-
ing short black pipe, and two or three
boys lounged around half asleep. A hand
organ stood against the wall, and a monkey
dressr in soiled red rags chatted in the
window. Nino's ACCORDION and thumbed
tambourine lay near by; Nino himself, with
tear-stained cheeks and heavy eyelids, was
was crouched in corner, wistfully watch
ing the door, as if resolved to avail himself
of the first chance that offered itself for
escape.
There was a wild beauty about the boy,
in spite of his swarthy cheeks and forlorn
uniform Of rags, and an attractiveness that
was difficult to understand. His brow, over
shadOwed by thick black locks, was frank
and open his eyes were soft and liquid, and
there were both spirit and gentleness in the
well outlined mouth. Had Ni1o Berlani
been the offspring of aristocratic lineage, he
would have been called handsome but rags |
and poverty and blows are anything but
identifying. and Nino had known little else
in his brief aud sunless existence.
Presently the man knocked the ashes
from his pipe and laid it down, with vic
ious side-loug glance at the boy.
$50 you'd got fifty cents hid away, you
was going to CANNON me out of, eh? he
demanded. You young vagabond, I'd like
to know what you mean by it.'
1T was mine sobbed the boy Il earned
it singin' under the great folks winders,
after work-hours was over. l gave you all
| earned in the daytime, did,
Yours" growled the man, savagely, 'and
all you earn is mine, and if ever l catch you
at any such trick again, I'll split your
head open for you. Where are you going
now? Sit own again.
'Ouly out as far as West. .Landhill tavern,
said NinO, entreatingly, as his eyes marked
the slowly creeping tide of sunshine along
the floor, that formed his only substitute for
a clock.
well, you won't do no such thing p said
the man, evidently in most contrary and
quarrelsome mood. go back to your bench
again do you hear? You're not goin' to stir
out O this before night, and not then, unless
you behave YOURSELF
'I'll be back in ten minutes, sir; 1 will,
indeed
'Hold your noise = brutally calculated his
irate keeper. Il tell you you shan't stir an
other peg; there, now Dave, to one of the
other boys, give us light here for this
pipe
Nino, watching his opportunity, as wild
beast might watch for an escape from its
sage, gave forward dart just as the man
stopped over to rub his match against the
Iole of his boot. But he was not quite quick
enough his tyrant seized him rudely by
he arm, and slung him across the floor as
t he had been toy. He fell, his temple
striking against the leg of bedstead stand
ng in the corner, and lay there quite insen- I
'ible. !.