Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-09-15
Money at Interest.
BY AMY RANDOLPH.

BY AMY RANDOLPH.
please sir. will you give me a penny
only pennyP
No-go along with you never Civ
money to street heggars.'
And Mrs. Parker sat trifle more erect
If it were possible, in her buffalo-cushion
ed wagon seat, and grasped her blue cot
ton umbrella tighter. But her husband
Paul Parker, on whose kindly face thu
boy turned his gaze, said
See here, boy, I've only got fifty cen
piece, and its more money than ought t.
give away. 1 shall be here at three o'olool
this day week, opposite this very tavern
will you be here to pay it back to me
Mind, l only lend it to you; and maybe
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. q
will be here, sure
Paul Parker, you're fool !" said the
woman, 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
4 hope so, wife, saids the old man
touching his placid horse gently with hi
relns, and urging him into speedy Jog
trot, Il should be sorry to think there
WASH t no truth in that bright eyed little
fellow. Give the world a fair chance
that's all I've got to say
The blistering August sunshine was
pouring into little garnet room in one Of
the most squalid and neglected purlieus
of the town, where a brutal. looking man
sat smoking short black pipe, and two
or three boys lounged around half asleep.
A hand-organ stood against the wall, and
a monkey DIRE sSed in soiled red rags chat
ted in the window. Nino's ACCORDION
and thumbed tambourine lay near by
NinO himself, with tear-stained cheeks
and heavy eyelids, was crouched in a
corner, wistfully watching the door, as if
resolved to avail himself of the first
chance that offered itself for escape.
There was u 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.o vershadowed by thick black looks,
was frank and open his eyes were soft
and languid, and there weIo both spirit
and gentleness in the we'll outlined mouth.
Had Nino Berlani been the offspring Of
called handsome but rags and poverty
and blows are anything but Identifying,
and Nino had known little else in his
brief and sunless existence.
Presently the man knocking the ashes
from his pipe and laid it down, with q
vicious sideiong glance at the boy.
so you'd got fifty cents hid away, you
was going to CANNON ME out of, Ell I? he
IL
like to know what You mean by it !
1T was mine tobbed the boy; 4 earned
it siugin' under the great folks winters
after work hours was over, gave you ii
earned in the day time, | did,
yours = growled the man aavagely
and all you earn is mine, and if ever
catch you at any such trick again, II
split your head open for you. Where ar
you going now ? Sit down again
Only ont as far as West-Landhill tav
ern.' said Nino, eutreatingly, as his eye
marked the slowly creeping tide of sun
shine along the floor, that formed his onl.
substitute for Il clock.
We'll you wont do no such thing : salt
the man evidently in a most contrary anC
euarrelsome mood. Go back to you
bench again, do you hear You're no
goin' to stir out o this before night, ant
not then, unless you behave yourself
IN be back in ten minutes, sir; l will
indeed.
Hold your noise = brutally eiaculate
his irate keeper. L tell You you shan
stir another peg there, now ! Dave, t
one of the other boys, give US light her
for this pipe
Nino watching his opportunity, as
wild beast might watch for an escap
from its cage, gave o forward dart jus
as the man stopped over to rub his mate
against the sole of his boot But he wa
not quite quick enough; his tyrant seize
him radely by the arm, and sluug hir
across the floor as if be had been a toy
He fell, his temple striking against tn
leg of a bedstead standing in the corner
and lay there quite iusensble.
'Blest if don't think he's done for, daC
said one OF the hitherto impaseive spec
tators of the scene, boy of thirteen, VIII
was generally dressed as a wanderin
Bavarian' with tambourine and bells.
Let him alone, say snarled tn
father, III teach him a lesson
just then the bell in the old squar
tower of the town clock struck three.
L told you he wouldn't be here. Paul
exultantly exclaimed Mrs. Parker, PR
jeoting her keen gray eyes in to ever
nook and corner around the dull street i
front of the West Landhiu House of Ell
tertainment for Man and Beast' kne,
it Now what do you think of your fin
honest boy ?
Paul Parker's eountenance cloude
visibly.
I'm sorry for it wife-sorry from tn
bottom of my heart. I somehow though
he was different from the common lot
of 'em, but l s'pose hadn't ought to e.
pect much from lad brought up in tn
streets. Well, well, let's drive on
The swift rolling years had sprinkle
their silver blossoms more plentifully @
the head of Paul Parker, and plowe
deeper lines in his wlfe's face. The lit
girl at their fireside had grown into tai
handsome woman. Once more we entt
the inner sanctum Of their lives.
1T is fathers fathers step, mother sal
Lucy Parker, jumping up to open Il
door We'll father, what luck p
Bad enough, child said old Paul meeI
ly shaking the powdery fringe of sno
from his overcoat. Millions down agi
with fever'n ague; his wife's poorly, an
Bruce has had stroke, go he can't woI
no more
And they didn't pay you the money
Paul you were fool for ever lendin
II shrieked his wife sbrilly. And wins
are we to do, with lawyer Martin writtil
and written for the money we owe him
we can do nothing, WIFE,