The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1871-02-18
Tlle A1banp Reoister.
Money at Interest.

ssPlease, sir, will you give me a penny, |
only a penny ?"
sNo-go along with you; I never
give money to street beggars."
And Mrs. Parker sat trifie more
erect if it were possible, in her buffalo
cushioned wagon-seat, and grasped her
blue cotton umbrella tighter But her
husband, Paul Parker, oD whose kindly
face. the boy turned his gaze, said:
''see here boy I've only got fifty
cent piece, and its more money than 1
ought to give away. | shall be here at
three o'clock this day week, opposite
thus very tavern; will you be here to
pay it back to me ? Mind, / only lend it
to you; and may be I'll be able to find
some work for you by that time"
ssYes, sir said the boy gleefully, as
he scrambled up the wheel, s.Pll will be
here, sure. 4
"Paul Parker, you're fool,' said the
woman, angrily ssYou scatter your
money about as though there was no end
to it. Do you suppose you'll ever see
your fifty cents again -
81 hope so, wife, said the old man,
touching his placid horse gently with the
reins, and urging him into a sleepy jog
trot. II should be sorry to think there
wasn't no truth in that bright-eyed little
| fellow Give the world 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 brutal looking man
sat smoking short black pipe, and two
or three boys lounged around half asleep.
| A hand organ stood against the wall, aud
o monkey dressed in soiled red rags chat
tered in the window. Nino's ACCORDION
and thumped tambourine lay near by !;
| Nino himself, with tear-stained cheeks
and heavy eyelids, was crouched in cor
ner, wistfuliy watching the door, as if re-
solved to avail himself of the first chance
that offered itself for escape.
/ There was wild beauty about the boy
in spite of his swarthy cheeks and for
lorn uniform of rags, and an attractive
ness that was difficult to understand.
His brow, overshadowed 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 Nino Berlani been
| the offspring of aristoeratic lineage, he
would have been called handsome but
rags and poverty and blows are anything
but beautifying, and Nino had known
little else in his brief and sunless exist
ence.
Presently the man knocked the ashes
from his pipe and laid it down, with a
vicious side-long glance at the boy.
$50 you'd got fifty cents hid away, you
was going to CANNON me out of, eh p he
demanded. "1ou young vagabond, I'd
like to know what you mean by it !"
/ f'It was mine," sobbed the boy; "I
earned it siagin' under the great folks
| winders. after work hours was over.
gave you all l earned in the daytime, 1
/ did
"Yours." growled the man savagely /;
"and all you earn is mine, and if ever I
catch you at any such trick again I'll
/ split your head open for you Where
are you going now? Sit down again"
"Only 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 clock.
/ "Well, we won't do no such thing"
said the man, evidently in most CON
trary and quarrelsome mood fGo back
to your bench again do you hear? You re
not goin' to stir out of this before night
and not then, unless you behave your
self"
ssI'll be back in ten minutes, sir; I
will, indeed"
Hold your noise y brutally ejaculat-
ed his irate keeper. ssI tell you you
shan't stir another peg; there, now p
Dave" to one of the other boys, 'sgive
US a light for this pipe"
/ Nino, watching his opportunity as a
wild beast might watch for an escape
from the cage, gave forward dart just
as the man. stopped over to rub his match
] against,th sole Of his boot. But he was
not quite quick enough; his tyrant
seized him rudely by the arm, and slung
him across the floor as if he had been a
toy 81 He fell, his temple striking against
the leg Of bedstead standing in the cor
ner, and lay quite insensible.
sBlest if [ don't think he's done for,
dad, ? said one of the hitherto impassive
spectators Of the scene, boy Of thirteen,
who was generally dressed as wander
ing Bavarian," with tambourine and
bells.
s'Let him alone, say" snarled the
father. "I'll teach him lesson"
i Just then the bell in the old square
tower of the town clock struck three.
s.I told you ne wouldn't be here, Paulr'
exultantly exclaimed Mrs. Parker, pro-
jecting her keen gray eyes into every
nook and corner around the dull street in
front of the ssWest LandhiIl House of
Entertainment for Man and Beast" 81
knew it !! Now, what do you think of
your fine honest boy z"
Paul Parker's countenance clouded
visibly.
m sorry for it, wife-sorry from the
bottom of my heart. I somehow thought
he was different from the common lot of
'em, but s'pose 1 hadn't ought to ex-
| pect much from lad brought up in the
streets. Well, lets drive OF"
i The swift rolling years had sprinkled
their silver blossoms more plentifully on
i the head of Paul Parker and nlowed