Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1872-09-03

the lodgcr come in. lie went up
to his room, and she heard him pa
cling the floor. He seemed as rest
less as q Gagged tiger, and he had be-
havod just ~ fo4 'liioo hiSnts IN
stood of retiring at once as he gen
orally did.
"What can all him :" said Sally,
as she took her bread out of the
oven. 81 hope he amt sick or moth
ing; he's so civil, poor dear
Then Sally listened again.
81 declare he's coming down" she
said she must be sick and there
he is knocking. Law !"
Then she opened the door.
The lid of the stove was off, and
the red light flashed upon hungry
face with hollow cheeks and sunken
eyes. The gaunt hand stretched
itself out, and the voice said, faint
ly:
"Madam, / know you have kind
heart. 1 am very hungry. It's
three days since have eaten any
thing, and-I don't want to die"
"Law! l should think not" said
the woman. "Why, law, me, I'm so
sorry! And I suppose you can't
get a job! Why, do take it; it's
all we've got, and can bake anoth-
er. You see, we're pretty poor our
selves, and there-oh, law" She
was trembling, though she did not
know why. She was thinking TO
herself:
"It's like a play. 1t makes me
want to cry"
Then he took the warm bread
from her hands, tearing bits from it
and eating them. He backed. away.
still c0tiug, then he came back and
stretched out his hands toward her.
81 didn't thank you," he said
"Thank you! thank your and he
went away.
Sally sat down, trembling still
To be out of job, to be hungry,
were no rare things in her expert
ence, but this man had stirred her
soul, frightened her. She said to
herself:
al had no business to give away
the loaf of bread, but there, /
couldn't help it."
Then she went to bed and dream
ed of the hollow checked, famished
lodger of the attic.
There was more bread to make
next day, and | am not sure but
that she made an extra loaf in eX-
pectation of another call from her
ncighbor, but he did not come, and,
in the course of time, Sally had
enough to think of without leaving
her own floor. Matters did not |
prosper with the family. Little Le-
ma had the scarlet fever and lay for
a long time at deaths door, and the
work with which the mother help
ed to fill the family purse was ne
cessarily neglected, and her custo-
mers grew angry and left her. Then
the baby died. The poor mother
wept bitterly. The father also
wept, though children were expen-
sive luxuries in that poor house
hold. Finally, the last affection
fell upon the tailor-a felon an his
tight thumb.
There was an end to all, it SEEM
ID to both. Nothing but the. hos
j1tal and the almshouse before them.
The rent was quite unpaid at last,
md the tobacconist was in fury. ,
lie called to give them warning and ,
piece of his mind. On the NOR !
ow out he should go, neck and crop. ,
rhe tailor said nothing; the wife,
had her word. :
"Wherc shall we go! 7" she asked;
we haven't penny in the world"
arts nothing to me where you |
o." said the landlord, $50 that j |
'et you out Of my rooms. want l
hem for honest people" i
"We're unfortunate, but we new i
r meant to be dishonest" cried c
he wife.
Here the husband, i'm an angry
oice, babe her hold her tongue
It's all the same," he said, "we1l
o tomorrow. And now you go,
IN. Landlord"
Then they were left alone, be-
loaning their hard fate ; there was
nothing left to eat in the l
ouse.
Sally looked at her empty flour {
arrcl and at her wrctchcd family
MI burst into tears 1