Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1873-03-13
Money at Interest.

mss4sa-s.s. M ANY RANDOLPH. ...a-....-.,
Please, air, will yen give me penny%
'No-go along with you; never give money
| TO street beggars. s,.s'- efiF
And Mrs. Parker sat trine more erect, If 1t
were possible, In her buffalo-cushioned wagon
seat, and grasped her hlue cotton umbrella tight
or. But her husband, Paul Parker, on whose
kindly face the boy turned his gaze, said:
See here, boy, I've only got fifty cent piece,
aud Its more money than ought W give awav.
shall be here at three O'Clock this day week,
| opposite this very tavern; will you be here to
pay 1t back to me? Mind, only lend 1t to
| You, aud may be III be able to find some work
| for YOU by that time"
Yes SIR said tho boy, gleefully, as ne scram-
blsd up the side Of the wheel. 4 will be here,
sure
Paul Parker, you're fool r said the woman;
| angrily. You scatter your money about as
though there was no end TO 1t. DO you sup
pose you'll ever see your fifty cents again?'
Il hopeso, wife, said The old man, touching
his placid horse gently with the reins, and
1 urging HIM into sleepy jog-trot. 4 should be
sorry to think there wasn't no truth in that
bright-eyed little fellow. Give the world q fair
chance, that's all I've got to say
| The blistering August sunshine was pouring
into a little garrett room in one of the most
squalid and neglected purlieus of the town,
where brutal looking man sat smoking short
black pipe, and or three boys lounged around
half asleep. A hand organ stood against the
| wall, and monkey dressed In soiled red rags
chatted In the window. Nino's ACCORDION and
I a thumbed tambourine lay near by; Nino HIM
self, with tear-stained cheeks and heavy eye
lids, was crouched In corner, wistfully watch
ing the door, as If resolved 10 avail himself of
the first chance that offered itself for escape.
| There was wild beauty about the boy, in
spite Of his swarthy checks and forlorn uniform
OF rags, and an aitractiveness that was difficult
| to understand. His brow, overshatlowel by
thick black locks, was frank and open; bis eyes
were soft and liquid, and there were both spirit
aud gentleness in the well outlined mouth
Had Nino Berlam been the offspring of aristo-
cratic lineage, he would have been called hand
some; bui rags and poverty and blows are any
| thing bus Identifying, and Nino had known lit
| tie else q his brief al! sunless existence.
| Pres y he man knocked the ashes from
his pe'Tn laid 1t down, with ycioll, side
| long at the boy
81 got fifty sen aid away, yol wa,
going rsainplon IN rt0 vi, ELY 4 demanded.
You young vagabonl, III like TO know what
you mean by 1t!
1T was mine sobbed the boy; Il earned IL
singln' under the great folks winders; after
work-hours was over. | gave you all earned
in the day time, l did,
Yours" growled the man, savagely; 'and all
you earn is mine, and If ever l eaten you at
any such a trick again, Ill split your head open
for you, Where are you going now Sit down
again.
"Only out as far as West Landhlll 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.
'Wel, you won't do no such thing = said the
man, evidently in most contrary and quarrel
some mood go back to your bench again; do
| you hears You're not going to stir out o. this
YOURSELF
Ill be back In ten minutes, sir; will, in
Decd
'Hold your noise = brutally calculated his
| irate keeper. tell you you shan't stir an
other peg; there, now Dave, to one of the
other boys, give us a light here for this pipe.
Nino, watching his opportunity, asa wild
beast might watch for an escape from its cage,
gave forward dart just as the man stopped
to rub his match against the sole of his boot
Bot he was not quite quick enough; his tyrant
| seized him ru,lely by the arm, and slung him
across the door as If he had been toy. He fell,
his temple striking against the leg Of bedstead
standing In the corner, and lay there quite In
| sensible.
'Blest if l 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 "wandering Bavaitin" with tam
| BOURNE and bells.
81 Let him alone, I say snarled the father
| Tll teach him q lesson
| Just then the bell in the old square lower of
| the town clock struck three.
Il told you he wouldn't be here, Paul l. ex-
| utantly exclaimed Mrs. Parker, projecting her
keen gray eyes into every nook aud corner
| around the dull street in front of the West
| Landhill House Of Entertainment for Man and
| Beast Il knew it Now, what do YOU think
Of your fine, honest boy p
Paul Parkers countenance clouded ysi-
bly,.
"I'm sorry for it, wife-sorry from the bot
tom OF my heart. somehow thought he was
different from the common lot of ZEN, but |
s'pose l hadn't ought to expect much from a
LAD brought up In the streets. Well, well, let's
drive on"
The swift rolling years had sprinked their
silver blossoms more plentifully on the head
| OF Paul Parker, and plowed deeper lines in
his wife's face. The little girl at their fireside
had grown into tall handsome young woman.
Once more we enter the inner sanctum of their
lives.
alt is fathers step, mother" said Lucy Park
er, jumping up to open the door. "Well, father,
what luck?'
"Bad enough, child, said old Paul, NEE k
ly shaking the powdery fringe of snow from
his overcoat. "Milton's down ag'n with fevern
ague; his wife's poorly, and Bruce has had a
| stroke, so he can't work no more"
sand they didn't pay you the money? Paul
you were fool Tor ever lending 1t, shrieked
| his wife shrilly. Sand what are we to do. with
lawyer Martin writn and writin for the money
\ we owe himp"
awe can do nothing, wife,
ave shall he sold out at auction, and die in
poor house yet. Oh, Paul, why didn't YOU
pay more heed to what I've always kept teilin
your
.'Not so bad as that, hope" said the old
man cheerily, though the muscles OF his lip and
brow quivered.
Father, Is it St. John Martin, the Leeds
streets Lawyer, to whom you owe this nlouey?"
"1es: what do you know about him?
mot much: but met his son at several uar-
ties last iaii, ana IL think, If you We're to 20
there and tell him just how it is, or write ,
even-'
ako use" eroaked Mrs. Parker, despairincly.
''other folks aint so ready to let 70 of their
money az your father 10, Lucy"
n "May be it worth trying" said old Paul.
hopefully, "well write this very night and next
week vel go up to Boston and see what answer
ha makes u.s."
And then Lucy, blushing like a sweet pea
in the eGl,apy Of her plan.
"for I's father csn't " s5svery Lard heart
ed She ''' 'ght, sand they are 50 yerv rich
that sur .ey will b. si,lm n w..it for
this five ii .ndrcd doi.-- i'll We can nav
IT," f''
The santly surr :; -. little Nd ON Leeds
street dad not often have such outre equips ces
drawn up before ii as Paul ParSer's inud-be-
splashed box wagon and shaggy fold pony,
and nc elegantly attired young lawyer, who
sat at the desk examining some papers, glanced
up in surprise as the blooming girl and the
bent old man entered together, like May and
| December.
"Lucy!"
| uNiniani thnuoht vour fati,a. r At,