The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1874-11-06

every 81; ~. week, and look after him little
in other ways. Soyuetimes he buys
matches and newspapers, and sells them
again !; sometimes he buys ginger cakes
and eats them ell !; hut he So Invariably
.busted,"a he calls it, by Saturday
night--Joe 10 Oh, Joe!'
Joe looked back, and, With perfect
indifference to the fact. that hs was do
tanning Mr. Wise, answered that he
would .'be dar torectly,':' continuing his
negotiations for an empty goods box
lying at the door of = neighbofiny dry
goods store. what ysu Want,, Mas
Tom - ho asked on his return. 49,.
.Miss Mollie is going to be married
week after next, Jos, and you may
come up to the house If yca like. l
was afraid l might forget it." ..i.s,.'
"Whoop yol, sir Thanky, Mas
Tom. bopn. to see Miss Mollie step
off dc carpit.s But, Lord-a-musey dem
now .niggers you al got amt: swine to
femme in -
"Come to tn, front door and ask for
me. Cut out now, and don't ret busted
this week, because 14shall need oil my
money to buy breastpin to wait on
my sister in. Come, John. let's regis.
ter"
Joe's glance followed Mr.. Wise and
his friend till they were out Of sight !:
then he turned and paused no more till
he reached IN out.of.the.Way grocery
store, in the window Of which were dis.
paved samples of fish and soap and
calico and kerosene lamps and dreadful
brass jewelry, among which was .
frightfal breastpin in the shape Of =
crescent set with red and green glass,
aud further ornalncnted by = chain of
the most atroc;ous description conceiv-
able. Before this thing Of beauty,
which to him had Teen joy for weeks,
Joe paused and fingered, and smote his
black breast and sighed the sigh Of
poverty. Then he went in. ''What
mout DO de- price o dat gents pin in de
corner oh der winder p he inquired.
Il don't sec any gont's pin in the cor
ner of the window" said the proprietor
Of the store.
Joe took tho mild pleasantly, and
inquiring. "What mout be de price O.
de pin :" was told that it might be
anything--from nothing up--but it
could 90 for seventy.five cents"
He stood again outside tho window,
looking sadly and reAectively at the
attractive bi jou, then seated himself
on tho curbsone, his clutches resting
in the gutter, and thoughtfully smooth
cd between his finger and thumb the
twenty-five cent note Mr.. Wise had
given him: ''Ef takes dis, an de one
Mas Tom gwine to gimme mex week,
dat'll be fifty cents, but it won't BE-
seventy-6ve, so I got to make quar-.
ter on de two. Eff Miss Mollie knowed,
! spect she would wait anoder week 70
git married, an den / wouldn't run no
resk O desc; but I amt gwine to tell
her, cos l know she couldn't help tel-
lin Mas Tom, an I want to sprise
him. Mas Tom is made me feel good
q many time; want to make him feel
good wunst. He don't nuvvur came
dis way, an amt seed dat pin, or he
would ha' had it fore now"
Then Little Joe bsstirred himself and
obtoining the assistance of Z friend
took his dry goods box up to Capitol
Square. There he turned it upside
down, spread newspaper over the top
and proceeded to display his wares.
A pyramid Of three apples stood in
ono corner; q small stock Of peppermint
candy was it's pis-a.pis; a tiny glass of
peanuts graced tho third, and was con-
lronted by a lemon that had seen life,
and was moro sere than yellow. But
the c1owning glory was the center.piece
An unhappy looking pic Of visage pale
and thin physique, yethow beautiful to
Joe! He stepped back on his clutches,
turning his head from side to side as he
surveyed the effect, took up Z locust
branch he had brought with him to
brush away the flies, and, leaning against
the iron railing, with calm dignity
awaited coming events. i
His glance presently fell on tho fig-
ure Of negro boy, who stood gazing
with longing eyes on the delicacies Of
his table, and it was with strange feel.
ing Of kinship that Little ZOO continued
to regard the new conner, for he, too,
had been branded by misfortune. He
appeared about Jos's age, and should
have been taller, but his legs had been
amputated nearly up to tho knee, and
as he stood on the pitiful stumps, sup.
ported oy short cane in ono hand, his
head was hardly IS high IS the iron
railing. He had none Of Jse's bright
ness, but locked ragged and dirty and
hungry, and evidently had no Mas Tom
to help the good Lord and the birds of
the air to take care of him. His skin
was Of dull, ashsn hue, and the short
wool which chung close to his scalp was
sunburnt till it was red and crisp; and
formed = curious contrast to his black
face. One arm was bare, only the rag
ged remains Of sleeve hanging over
the shoulder, and it seemed no great
misfortune that his legs bad been short
ened, for be had hardly pantaloons
enough to cover what he had left.
He looked at the pie, and Joe looked
at him. Presently tho latter inquired
seriously, "Whar yo' legs?"
"Cut Oh, was the answer.
"How come dey cut Off"
"Feet was fros-bit. Like ter kill
me-" ;,
"What yo' name?'' asked Joe.
"Kiah."
"What were 20 ole mas namee''
didn't have no ole mas"
"Was you natchul free niggcr?"
"Dunno what you mean" said Kiah.
Fore We was all sot free, explained
Little Joe. ''Wos you born wild ole
mas an q ole mis- or was you born