Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-07-30
JERRY, THE MISER.

1t was a cobbler's shop, breaking the
row of small private houses in shabby SUI
burban street. How it came there nobody
knew. What is more, nobody cared.
Near the door, on this particular after
noon, were two females, the one. elderly,
the other graceful and young, both in deep
mourning. In front were two London
street Arabs, as ragged as mirthful; before
it stood the oldest being imaginable-a
little old man about four feet high, with a
not clean face, iron gray hair, on which
rested a worn skin cap, shaggy brows,
rather bow legs, and a dirty leather apron.
In irate tones he was addressing the boys:
''On with you, you young rascals! If
you come playing your hopscotch and Sally
come up before my window again, I'll flay
you alive!'
Before the muscular fists the boys fled,
hurting back derision. "Well done, Jerry
old Jerry, the miser! Yah!'
The cobbler-for he hardly merited the
more emphatic title of shoemaker-paid no
heed, but glancing sharply up from his
UGIlU UIOWS " UllC UWO eeoACAA3 4AAiee
what may you want?'
"We-we see," began the younger, look
ing timidly before the square card in the
window, ''you have apartments to let
"No, [ have rooms-rooms! [ don't
know nothing about apartments; | amt
up to them, nor the rooms amt, neither.
DO you want to see 'em?"
'We did wish"
'sAll right: come along" and. the little
man swung on his heel
The two women hesitating, looked at
one another.
"We had better see them, mother,'' said
the younger, with wan smile OF encour-
agement. ellis bark may be worse than
his bite, and all the other places are sc
dear"
| Following the cobbler through the shop
he led them up stains to the rooms. There
were two, communicating by a door witt
each other; they were poorly furnished, but
clean. AS the women looked at them, the
cobbler stared at them silently.
| "Well," he asked, what do you think
of them?''
''They will do very we'll" answered thu
widow. cit is only-the price,"
s'Six shillings a week-in advance"
six shillings!" calculated the girl.
~''Do you think it too much?" .
''On the contrary, it is cheap"
s'You know a lot Of the world to sa.
that. How do you know [ shan't clap OF
another shilling?"
II don't; but L should not fancy tina
you would"
ssAbout references" began the widow.
"Don''t want any; you pay in advance
and as, whenever you leave the house, i
must be through the shop, you can't wei
take the furniture without me knowing
Is it settled?"
eff you please, sir; here is the first week
rent.''
The cobbler took it, scrawled out re
ceipt, nodded, and left his dodgers to them
selves. Seated again on his bench, med
tatively, he scratched his grizzled chin an
contemplated the six coins in his horn
palm,
1.-TWO hobs a week lost to-day" he n
marked. "Jerry. you miser, how couI
you do it?"
The cobbler's dodgers proved very quie
They did not interfere with their LANDLORD
and he, apparently, did not interfere wit
with them. His rent was paid to the da
They rarely spoke, save exchanging tt
8 ordinary morning and evening salutatio1
when the daughter went through the sho
The mother never left the house. Bl
L Jerry, like most cobblers, was a man I
!, observation, and he made such observ
IT tions as the following:
81 ''She's beauty, she is, but awful viii
and sad. It's my opinion it's hard tim
with them up stairs"