The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1875-08-25
Jerry, tho NIiscl-.

Jne row OF small private houses IN
shabby suburban street. How it came
there nobody knew. What is more,
nobody cared.
Near the door, on this particular
afternoon, we're two females, the one
elderly, the other graceful and young;
both in the deepest 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 over clean face, iron-gray hair, on
which rested a worh skin cap, shaggy
brows. rather bow legs, and a dirty
leathern apron. In irate tones, he
was addressing the boys:
"On with you, you young rascals
If you come playing your hopscotch
and Sally-come.ups before my window
again I'll flay you alive"
Before the muscular fists the boys
fed, hurling back derisioRn "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 bent brows to the two
women, asked, "And what may you
want?"
We've see," began the younger,
looking timidly before the square card
in the window, "you have apartments
to let."
"No, I've rooms-rooms l don't
know nothing Of apartments; amt
up to othem, nor the rooms amt neith-
er. Do you want to see 'em :"
ave did wish"
"All 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
encouragement. "His bark may be
worse than his bite, and all the other
places are so DEAR"
Following the cobbler through the
shop, he led them up stairs to the
rooms. There were two, communicat-
ing by door with 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
the widow. "It's only--the price !"
"Six shillings week-in advance"
"Six shillingsl" calculated the girl.
"Do you think it too much?"
"On the contrary, it is cheap"
"You know lot of the world to say
that. How do you know / shan't clap
on another shilling?"
81 don't; but l should not fancy
you would"
"AbOut references" began the. wild;
ow.
Don't want any--you pay in ad-
vance; and as, whenever you leave
the house, it must be through the
shop, you can't we'll take the furniture
without my knowing. Is it settled2"
"!f you please; here is the first
weeks rent"
The cohbler took it, scrawled out a
receipt, nodded, and left his dodgers to
themselves. Seated again on his bench,
meditatively, he scratched his grizzled
chin and contemplated the six coins in
his horny palm"
1.-TWO hobs week lost to.dayi" he
remarked. "Jerry, you miser, how
could you do it?"
The cobbler's dodgers proved very
quiet. They did not interfere with
their landlord. and he, apparently, did
not interfere with theHfz ~ iSss4t was
paid to the day.
They rarely spoke, save exchanging
the ordinary morning and evening sal
utations when the daughter went
through the shop. The mother never
left the house. But Jerry, like most
cobbIers, was a man of observation,
aud he made such observations as the
following:
"She's beauty, she is; but awful
white and sad. It's my opinion it's
hard times with them up stairs"
Then when the girl went out earlier
and came home later, even with sad
der, more depressed expression, he
said, an tell you what it is. Jerry;
she's seeking work, and doesn't get it.
/ One evening, few weeks after Mrs.
Weston and her daughter rented the
cobbler's apartments, the latter en-
tered the shop later than usual.
The yellow lamp was faring dismal
iy, and Jerry, boot on his knee, was
hard at work. After the customary
salutation, the girl was passing on,
when the cobbler's voice arrested her
II say, your mothers i'll, amt she p
he asked, nursing his knee with both