Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-01-17
TINS PARTNER.
BY AMANDA M. DOUGLASS.

&c Amt got nothin', Miss May, to set
up a chap in housekeepin have
you ?"
"Housekeepingp' the young lady
cried in surprise; "Why, surely, Tim,
you are not thinking Of" and she
paused, suddenly cycling the figure be-
fore her from head to foot.
A strange, misshappen creature it
was. He was barely eighteen, but he
might have been twice that from the
looks of his face, which was thin and
sharp, and wrinkled about the eyes and
forehead, surmounted by a shock of
sandy brown hair, and matched with
an old gray felt hat going to tatters. A
short, bumped back figure, with q body
out Of all proportion to the pinched,
slender legs The arms were long, and
finished by hands twice too large. A
poor, pitifui object; yet there was some
thing wistful and touching in the great
brown eyes.
"Of gettin' married e.? Was you
goin' to say that, Miss May? He he !!
A gal would want husband mighty
bad, wouldn't she, when she picked up
such crooked stick? The Good Lord
knows why he made me this way, I
s'pose," falling for a moment into a
reflective mood. "But faint that,
Miss May. I've got a room Of old
Mother Budd, and stove, and mat
tzess, and now I've taken a partner
Jerry; but you don't know nothin'
bout him. He's a little chap what's
had drunken father all his life, and
has to get about on two crutches-
worse'n me, good sight," looking
down with pride on his thin legs and
substs ntial feet. land now his faith
er's sent up to the Island, md he had
no place to go to-. So we've set up to-
gether. He's smart in some ways, is
Jerry-kin sew like a gal, and cook, and
we'll get along just jolly. Only if we
had some dishes and things. You see
We have to pay dollar week in adj
vance, for old Mother Budd's sharp at
q bargain, lookin' out for tricks. Then
bought some coal an wood, an that
took about all my spare capital" He
gave q. sort of humorous grin, as he
said capital"
He had shoveled off the snow and
cleaned out the gutter to perfection.
Miss May had paid him thirty cents.
After 8 moment she said =
sCome down in the basement, Tim.
I should not wonder If we could find
YOU an an outfit. Two boys house
keeping! It's rather funnyl"
Tim scraped and wiped his feet,
stood his shovel in the corner of the
area, and followed the young lady
within. ALI winter he had been on
hand to clean the sidewalk and put III
the coal. Besides his wages she had
given him few Old garments, and bis
gratitude had touched her. Now she
felt rather amused.
Bridget gave him somewhat I'M
friendly stare as he entered the kitchen
She never could understand why 8
lady like Miss May should take fancies
"to beggars and that sort of trash
DR.. May looked rather serious about it
and wished her mother had lived, o.
that Aunt Helen knew how to inter
est her in other people. He saw quite
enough of the misery and wretched
ness of the world without having thu
pretty young daughter breaking he
heart over 1t.
"Come and warm yourself, Tim
Bridget. where are those cracked AM
checked dishes and old tins [ picke'
out the other day? And there ar
some chairs down cellar. ., and thos
old comfortables / laid away.
"Sure, miss, I was goin' to ask yo'
if l mightn't give the dishes TO M
cousin, Ann Flynn, who Is to be MAI
ried On Sunday night. They'd be
.godsend to her"
"We'n divide them;" and Miss Ma
smiled.
Bridget very unwillingly opened tn
closet door. The idea of giving chin
dishes to beggar! She grudged every
thing that could go to "cousin."
Miss May picked out two cups an
saucers, four plates, two bowls and sey
eral miscellaneous articles, including
block-tin teapot and two or three dilaI
dated pals.
40 Miss Nav! Why, we'll feel a