The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-05-07


"How muchp"
"Ten dollars
The man turned away, made out the
ticket, handed Frank the money and his
duplicate ticket and turned to the next
conner.
With a sigh at the atmosphere of
misery hanging around the place, from
the dark corners of which the hollow
faces Of the specters of want and starva-
tion seemed leering at him, Frank passed
quickly out the door, regained his cab,
said to the driver, "Brunswick-quickt"
and rolled away.
Two little red lips quivered percepti-
bly,, and two big black eyes filed with
tears. To be hungry = absolutely, un-
POLITICALLY and practically hungry-was a
novel experience to Bessie Prang. To be
hungry in a fashionable lodging-house,
with plenty down stairs in well-flled
larder and cool, pleasant dining-room,
was absolutely absurd. Sitting in
pretty room, amid n mass of pretty femi-
nine knick-knacks and brick-a-brac,
hearing the rattle of knives and forks
come up on the air from the table below
and yet to be hungry was positively,
maddeningly incongruous," she thought.
70 be sure there was no reason why she
should not have gone to the landlady and
explained her situation and been sure of
proper treatment, but they had been in
the house but few days, and had been
taking their meals out at a neighboring |
restaurant. Bessie's mother had been |
called away to visit sister who was ill, |
and she had left her little girl alone, not |
without misgivings, and the night before |
Bessie had lost her purse or had her
pocket picked coming from din
ner; at any rate it was gone, and with it |
the money which was to have bought |
her food for the next two days. A prac-
tical woman would have done the obvi- |
Gus thing and interviewed her landlady. |
But Bessie was even more than most |
women sensitive about going TO strangers |
when in trouble, especially about money |
matters, and feared to encounter suspi- |
cion; so she went without her breakfast, |
and at lunch-time was ravenously hun |
gfy. What a curse good appetite is at
times! Then it occurred to her that she
had heard her cousin Tom joke about
his Uncle, and she knew that he was
alluding to pawnbroker. What hor-
rid thing pawnbroker must be. A kind
of crop between a Shylock and Fagin,
she thought, and they would Ogle her
perhaps. Oh, no! She'd starve before
she would go there. But as the afternoon
wore on and hunger increased, and with
ii her perplexity, she began to cry. But
crying didn't help matters any; on the
contrary, the pangs of hunger rather in
creased, and with them her determina-
tion to find her cousin Toms % Uncle"
She resolved that no one but herself
should ever know of her perplexity,
mot even mamma, nor of her visit to
the pawnbroker's-nevert that"
From under mass ofribbons and laces,
artificial flowers and dainty lace hand
kerchiefs, tumbled into bureau-drawer,
she fished out a small box, and took from
it queer old locket. 1t was carved
cameo, surrounded by brilliant
ly enameled snake with ruby eyes, and ON
the back the initials M. E., and under
meath, V. d. V.
Poor old grandma; how Mortified
Won would be If you only knew, and
hadn't been dead these ten years!'' she
said to herself softly, as she put the
locket back in its case, and ran down
stairs in the late summer afternoon
1t was a long walk down Broadway,
the pavements were hot and scorched
her feet, her face grew flushed with exer-
ton, and her black curls clung damply
to her white forehead. Besides, she was
weak from long fasting. She thought at
last that she did not know were she was
going, but she mustered up courage to
ask policeman. He eyed her curiously.
but told her civilly enough where to go.
Hot waves of crimson dyed her face
and neck as she passed in at the doorway
under the trio of golden balls, and stood
at the counter Sheheard poor woman
refused the amount she begged for
on an old shawl. 1t was mOth-eaten,
and they did not want it any price.
Then a voice said:
"Well, miss Pn
She produced the locket
"How muchP" After a hurried ex-
animation she was relieved to see that
the man took to her novel situation cool
ly enough, and she spoke for the first
time.
Ten dollars, please"
The money was counted out, she gave
dollar of it to the poor woman
whose shawl had been rejected and who
still stood in a dazed way on the side
walk, escaped from her thanks into a
Fourth avenue car, and was soon bath
ing in her cool room, and forgetful, now
that she had money, of her hunger.
just then a note reached her.
DEAREST Bessie: Do come over and dine
Fred and l are in town for day or two. In
haste thine.
n Al,