The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-08-20

said:
"Boys, I want to sell my kit. Here's tw,
brushes, a hull box of backing good stout
box, and the outfit goes for two shillin'sl''
"Goin' away, Tim?" asked one boy.
mo, not exactly, boys, but 1 want quar-
ter the worst kind Just now"
''Goin' on 'scursion Tomorrow" asked
another.
'Got short of peanuts and must have some
more? I'll lend you ten cents" added
third.
"Wants some ice cream, guess propos-
ed fourth.
"No I Amt after none of them things,
boys; but must have a quarter" answered
Tim.
One of the boys hunted 25 cents out of his
ragged pocket, and took Tins box, who
looked a little wistfully at it, muttering, Il
don't know what we'll do tomorrow" and
then turning around hurried out of the mar
ket without another word.
sSomethin's the matter with Tim" the
boys agreed among themselves, and one of
their number decided to follow him and see
what was the matter, and departed, whoop-
ing, cat-calling, running under horses heads
and lodging policemen as only a bootbiack
knows how.
Tim made his way back through the same
streets, past the monument, and up into the
broad, brilliantly lighted streets, where win
dows were filled with beautiful things and
handsome carriages picked their way among
the omnibuses and horse-ears.
He stopped at last in front of flower
store and looked cautiously in between the
bouquets displayed in the window. There
was no one in the store but man behind
the counter looking over flowers; and as Tim
watched him, he with few twists of his
skillful fingers put few fresh geranium
leaves around two beautiful deep red roses.
Tim opened the door and stole in. The
man only raised his eyes long enough to
shake his head at him, and then went on
with his work.
allow much for them?" Tim inquired,
coming up to the counter and pointing at
the red roses.
Twenty-Five cents; rather beyond you, 1
guess, my boy, THE man answered, carelessly.
"I'll take EN- Tim said briefly, laying
down his money.
There was something in the boys sad face
that prevented the man from joking about
his queer purchase as he covered the roses
carefully with paper and gave them to Tim.
| Another sharp pair of eyes were looking
| in the window, wondering more than the
| fower-man did what Tim was going to dc
with his flowers, and very active pair OF
| legs that carried the sharp eyes around had O
sharp race to keep up with Tim as she dash
ed along with his precious bundle.
When Tim opened his room door the lit
tie yellow head was lying very quietly on it:
hard pillow. and the heavy eyes did not open
until Tim, kneeling down on the floor beside
| him, said softly:
'See, little un, see what I've brought you
| Here's your roses.
The little arms were long time in crop
| tba;r r. fhair old r,1aoa
neck, and the little voice was very faint anc
hoarse that answered:
"Hold EN- up so l can smell 'em, Jimmy
my Jimmy that's so good to me-" So Tin
held the heavy head on one arm and tn,
roses to the little hot face with the othe
hand, while Teddy's eyes travelled from hi
brothers face to the roses and back again.
"What makes you cry, Timmy?" he said
presently; where I'm a-goin' they have al
the wed woses a little un can pick, That
what mother says. I'll save some for yo,
and mother, Jimmy. like these" and the lit
tie boy tried to rub his white cheek agains
the smooth rose petals.
"Ive got my woses," he said again, San
Jimmy, 1 do love YOU
After that there was long silence; an
when in the early gray of the morning, Til
laid the little yellow head carefully back O
the pillow, and stood looking down at whs
was left of his "little un," he whispered t
his mother: 81 guess the Lord lets such a
him go right in among the roses; don't yol
mother?"
When Tim, his eyes so full of tears ths
he could hardly see where he was going
opened the door a good while after,
stumbled over his own box, while a bouqut
of flowers rolled off from the box on tn
floor. Fastened to the flowers was a bit
paper, on which was printed in very stras
Cling letters, EUR the litul un," and Til
knew from the Gathering feet that went hui
rying down the stairs that some of his friend
the boys, had been watching over their pr,
sent perhaps all the long hours of the nigh
1t was queer bunch of roses that tt
bootblacks brought for little Ted; very flu
in bloom they were, battered, half willie,
and fading, for they had lain since earl
morning in the hot breath of the marke
but as they nestled among the yellow curl
and with the beautiful red roses were claspe
so tightly in the little ones thin finger
somehow Tim could not for the life of hi
have told why they seemed to comfort hi
SO much.
!, "Like as if, you know, mother" he sal
tearfuily, the little un had so many roses no
he could leave such lot behind him. Can
you most see him standin', with them cur
DloWiu Dack, HolulH up DOIH nanuS Iull
flowers, and a-callin', sTimmyl I want N
, Jimmy to see.' Oh, little un, little I'm, VIII
made the road to heaven so short for you ar
SO long for me? But I'm a-going to try, yt
just remember, and some day you'll come
. runnin' to meet me, and I'll see the fowe
!, you've told SO much about
: That was long ago. and everybody b
: Tim and his mother have forgotten the lit
boy who loved red roses. Almost, but N
quite, for only the other morning I was 81
ting in the public gardens watching the bus
. chattering sparrows, when 1 overheard
! queer conversation. Some little ragged boo
! blacks were summing themselves on the 9th
!. end of the bench, counting their morning
I harvest of pennies and chattering quite
briskly as the sparrows till at last one sal
q "But when it comes to bein' real good; t
. goin' to Sunday-school and keep
= straight along all the week kind looki
after the little fellers and seein' that nobot
don't steal their brushes and punch the