Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-11-04
THE MInGE,S SURPRISE.


as winter days most generally are in that AL
pine town, and thoug h the sun was bright, its
rays we're as cherries and chill almost as
moonbeans. Wild gusts wbistled through
the streets, breathing icicles and frost in their
furious course, and driving every living thing
away to seek shelter from its biting, penetra'
ting breath. And yet not every one was
housed and sheltered from the pitiless gale,
for he who had work to do or business to
transact was summoned, by inexorable duty,
to come forth to his post, or else, when the
day of reckoning came, abide by the conse-
quences Of these luckless exceptions, Abe
Denning, the baker, was one. In sunshine or
storm, hail, rain or snow, people must eat !;
eat in fact, all the more voraciously because
it does hail or snow, as if to perpetrate an un-
seasonable joke upon the baker, who, espe-
cially, in sppetizing weather, must see to it
that his customers larders be properly stored
with the rarest and best productions of his
oven.
Even such cold weather as this did not de-
ter Mr.. Denning from attending to the wants
of his customers with the assiduity and atten-
ton characteristic of his class. While disap-
pearing into a customers house with an arm
full of bread, girl of some fifteen years of
age, emerged from miners cabin close by,
and, first casting wild and hurried glances
around her, rushed to the bakers cart, and
had just distracted therefrom three loaves of
bread, and was carrying them off, when the
baker returned and caught her in the act.
Unfortunately, an officer was passing just
at the time. and the baker, on the spur of the
fho hot
consideration which he otherwise might, gave
her in custody on a charge of theft. The
girl, without any attempt at expostulation or
explanation, burst into an agony of tears-a
sufficient evidence, perhaps, that she was but
a novice, after, all, in the art of stealing.
"Oh!' she exclaimed, "don't take me in
this way. Let me wrap shawl around my
head, or the people will know me-"
The officer, consenting, accompanied her
into the cabin, while the baker drove away,
telling the policeman he would be in court
the next day to prefer the charge before the
police judge
The off r, on entering, found no one in
the cabin but three children-the youngest
about three years old, and the eldest six. The
hut was cold and cherries there was no fire.
The two elder children, alarmed at the pres
ence of the officer, exhibited discolored eyes
and faces, which bore evidence Of suffering
and recent tears; while little Willie the
youngest, was crying and inappeasable, mo-
ping aimlessly around the cabin, looking into
the empty closet, and putting his little hands
mechanically into the empty dishes on the
table,
SWhat made you steal the bread, my girl ?"
asked the officer. At mention of the word
"bread," little Willie looked tearfully and
piteously in the mans face. The girl hugged
the little fellow frantically in her arms, COW
ering him with tears and kisses.
20, my poor little brother!" she cried, bit
terly. "What will become of you now
This man is going to take your Lena away
with him !"
Here the child threw his arms around her
neck, as if to detain her by force; while the
other two children screamed piteously.
The officer, suspecting the actual state of
affairs, began to investigate.
"Is there no coal, or nothing at all to eat
in the house?" said he.
"No coal, no bread, nothing to eat!" replied
the girl, wringing her hands; and poor Will
lie and the rest of US have had nothing to eat
since yesterday morning"
Here the officer went away, saying that he
would be back again in short time
els the man gone for bread" asked the
oldest Of the children.
Hush, Mollie, dear p said Lena. II don't
know what he is gone for. He's not a bad
man, anyhow, for he hasn't arrested me, as I
thought he would"