Smyrna times., 1880-08-11
Mrs. Briggs'S Clerk,

lie was tall, thin, starved.looking bow.
with a IttIe jacket, the sleeves of which
crept halfway up to his arms, and hat
that was nothing but brim, and when she
saw HIM hc was eating a dry crust. She
was only poor old woman who kept lit
tie shop for candy and trimmings, and poor
enough herself, heaven knew; but. said
she, he looked a little like what her Tom
might be if he had grown up and been
neglected, and She couldn't stand it. She
called to him:
"Come here, sonny" she said and tho
boy came.
Before she could speak again, he said:
1" ! didn't do it. I'll take my oath on
anything | didn't do it. amt so mean "
" Didn't do what?' said the pleasant old
woman.
u" Break your window" said the boy,
nodding his head toward a shattered pane,
Why, ! broke that myself with NV
shutter last night" said the old woman.
" M not strong enough to lift 'cm, that's
fact, I'm getting old
If I'm round hero when you shut up,
III come and do it for you," said the boy
I'D just as soon. What was it that YOU
wanted me for?'
81 want to know what you was eating
that dry crust out of the gutter for" was
the reply.
Hungry" said he, Give tried to get a
Job all day; I'm going to sleep in an area
over there after it gets too dark for
policeman to see, and you can't have
good nights sleep without some supper, if
it is little hard'
"Ill give you some that's BETTER said
tho old woman.
H'Ihat will ba ba00ipC - H.
No, SAID she, "you can sweep the shop
and the pavement, and put up the shutters
for it"
"Very WELL" said he "Thankee, then.
If | can sweep up first I'll feel better"
Accordingly, she brought him broom,
and he did the work well. Afterward he
! ate his supper with a relish. That night he
| slept not in the area, but under the old
woman's counter.
lie had told her his story. His name
was Dick he was y years old, and his
father, whom he had never seen sober, was
in prison for life.
The antecedents we're not eevating, but
the boy seemed good. The next morning
| the old woman engaged clerk for small
establishment. The terms were simple
his living and bed under the counter"
When the neighbors heard of it they
were shocked A street boy, whom no one
know. Did Mrs. Briggs really wish to be
murdered in her bed? ? But Mrs. Briggs
felt quito safe. She had so much time
now that she was going to take in sewing.
| Dick attended to the shop altogether. He
| kept it in fine order, and increased the
business by introducing candies, cakes, and
chewing gum. Pennies came in as thev
never came in before, since he had painted
signs in red and blue ink to the effect that
the real old molasses candy was to be got
there and that this was the place for pea
nuts.
And in the evening, after the shop was
shut up, she began to take him into her
confidence. Her great dream was to buy
herself into home for the aged. Itwould
cost her 500. She was saving for it. She
had saved three years, and had SIS of it.
But it cost 80 much to live, with tea twenty.
five cents quartor. and loaves so small,
| and she had been sick, and there was the
doctor and Mrs. Jones's Maria Jane to be
paid for minding her and the shop. After
this, Dick took the greatest interest in the
savings, and the winter months increased
them as though he had brought blessing.
One night in Spring she took the bag
from under the pillow and counted what il
held. 1t was $50
"And I'll begin to make kites to-mor.
row, Mrs. Briggs" said the boy, "and
you'll see the custom that it will bring. II
little shaver sees the kites, he'll spend all
he has for em, and then he'll coax his
mother for more to buy the stick dates and
chewing gum. know boys"
YOU'RE clever boy yourself" said the
old woman, and patted his hand.
1t was plumper hand than it had been
when it picked the hard crusts, and he
wore clean, whole garments, though they
were very coarse.
How wrong the neighbors were," she
said. "That boy is the comfort of my life. :
She went to bed with the treasure under
her pillow and slept. Far on in the night
she awakened. The room was utterly dark
there was not a ray of light-but she heard
a step on the floor.
Who is that ?" she cried.
There was no answer, but she felt thai
some one was leaning over her bed. Their
hand clasped her throat and held hel
down, and dragged out the bag of money
and she was released. Half suffocated
she for q moment found herself motionlesi
and bewildSred conscious only of draught
Of air from the open door, and some con
fused noises.
Then she sprang to the door and hurried
into the shop.
"Dick Dick I" she cried; "Dick
Dick helpI wake upI I'm robbed ~
but there was no answer the door into the
street was wide open, and by the moonlight
that poured forth through it she saw as shG
peered under the county that Dicks bee
was empty. The boy was gone.
Gone gone! Oh that was worse t.
Granny Briggs than even the loss of thu
money; for she had trusted him, and hG
had deceived her. She had loved him anC
he had abused her love. The neighbor
were right she was fool to trust strang,
street boy, and had been served rightly
when he robbed her.
When the dawn had broken, the wis,
neighbors came into Granny's shop to fine
her crying, and rocking to and fro; anC
they told her they had told her so, and she
only shook her head. Life has lost it
interest for her. Her occupation wa
gone," but not with her savings. Money
was but money, after all he had come II
be the only thing she loved, and Dick haC
ro bbsd her.
1t was ten 10 o'clock. Granny So
moaning by the kitchen hearth. GooC
patured Mrs. Jones from the stairs wa
I" seeing to things" and trying to cheer her
when suddenly there came a rap on tn
door and policeman looked in.
"Mrs. Briggs" he said.
Here she is, said Mrs. Jones.
"Yes, I'm that wretched critteT," ssiC
f Mrs. Briggs.
Some one wants to see yon at head9uay
ters," said the officer. "There's boy ther,
| and some money"