The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1880-03-19

"Oh. only . very little. II was too
wet for the gentlemen 70 stop and
put their hands In their pockets. II Is
always bad when Il is wet.'
"And sometime ven II ish dry" said
her companion. "Come 20 de fire."
"No, I'm not Cold" the little one
answered. :" and | must 20 soon. q
Guttman. what should do II my dear
mamma did not live here with YOU
Must she not BE- = beautiful angel,
my friendr dreamed Of her last
night In heaven, and she was the love-
lest Of all"
The pawn-broker had opened his
mouth to speak several times, but &C
customed as he was to all phases Of this
unhappy business, he could not bring
himself Just then to say any thing to the
sorrow-stricken child about the sale Of
the picture.
More than . year before, Nina 3 father,
man broken down in soul and body by
hard drinking, had pawned the picture
Of his dead wife. Shortly after he died,
and nothing had ever been paid on it I;
so, according to the rules of the estab-
lishment, and perhaps Of honest dealing,
the pawn-broker owned the picture, and
II was his to dispose Of to any one who
wished to purchase it.
Every day since the picture had been
In old Guttman's care, Nina had visited
the shop to see the face she loved so
well. Some days the little one would
fit in and out half-a-dozen times, and to
this most unusual behavior. the pawn
broker had never made the slightest OBJ
lection.
When Nina's father died she was mt
terly alone in the world, and after a lit
tie attention from the more kind-hearted
of her neighbors, the child had drifted
into the care of a woman who made her
beg from morning until night, her only
reward being . roof TO cover her when
she slept and portion Of the poor food
that had been given her through the
day.
last, as the child stood spell bound be-
fore the portrait, s'the painting is beau
tiful; every one will always say that !;
but all de time, Nina, II is not your
mother, for she, We will say, is in Heav-
en-; yesl"
- oAttAAeH ht1As hno" ciiS " III
heayen," the girl replied; ssbut this is
all have now, and could not live
without it, indeed could not say to
myself, when it Is cold, and the rain
pours down, and my feet freeze with the
snow and the ice, Never mind, Nina.
your mamma is over there, and GUT
man dear will keep her safe;' and then
l think no more Of the cross people and
the cold Streets"
49," said the pawnbroker under his
breath, with glance at the little figure
standing motionless before the portrait.
Old Guttman had an eve for the ar
tistic, and this child, bareheaded, bare
footed, and dressed in rags, with the
look Of an angel in her sweet infantile
face, was picture that he knew his
friend Raphael would have craved to
immortalize.
The pawnbroker loved the masters,
and always spoke Of them as his trends.
There was a bit Of busting TO do in an
opposite corner, and when Guttman
turned round again, Nina was gone.
"Ah, Guttman! you be Won old fool!-
he said 70 himself when he found he was
alone "And you, my pretty lady with
de big eyes, haf bewitched me long
enorgh-too long. I sorry for de child,
but 1 may not keep you always because
Of that. When de. shentleman come
again and want TO buy you, il Will be one,
two. tree, and of you co.
Business grew more lively towards
noon, and the pawnbroker forgot all
about the big eyes; but they looked out
x-;.<<,.lfx- ra--..,k.i<.. -. 80 n.---~
company in this strange establishment,
and sometimes one visitor more alive to
the beautiful than the rest would linger
. moment before the easel, and forget
his troubles in the charm Of this lovely
face.
The rest Of this stormy, disagreeable
day passed - usual in the pawnbroker's
establishment. Men aud women, old
and young, crept in with their treas
ures, and after few low-spoken words
with the proprietor, would creep out
again, his money clencaed tightly in
their hands.
In the evening young man of re-
fined appearance came in, hurriedly,
and pawned his watch, large gold re-
peater. He was evidently an old Gus
toner, for he said, with hard laugh, as
he put the money in his pocket
~ have got ahead Of uncle this time,
Guttman. He thinks /. have turned
saint, you see. II he should suspect any
thing, and come poking round, keep
mum, viii YOUR
"Bah! l know my business the
pawnbroker replied.
The young man liz cigar, and with
another hard laugh, walked out Of the
shop.
Two hours later, just as old Guttman
Wa closing the shop, another gentle
man entered. The pawnbroker's face
Frightened - he saw him, for the new
conner was well-known artist, man