Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1880-12-22

ohc hlght w the hP'"E A"o w"
the bag from under the pillow. an
counted what 1t held, II was ovt
thirty dollars.
And III begin TO make kites II
morrow, Mrs Briggs said the boy
and yoa'Il see the custom that !. vii
bring. II u htlls shaver sees th
kites, he'll spend all he has tor on
aud then he'll coax bis mother ic
more to buy tho stick dates and chew
ing gun. know boys
You're clever boy ycurseli, SAT-
the old woman, and patled his hand,
1t was n plumpcr hand than II ha'
been when II picked the crusts fron
tho gutter, and he wore clean, Who'll
garments, though they were vtr!
coarse.
How wrong the neighbors were,
she said. That boy Is the comfort ol
my liie.'
So she went 10 bed with the treas.
ure under her pillow and slept. FaI
Oh in the night she awakened, The
room was utterly dark, there was mol
a ray of light-but she heard step
on the floor.
who IS that 7 she cried.
There was no answer, but she fel,
that some one was leaning over her
bed, then a hand clasped her throat
and held her down, and dragged out
the bag OF money. and she was re-
leased. Half sutioca,ed, she tor a
moment found herself motionlcss aud
bewildered, conscious orly of a
draught Of air from the open door,
and some confused noises.
Then sac sprang to the door aud
hurled into the shop.
Dick ! Dick I she cried Dick !!
Dick help wake up! Pm robbed!
But there was no answer the door
into tho street was wide open, and by
the moonlight that poured through it
she saw as she peered under the
counter that Dicks bed was empty
The boy was gone.
Gone gone ! Oh !! that was worse
to Granny Briggs than even the loss
OF the money for she had trusted
him and he had deceived her. She
had loved him aud he had abused her
love. The neighbors were right she
was a fool to trust a strange street
boy, and had bean served rightly
when he robbed her.
When the dawn had broken, the
wise neighbors came into Granny's
shop to find her crying and rocking
to and fro +; and they told her they
had told her so, and she only shook
her head. Life had lost its interest
for her. Her occupation was gone
but not with her savings. Money
was but money after all; he had come
to be- the only thing she loved, and
Dick had robb ed her.
1t was ten o'clock. Granny sat
moaning by the kitchen hearth
Good nalured Mrs Jones from the
stairs was seeing to things and trying
to cheer her, when suddenly there
came rap on the door and a police
man looked in.
. Mrs Briggs 2 he SAID.
Here she is,' said Mrs. Jones.
'Yes, I'm the wretched critter,' sai1
Mrs. Briggs.
Some one want wants to see you
at headquarters SAID the officer
There's boy there and some money
Dick 7 cried Mrs. Briggs. 'ob, I
can't bear to look at him.
But Mrs. Jones had already tied on
her bonnet and wrapped her in a
shawl, and taken her on her arm.
The wretch ! she said. Pm so
glad he's caught; yeu'll get your
money back
And she led Mrs. Briggs along
poor Mrs Briggs, who cried all the
way. and cared nothing for the money.
And soon they were at their destina.
lion. Then, rot before the police
man turned to the two women.
'Its pretty bad he said. They'll
take him to the hospital 10 an hour. -
suppose you are prepared for that,
He's nearly beaten to death you
know
Did you beat him, you cruel
wretch ? said Mrs Briggs. Iwould
not have had it done for half the
money. Let him 60 with il if'e any
comfort to him. y
Beat him.. said the man. well,
women have the stupidest beads.
Why, If haunt got Up when ! did,