The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-06-08
THE STORY OF A SILVER Dol
LAR.


blear-eyed, bloated looking man
who bent over long, dirty bar il
New York city, as the child stood OF
tip-toes and reached up an old brok
en- pitcher.
Please, sir, want half a pint o.
whiskey, and / will pay for it to
morrow, just as true as | live" she
replied.
"Git oat, yer young she cat, yel
can't get no whiskey here onless yel
socks down the dough! Dyer hearl'
and he brought his dirty fist down
on the rickety old bar so hard, tha
/ thought it would demolish tht
whole structure.
"Well, / must pay, then, for ole
mammy told me, if / didn't get the
whiskey she'd lick me- Here, sir, i:
Il silver dollar. Oh, dearme-Aleck
give il to me afore he fell and got
hurt, and / promised I'd never lei
it 60. Oh, sir, I'll pay you this at,
ternoon sure, for | sell papers, and
then III have lots of change. | hope
to die If won't" and the little pale
faced g.rl began to sob rs the brute
growlcd and swore great horrid
oaths and called her bad names.
"She caught hold of me tried to
tear me from red cord which had
been run through the hole in my
uDper edgp " and n flood of hot tears
burst forth anew.
stop yer sniveling, yer young
whelp, and give US the dollar, if yer
wants the whiskey, for | can't be
foolin' all day for a ten cent trade, y
and as he reached over to grab me
from the child's hand q kind look
ing stranger stepped quickly up and
caught the little one by the arm and
pulled her back from the brute's
reach.
''See here, nay little gal, tell me all
about it. | remember your face,
you sell our paper on the street.
Come over in this corner and tell
me all about your case" The child
looked up into the kind face, and a
glance assured her that she could
trust the gentleman, for such he
was.
Old Riley did not interfere, either,
for he well knew that it would not
be safe for him to do so, for he knew
that the gentleman was attached TO
daily paper, and that his visits to
the low bucket shop were only pro-
fessional, and so the little girl was
led away to corner where she was
placed on chair by the kind man,
who said:
"Now, little girl, where do YOU
live, and who is nanny, and also
who is Aleck? Tell me and don't
be afraid, for viii do you no harm. /"
The child thus reassured said;
please sir, nanny is q woman
who takes care of Aleck ndme, and
we gives her all the money we
makes sellin' papers, which is lots.
She lives up three pair Of stairs on
the next street, and beats US when
we don't get lots Of money when we
goes out. But, sir, | forgot, poor
Aleck is real sick. Oh, he is so good.
But he will die-will die, and then
what will become of me? Oh, dear,
deary mel" and the poor little girl
sobhed and cried as if her cup of woe
was full.
A few words OF comfort from her
new friend and she stopped crying
and continued:
"Nie and Aleck al'ays sold papers
on the snucks, and when be sold
MORN me, he gave me enough to
make up my profits TO his'n, and
when l sold the most | give him
enough to catch up to me, so old
NANNY wouldn't beat either of US
for not doin' as well as 'tother. But
she gets awful drunk, and when old
Tim, her husband, comes home, he
and nanny always has big drunk,
an then Aleck and me has to get it.
Last Wednesday, as Aleck was go
ing across the Bowery, he slipped
on a stone and fell and hurt his
back, and he has been laid up ever
since. The police sent a doctor
once, and the doctor said Aleck
wouldn't meyer get well as he had
injured his spine. Oh, dear me I!
what shall | do if he dies ?" and the
child again stopped and cried.
The reporter again soothed her
and she resumed:
"But, sir, | must go right back.
Aleck has not had much care except
what / have given him. Nanny
saws she's going to send him to the
hospital, as she can't have no brok-
en-backed young ones around her.
| work hard and sell extra papers
and run errands and manage to hide
an orange or some other fruit, or
few crackers which / feeds Aleck
when nanny is asleep or away.
This dollar Aleck took a month ago.
He got this red cord and | put it on
my neck and wear it except when |
90 in the house nights, when hide
in a dark hole where old nanny
can't get it. Butsi | must 90 right
back. Old NANNY told me if l
didn't hurry back, she would lick
me. Oh, must break this dollar
which | was keeping TO buy medi-
cine for Aleck. and then | viii never
see it again, and Aleek must go
without medicine.
"Don't cry, child" said the good
man. Here is a dime-get your
pitcher filed with poison and | will
90 with you, for want to see Aleck.
He is one of our news boys, and
maybe | can help you both. Get
your pitcher at once" and he hand
ed her dime, when she hurried
TO the bar, passed up the money
and old Riley handed down the
broken pitcher with a half pint OF
that rotgut which has made the
slums of New York such hell oi
woe and misery. The two then left
the place and passed into the street.
The neighborhood was a filthy
one. Old and hard used buildings
surrounded the street. Hardened
looking faces, of both males and fe-
males lined the walks or looked out
] la,vc Children