The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-12-24
NELL AND TOM"
A Holiday story.

Holiday story.
Washington Star! New York Her.
aid! Times! Tribune! and Baltimore
Anaericdnp' r
The voice that uttered these common
and familiar words in the car going up
Pennsylvania Avenue was so unlike that
usually heard to utter them that several
persons looked up to see the speaker,
who, encouraged by the looks, turned
from one to another, saying, pleasantly:
Have paperp Star! TinaeSt Her.
ald!"
And several gentlemen did count
over some of their loose pennies, and
receive in exchange one of the papers;
but tall, dandified looking fellow, who
had been cycling curiously the owner of
the papers, called out in voice that
could be heard all over the car:
''Say, there! don't want q paper;
but L II give you ten cents if you'll tell
me whether you are a girl or boy.
1t might, at first, have puzzled cas-
ual observer to discover the sex of the
owner of the papers, for the long boy $
overcoat almost reached to the bottom of
short skirts beneath it, and the cap that
covered the top of the head was GER
tainly boys; but then the hair beneath
certainly there was no installing that,
tucked away, as it was, as much out of
sight as possible. 1t was light and curl
ing at every loose end, and the face was
one not easily forgotten, especially after
hearing the voice. So, at least, thought
one old gentleman, sitting by the door
and watching the whole proceeding.
The young dandy jingled his loose
money, and, picking out a ten-cent
piece, handed it to the girl, as he spoke;
but, instead of the laugh he had expect
those about him looks denoting dis
pleasure, while the girl herself, with a
bright crimson spot on either cheek,
flashed at him look from her bright
eyes that so combined scorn and dig
nifty that, even young asishe was, made
him lower his eyes with sense of shame
and humiliation visible to all those about
him.
The girl turned then, and was about
to leave the car, when the old gentle
man by the door said, in low tone:
"rd like a Herald, please"
She was about to hand it to him, when
she noticed the money he was holding
out to her-a silver dollar.
"Pm SORRY" she said, looking up,
with bright smile; but l can't change
that
Changer muttered the old gentle
man. "Who asked for changer don't
want any. It's always in M way. I'd
like my paper, though"
as But, sir, you don't mean to pay a
xuhn1a AnllaT met fo,.
Well, if it's worth that to me why
shouldn't l? See here, my friend" as
she still hesitated, 4" want that paper,
and it's worth more to me just now than
that; and l DOM know why you couldn't
use it, you know. Haven't you got
some one you like very much that you
might buy a Christmas gift forp''
The girls face, that had become quite
serious, frightened at this, and she hand
ed the old gentleman the paper he
wanted, took the money he offered, but
the face that was turned to him as she
left the car, though wearing smile,
supported solitary tear, that made the
old gentleman forget his paper and
watch her as she went to the pave
ment. He fancied second tear fol-
lowed the first, for she seemed for
awhile to forget her papers; but, the
the car making one or two stoppages,
he was enabled to keep her in sight for
some little time, and at last came the
words, sounding sweeter and more deli
cate than he had ever heard them:
Washington Star! New York Her.
aid! Times! Tribune! and Baltimore
american %
He turned at this and, opening his
paper, as though deeply interested, he
muttered to himself:
II thought 80. Humph! l wish I'd
made it two. 1t would have been
worth it."
Then he tried to read; but that one
tear seemed in some way to have been
transferred to the paper, and to blur
the words so that they lost all meaning.
Somehow all that day the face of the
girl haunted him, and that night he
dreamed that he saw her weeping over
the loss OF her papers, while the dandy
stood behind and smiled exultingly;
and the next day he found himself
watching for sight of her at the place
where she had entered the car the day
before. He had not long to wait be-
fore he heard what now sounded so IA
milar.
Washington Star! New York Her.
AID! Times! Tribune! and Baltimore
An,er1canr'
Yes, there she was, waiting to enter
car coming up the street1 but as it APP
preached she eyed it closely and then
turned away.
81 wonder" he said, half aloud, "if
that is the car she took yesterday, and
if it's that insolent young dandyr'
He did not notice that the girl was
coming in his direction until he turned
to look for her and saw her stalsling
before him. At the same moment she
looked up and recognized him, and a
bright smile broke out over her face.
"Well," said the old gentleman, ''are
you ready now to sell another paper for
a dollarP"
go, no,- sir. You'll let me give you
one now, won't youP"