San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-11-10

wrong about him. Sec now snih no w.
Guess he's forced to sell papers, and
has q father who takes every cent away
from him"
aShouljn't WONDER" ! answered.
"Theso little street follows have atough
road 10 travel" And just IN | spoke, l
heard tho shrill, weak, little voice pip.
ing outside the counter. "Tcn more
papers, please
l left the Office, Dali, aud went round
to a saloon Oh Clay street to get cock
tail before going home; but l conldnt
get the idea Of that little newsboy out
of my head; and, although party of
us were emitting over the election, aud
dozen subjects interesting to newspa'
per men, TINT little boys face stood still
in the background Of my minds reAec-
tons.
All OF q Sudden, while we were laugh
ing at one of little Is jokes, l
heard the tiny voice and saw the boy
again, with his lips all pinched and
looking winter than ever.
This time wns determined to find
out something about him.
He was watching his opportunity,
and when he saw the barkeeper at leis.
IRE he pulled his coat timidly, and l
heard him say: please, Alfred, give
me glass of water and cracker"
The kindly hearted bar.kceper, Dali,
gave him some bread and cheese, some
water and raspberry syrup in it. and
added: "Pitch in, little 'un. How's
your mother?" a.a at ~
Worse" was the little croak from
the bundle of bones; "but I'm bully,
you bet, and I sold fifty. seven papers
tonight and took the money home.
Bet your sweet life mother was pleased.
They're mighty good" he chirruped,
"to me at the office, and the cashier civ
me three extra papers. Made dollar
an forty.fve cents tonight. We get
coal and wood and meat and bread for
mother. We're hunky. So LONG"
Well, Dali, I stood petrifed. I had
just set the drinks up for the crowd
81 25-and here was this little fellow
working like beaver, all skin and
bone, for his mother, and I felt like a
brute.
Broke You mp, as it were, 4" said Dali.
"Made me msthetically weary" I re-
piled.
swell, what did you do next ?" queried
Dali.
II didn't do anything for several
nights, but I couldn't get the little beg.
gar out of my mind, and one night 1
cornered him. He came up and asked
me to buy paper, and before he could
run off after getting his five cents, I
said:
"Say, sonny! come and get a cup of
coffee and something to eat; you look
hungry"
The little midget looked at me with
his bright, sunken eyes for moment,
and said: "Say, sir. you belong to the
newspapers, and I've often seen you
look kind at me, but I don't want no
coffee nor nuffen, only I can't sell no
papers t'night, and if ye'd like to gim-
me the price of the coffee, can use it
better" "How better?" I asked.
"Mother!" gulped the boy. "Bethe was
fraud" said Dali. Fraud9 Well, let
me tell you. I got that boy to take me
up to where his mother lived, and she
gave me the whole business. She was
getting well of typhoid fever, more by
luck than through science, and she had
wanted for nothing from the day she
sickened until the night raw her lying
white rs IL ghost and thin as shadow,
on pallet bed in an alley off Jackson
street.
"And you-what did you do?' queried
Dali.
"Well, 1 had $50 for my landlady.
and all know is that she didn't get it,
and she called me blk for a whole
week"
"And the mother and the little news
boy?" asked Dali.
"The mother-well, You saw her just
now. Looks pretty plump and hearty,
don't she? Takes in washing and is
doing first-rate."
"Where is her husband-dead?"