The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1881-11-02
This time / was determined to find out

something ABOUT ulm.
He was watching his opportunity, and
when be saw the barkeeper at leisure be pull
ed his coat tiu1idly, and / heard him say:
ssPlease, Alfred, give me a glass Of water
and a cracker
The kindly-hearted harkeeper gave him
som bread and cheese, some water with
raspberry syrup II il, and added aPitch II,
little TN. HoV's your mother 2"
Worse" was the little croak from the
bundle Of bones; ssbut I'm bully, you bet,
and | sold ffty-seven papers tonight and
took the money home. Bet your sweet life
mother was pleased. They're might good, !"
he chirrupped, ITO me at the office, and the
cashier give me three extra papers. Made q
dollar and forty-fve cents tonight. We get
coal and wood and meat and bread for moth
er. We're hunky. So long"
Well, Dali, / stood petrified. had just
set up the drinks for the croWd-$l.25-and
here was this little fellow working like q bea-
yer, all skin and bone, for bis mother, and |
felt like a brute"
bTOhe you ups 20 ~ WClG,
ssMade me Bsthetically weary" I replied.
swell, what did yeu do next?' queried
Dali.
/ didn't do anything for several nights, but
| couldn't get the little beggsr out OF my
mind, and one night / cornersd him. de
came up and asked me to buy a paper, aad
before he could run off after getting bis five
cents, I said
sssay, sonny! coma and get q cup Of cot
Zee and something 70 eat; you leok hungry
The little midget looked at me wi1h bis
bright, sunken eyea for q moment. and said:
'tSay, sir, you belong TO the newspapers, and
I've often. seen you look kind at me, but ]
don't want no coffee nor nufdffen, only / can't
sell no papers might, and If ye'd like 70
gimme the price Of the coffee, / can use il
better"
aHow better 7"
"Mether !" gulped the boy.
s'bet he was : fraud,' SAID Dell.
Fraud Well, LEI me tell yen. get that
boy TO take ne up to where bis 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 frotn the day she sicken-
ed until the night I cav her lying white as o
ghost and thin as a shadow, on 9 pallet bed
10 an alley oT jackson street,
"And you-What did you do ?" querisd
Dali.
Well, ! had $50 for my landlsdy, and all I
know is that she didn't get it, and called me
8 blk for a whole week.
'sAnd the mother and the little newsboy p
asked Dali.
The nother-well, you saw hsr just now.
Looks pretty plump and hearty, don't she?
Takes in washing and is doing frst-rate.
"Where is her husband-dead?
No; I forgot about that. He is in San
Quentin for life. He killed H, don't you
remember 2.
Yes, lido; but the little newsboy ?"
| can bear to talk about that yet. He
went to sleep in my arms three weeks ago,
and lay in them for hours before it was all
over. About an hour before the end came
he sad "Mother won't want. / shall ask
Him to help her as soon as | see Him-and
and to bless you. Good-by, mother, good
Why, d-ni il, Dali, you're crying, as ! am
9 living sinner. Bet out of this, you old
humbug, and go and report your Pecksniff
meeting, and take a pinch of snuff with the
sexton.
But my eyes were not exactly dry, either.
MOE D Marrying Girl.