The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-12-07
CHARLES PLAN.

Charles SOmerS was only an errand-
boy in i great West-end firm of art up
holsteTers and decorative hangings-a
pale, big-eyed child, with brown hair,
dropping over his forehead, and q sensi-
tive little mouth; merely one of the bits
of human machinery which made the
great, gittering whole revolve so
smoothly.
At the shop, nobody gave him o
second thought or q second look; but
here ut home he was ''Charlie,'' the
youngest and the pet. His chair in the
his little shelf OF books was undisturbed,
and the ugly little terrier-dog By the fire
was petted and careSsed, and treated to
occasional bones, because it was
''Charlie's." For even errand-boys oc-
casionally have homes and mothers!
Why don't you eat your pie, CharlieP
said Mrs. Somers, watching the pro-
gress of his supper with true maternal
anxiety. 81 baked it on purpose for you,
and you are letting it get cold"
Just wait q minute, mother" said
Charlie, who had darted away from the
table, and was scratching away with a
lead-pencil on bit of budf wrapping
paper. ''One minute! There, Elsie! /
thought could carry the pattern in my
eye. What do you call that?" trium-
phantly holding up the piece of paper.
Elsie Somers-a tall girl, who was
stitching away at roll of pearl white
flannel, carefully enveloped in old E.ien
leaned over to look at his trophy.
ooh, how exquiSiter said she.
't,or 10 fI
pretty patterrP''
Cnariie chucl1led, ana laying down
the paper, cut deep into the turnover
apple pie, and rewarded himself by q
mouthful thereof.
Gould YOU embroider it, Elsie said
he, 'in deep. deep blue-almost black
on an olve-satin ground, or old
gold?"
Gould I?'' said Elsie. .'Of course [
could. But what does ali this mean?
What are you talking about Charlie?''
just this said Charlie. swallowing
a second mouthful of apple pie. Three
times two is six, amt it? And twice six
is twelve, and twice twelve is twenty
four, and ten times twenty-four is two
hundred and forty"
Charlie" cried Elsie, ':are you
crazy?"
Not O bitr' nodded Charlie. s.Now
listen-you and mother were crying as
| came in, because the rent was over
due and the landlord was insolent; and
| was wishing was big enough to pitch
the fellow down stairs, or to earn
enough to settle with him. and move
our traps somewhere else. Now here's
the way to earn two hundred and forty
shiliings. Twenty into that goes twelve
times, don't it? That's twelve pounds
Say half Of it clear profit"
Charlie said Mrs. Somers. II thinh
you must be dreaming"
mo. I'm not, said Charlie, chasing
the last delicious crumbs of the apple
turnover around the plate, with evident
relish, before he pushed it back.
"Only hear me out. There was lady
customer at our shop to day, Mrs. Yiv-
van, of Lowudes Square, looking at
that very pattern of curtaiG--limht blue
fower-de-luce, al wreathed with dark
blue vine-leaves, on old gold satin. for
four windows. Hand-em broidered, Mr..
Sellers said-imported from Paris. And
she would have taken it at ten Shillings
n yard, only Lady Southwood had Just
ordered it for her boudoir. At least
that was what Sellers said. And couldn't
1t be matched? Mrs. Vivian wanted to
know. And Sellers said no, not possi-
BILE. Now, Elsie, if You'll embroder
the design from these scribbliugs ofmine
Pm go to Mrs. Vivyar and sell it for
you"
"Oh, Charlien cried Elsie, with a
gasp at the comprehensiveness OF the
idea. but where on earth should we
get the material-twenty-f -four yards of
satin?''
''Get the Old Miser to lend it to you.
said Charlie, succinctly.
Elsie shrank back.
Il couldn't ask him." said she
Then WILL" said Charlie, s.if you
try the experiment, Elsie. Come
nothing ventured, nothing won. Say
yes"
YES" whispered Elsie.
And away seampered Charlie, to un-
fold his schemes to an old wooden
grayer who lived in the top story of the
house, and who. having been nursed
through tedious attack of inflamma-
tory rheumatism by Mrs. Somers and
her daughter, was popularity supposed
to care somewhat more for them than
for the other dodgers
He was old, and he was shabby, and
he had small account st the savings
bank, which three facts had won him
the appellation throughout the tenement
house of the Old Miser, but his real
name was jenkins.
Lend you five pounds. eh?'' said Mr.
Jenkins, locking up at the lad through
his goggles like huge specimen of the
lobster tribe. ''Humph! that's pretty
cool request, amt it? What should /
lend you five pounds for?'
Beeause we need it." Charlie an
swered, yaliantly. "And because Elsie
and mamma ara 50 nnorl Aud hn