Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-04-14
BENJIE's OLD HAT.

lts ana IL was forty dollars, and
took and tucked it into my hat
band inside, in the ''sweat,n as my
uncle, that's the halter, calls it, for
money has been snatced from fell
lers, and fellers' pockets hare been
picked you know.
Nobody wanted my Old hat, and
l felt as safe as bank with the
money that was in it.
And SO going home, when / saw
Jim and Bill Riggs playing mar
bles. / stopped to speak to 'em.
"Come and play" says they.
"Can't." says /. "DOin' a mar
| rand"
sob, pshaw," says they, "just
one game"
"WelI, / thought / had time
enough, and l gave in, and at it we
went-and / go into anything when
/ do go into it, / do-and was
playing, / can tell you. for all j
was worth, when all of sudden
Bill says:
"Benjie, where's your hat?"
My hat!
/ gave a howl and put my hand
to my head. 1t was bare.
"Oh, fellers," says 1, "don't tease
me! Give it back. It's got suthing
into it." But Jim and Bill both
swore they hadn't got it, and no
body had passed by but two old
ladies and big gentleman, a reg
ular swell, they said. l hadn't
seen 'em, but they couldn't want a
pOy's old hat. Jim and Bill turned
| 1 M lnf
their backs. They hadn't got it.
And looked high and 1 looked
low, and / felt as il l was going
crazy, for I couldn't find it. /
didn't know what would be done
to me; but thought may be I'd
be sent to prison. And | thought,
considering what my old granny
would say to me, and how she'd
feel if she was to see me in striped
suit with a chain on my leg, I'd
better go hang myself, only that
was wicked and no knowing where
I'd go to. If was to run away it
would be about as bad for granny.
And if was to~Offer to pay it up
out of my wages, / only got two
dollars q week, and two times
twenty is forty, and twenty weeks
is most six months; and Teller has
to have shoes, and l give one to
granny for my board, and how
she'd get me any without it-for
washing don't bring in a fortune
I didn't know.
"Oh, fellers fellers +" says /.
"Oh, fellers Pm just done for It's
all over with me. I've failed. /
wish somebody would kill me, for
there was money in that hat that
belongs to the boss, and it's stole
and gone forever"
"That's rough, Benjie," says Bill.
"Oh, that is rough on you"
"You hadn't Orter stopped to
play with u.s." says Jim.
NO." says /, 81 hadn't orter.
What wonld you do"
"Pd own up" says Bill.
"I'd run away" says Jim. 81
think somebody must have knOwed
about the money, and followed you
up. And | think it was the swell
old gent. Pick-pockets look styl-
ish enough sometimes"
"Whoever got it, I'll never have
it again." says l. "GOod-by, fellers.
May be you'll never see me no
more" And off | went.
/ wasn't sure Jim hadn't got it,
but l knew about Bill. Bill WAS
square,
/ went ofice-ways at first. Then
| turned back and went towards
granny's. / felt like I'd die, and /
wished / would. / thought if /
did, granny could tell 'em afteward.
So up went, and there she stood
at table, starching, poor old
soul.
"Why, Beniie," says she, "what
brings you home so early, and
where's your hat ?"
Well, when she asked that ]
broke down. / hadn't cried since
1 was little Teller, but L beloved
then.
ooh granny" says 1 "Some one
stole my hat when l was a playin'
miggles Oh, granny granny"
"Twasn't much fur a hat" says
she.
"You don't know how much it
was, granny" says 1.
Your only one" says she. "Poor
boy! I'll lend you my night-cap
Don't laugh" says l. at may
be my death granny"
"Have you caught cold, Benjie ?"
says she, or were you ashamed of a
bare bead? See, lad; don't fret.
It's all joke. Your Uncle Frank
did it. YOHr uncle, the halter.
He'd brought you new hat from
the shop and seeing you playing in
the street, just blind and deaf to
everything, he slipped off with
your old one to tease you. There's
the bright new hat on the shelf in a
paper, lined with silk and the pic
ture of cherub inside, on bit of a
gold paper, a looking out OF the |
window with his brother"
"Uncle Frank took my hat, and |
it's safe? Oh, granny, say it over ? |
It's too good to be true !"
ayes, it is true" said granny.
There's the new hat"
"And where's the old one?" said
[.
al sold it to an old-clothes man
ror five cents" said she. "a penny
saved is penny got. Your uncle
,aid you mustn't wear hats like that,
and him in the business"
81 gave a grOan and dropped
Town on the floor.
ats gone," said /. "Granny,
here was something in it. Money
If the boss's."
"Lord help US, child! Go and
ook for him !" shrieked granny;
md away | went, down the stairs,
Up the street; but no old-clothes
nan could | find, and now there
vas nothing for it but to go to the
'ffice and tell all. / was blind, and
,iddy, and sick and / was g@d the
loss was busy just then. sat
lown on bench to get strength to
peak, and l had just got it, when
re called me.
"Ben," he said, "did Coles pay?"
eyes, sir" said 1, she did.
Amy old pants to sell-old coats,
Id boots ?" said somebody at the
DOR just then.
l turned with a jump, and saw an
ld-clOthes man peeping in at the
DOR, and rushed at him.
Here" said ], "here! Come
ere! 1 want your
The boss reared, "Come back ~
Ut was in the street.
"I've lost my hat," said 1. "Can
on sell me one?"
"Vell, you can see vat 1 have" l
lid the man opening his bag.
"Ben ~ rOared the boss, who had