The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1883-06-05
THE BAD BOY.
Peck's San.

TICKS San.
"Ah, ha, you have got your deserts
at last" said the grocery man to the
bad boy, as he came in with one eye
black, and his nose peeled ON one
side, AMI sat down on a board across
the coal scuttle, and began whistling
as unconcerned as possible. "What's
the matter with your eye?'
'Boy tried to gouge it out without
asking my consent" and the bad boy
took dried herring out of the box
and began peeling it. "He's in bed
now, and his ma is poulticing him,
and she says he will be out about the
last of next week."
80, you are going to be prize
fighter, amt YOU" said the grocery
man, disgusted. "When boy leaves
a job where he is working, and goes
to loafing around, to become prize
fighter is the first thing. What your
pa ought to do is bind you out with a
farmer, where you would have to
work all the time. wish you would
go away from here, because you look
like one of these fellows that comes
up before the police judge Monday
morning, and gets thirty days in the
house of correction. Why don't you
go out and loaf around slaughter
house, where you would look appro-
priate?' and the grocery man took
hair brush and brushed some loose
sugar and tea, that was on the coun-
ter, into the sugar barrel.
"Well, if you have got through
with your sermon, l will toot alittle
OIL my horn" and the ooy threw the
remains of the herring over behind q
barrel of potatoes, and wiped his
hands on a coffee sack. "If you had
this black eye, aud had got it the way
/ did, it would be more priceless
gem in the crown Of glory you hope
to wear, than any gem you can get
by putting quarters in the collection
plate, with the holes filled with lead,
as you did last Sunday, when was
watching you. o, didn't you look
pious when YOU picked that filed
quarter out, and held your thumb
over the place where the lead was.
The way of the black eye was this.
| got a job tending a soda fountain,
and last night, just before we closed,
there was two or three young loafers
in the place, and girl came in for a
glass of soda. Five years ago she
was one of the brightest scholars in
the ward school, when was in the
intermediate department. She was
just as handsome as a peach, and
everybody liked her. At recess she
used to take my part when the boys
knocked me around, and she lived
near lis. She had heart as big as
that cheese box, and l guess that's
what's the matter. Anyway, she left
school, and then it was said she was
going to be married to fellow who
is now in the dude business, but he
went back on her and after awhile
her ma turned her out doors, and for
year or two she was jerking beer in
a concert saloon, until the mayor
stopped concerts. She tried hard to
get sewing to do, but they wouldn't
have her, guess cause she cried so
much when she was sewing, and the
tears wet the cloth she was sewing
on. Once l asked pa why ma didn't
give her some sewing to do, and he
said for me to dry up and never speak
to her if 1 met her on the street. 1t
seemed tuH 10 pass her OH the street,
when she had tears in her eyes as big
as marbles, and not speak to her
when 1 know her so well, and she
had been so kind to me at school, just
cause dude wouldn't marry her,
but l wanted to obey pa, so 1 used to
walk around a block when / see her
coming, cause l didn't want to hurt
her feelings. Well, last night she
came into the store, looking pretty
shabby, and wanted glass of soda
and gave it to her, and o, how hel
hand trcmbled when she raised it t.
her lips, and how wet her eyes were
and how pale her face was. Ichokei
up so / couldn't speak when she