San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-05-03

your nuI' -,
Well, when she asked that broke
down. / hadn't cried since l was a
little teller, but ! beloved then.
"Oh, granny" says l, "some one
stole my hat while was playing mig
giles! Oh, granny! granny!
"Twasn't much fur a hat says
she.
"You don't know how much it was
granny
Eyes, your only one" says she.
Poor boy! I'll lend you my night-cap
tomorrow.
tomorrow"
"Don't laugh" says | it may benny
death granny" :,
"Have you cought cold, BenJie'
says she, "or were you ashamed OF a
bare head?. See lad, don't fret. 1t
was all joke. Your uncle Frank
did it. Your uncle, the halter. He'd
brought you a new hat rom the shop
and seeing you playing in the street,
dust blind and deaf to everything, he
slipped off with the old one to tease
you. There's the bright new hat on
the shelf in paper, lined with silk
and picture of O cherub on the IN
side, on bit of gold paper, looking
out O. she window with his brother.
"Uncle Frank took my hat and its
safe9 Oh, granny, say 1t over! It's
too good to be true"
"Yes, it is true," said granny.
There's the new hat"
"And where's the old one?"
81 sold it to an old-clothes man for
five cents" said she. ga penny saved
is penny got. Your uncle said you
mustn't wear hats like that, and him
in the business"
1 gave groan and dropped on the
floor.
"It's gone," said 1. "Granny, there
was something in it. Money of the
boss's."
"Lord help us, child! Go and
look for himI' shrieked granny. And
away l went down stairs and up the
street; but no old clothes man could
1 find, and now there was nothing for
it but to go to the office and tell all.
1 was blind, and giddy and sick, and
1 was glad the boss was busy just
then. l sat down on bench to get
strength to speak, and had just got it
when he called me.
"Ben," he said, "did Cole pay?"
eyes, sir" said l, she did. I"
"Any old pants to sell old COATS
old boots?" said somebody atthe door
just then.
1 turned with jump, and saw an
old clothes man peepingin atthe door,
and 1 rushed at him.
"Here," said 1, "here! Come here!
l want you'll"
The boss roared, "Come back!" but
1 was in the street.
"Iv'e lost my hat" said L. "Can
you sell me one?'
"Vell you can see vat have" said
the man opening the bag.
"Ben. roared the boss, who had
temper of his own.
eyes, sir" said I, and as | spoke
1 saw my old hat with the hole IN
the crown, and L grabbed for it.
"Lemme try it on at the glass,
says 1.
The clothes man grinned, and |
nodded. 1 went into the office. L
felt the roll of bills under the sweat
band of my cap, and with my back to
the old man 1 pulled it out.
"Hele. sir" said l to the boss,
"here's lIr Coles money! and 1 laid
it on the desk.
Correct" said the boss, "but what
the"
Idon know what came over me
then, but l did not know anything
more, and l tumbled down in heap
on the floor. Guess l tainted.
When came to, the old clothes man
had sheared off with my old hat, and
the boss was so kind O good to me
that 1 up and told him all about it,
and about granny and all; and | dun
no why he raised my wages a half a
dollar, but he did that very next
week-lLary Kyle Dallas, an Ne'c York
Ledger.
Did l understand you to say that
he left New York ten years ago for
Texas withouta dollar, and died the