The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1883-10-24
The Bad Boy Gets q Black Eye.

"Wcll | see YOU have got another
black eve" said the grocery man to the
bad boy. as he came in with Il Kerosene
can and sat down by a peach basket
while the groccryman drcw1hc Kerosene.
q" How did O get it ! Have Il fight. or
did Your pa knock you down with Il
chair Z"
Got it trying to be angelic" said the
boy. as he fumblcd around the mosquito
bar over the basket of peaches to sec il
there wasn't a place where Il peach might
| fall out. You know that blind Woman
that grinds the hand-organ down on the
corner. Well, Il person would think that
Il poor blind woman who has TO support
herself and five children grinding out
| the awfulcst music ever WAS would be
the last person in the world to have
tricks played on her. but this morning |
found il couple of dudes dropping lozcn-
gcs in the cigar box that is on her organ
for pennies. The first time they dropped
in one the old lady smiled and took it
and cat it.. and / wasn't very mad,
cause | thought the dudes would
surprise her by dropping in a tivc-dolla'
( gold piece for u nickel, and make her
feel good. But the next time they
dropped in Il cayenne pepper lozrngcr,
and they got behind Il pranut-stand to
see how it worked. She bit il. and then
she opened hcrmouth and blowcd cold
wind on her parchcd tongue, and almost
laffcd at first. she made such Il face, but
when | see the tears begin to pour out of
her poor old blind eyes. and roll down
her withcrcd checks. and she took the
corner of her apron and wiped the tears
away. as she stopped right in the middle
Of : Annie Laurie and the organ drew
a long breath, and when ! looked at those
two dudes latling at her. | got crazy.
Somehow | felt as though that poor
old woman WAS my ma, and before |
knew it. | jumped right in anon" those
! dudes, and Knocked 0ncof them through
the peanut stand on the hot chestnut
rooster. and | kicked the other where 1t
hurt. and he ran, and the other one said
What YOU got to do about the old
woman, don'tyou know and ] said she
WAS IL friend Of mine, cause she was
blind. and then the Italian hit me III the
eve with Il hard peach, and Il policeman
came along and the dude told him
/ was Il terrier, and the policeman lcrkco
my oat-collar off, but when | told him
what il was all about. he gave me back
my coat-c0llar and chased the dude, and
the old lady thanked me with her trcmb-
ling lips that were smarting from the
lozcngcr, and | went home to get my
collar scwcd on, and pa was going to
take it out of my hide. ] guess if |
hadn't told him about the blind woman,
he would have been kicking me yet.
Sometimes | think it don't pay to be too
good. For instance. now III tins row,
| all the friend | have got is this blind
N and she will not know me when
she secs me. The two dudes and the
Italian will lay for Inc, and the policeman
will. very likely. be told by the dude
that it was me who fired the lozcngcr i'll
there. and | have got to wear this
black eve for two weeks. just for having
!, heart in me. DO you think it pays to
be good, or didn't You ever try it
"You bet it pays" said the grocery
man. as he stuck the nozzle Of the kcro-
ycnc can into ii potato, and ripped off the
mosquito bar and told the boy to help
himself to peaches. "Iou have GOT Il
friend in me. and You can call M me for
a certificate of character at any time. y
boy that protects the poor and unlortu-
nate is Il thoroughbred, if he does get a
black eye occasionally. '-.Nhr"uhw S"n.