The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-07-01
A PRICELESS GEM.
IN THE BAD BOYS GROWN OF sUBLU.
NARY GLORY.

AoS ma, you nave got your oeserts
at last" said the grocery man TO the
bad boy, as he came in with one eye
black, and his bose peeled on one
side, and sat down on board across
the coal scuttle, and began whistling
as unconcerned as possible. What's
the matter with your eyer"
boy tried to gouge It out without
asking my consent" and the bad boy
took dried herring out oil the box
and began peeling it. she ia in bed
now, and his ma is poulticing him,
andshe says ne will be out about the
last OF next week"
20, you are going to be q prizes
fighter, amt your" said the grocery
man, disgusted. "When boy leaves
job where he is working, ard goes
to loafng around, be becomes q
fighter the fret thing"
III you had this black eye, and got
it in the way I did, it would be a
more priceless gem in the crown Of
glory you hope to wear, then any gem
you can get by patting quarters in
the collection plate, with the hoies
filled with lead, as you did last Sun
day, when I was watching you. 0.
didn't you look pious when you
picked that filled quarter out, and
held your thumb over the place where
the lead was. The way OF the black
eye was this. I got q job tending a
soda fountain, and last night, just be.
fore We closed, there was two or three
young losfers in the place, and girl
came in for glass of soda. Five
years ago she was one OF the brightest
scholars in the ward school, when I
was in the intermediate department.
She was just as handsome as peach,
and rybody liked her. At recess
she used to take my part when the
boys knocked me around, and che
lived near US. She had q heart as
big az that cheese box, and I guess
that's what's the matter. Anyway,
see lett school, and then it was said
she was going to be married TO q feI
low who ia now in the dude business,
bat he went back on her, and after q
while her ma turned her Out doors,
and for year or two she vas jerking
beer in concert saloon, until the
mayor stopped concerts. she tried
hard to get sewing to 90, but they
wouldn't have her, l guess cause she
cried so much when she Was sewing.
and the tears wet the cloth she WAS
sewing on. Once / asked pa why ma
didn't give her some sewing to do.
and he said tor me TO dry up and
never to speak to her il I met her on
the street. 1t seemed tuff to pass her
on the street, when che had tesrs in
her eyes as big as marbles aDd not
speak 70 her when / know her 20 we'll,
and she had been 80 kind to me at
school, just cause dude wouldn't
marry her, bat wanted TO obey pa,
go | used to walk around a block
when | see her coming, cause l
didn't want to hurt her feelings.
Well, last mig bit she came in the store,
looking pretty shabby, and wanted
glass of soda. and I gave it 10 her,
end o, how her hand trembled when
she raised the gless to her lips. and
how vet her eyes we're, and how pale
her face was. / cboked up 80 l
COULDN'T speak When she handed me
the nickel, and wien sbs looked u1
at me and smiled just like she "a
TO- and said | Ras getting to - slI
most man dnce We rent +" scn VI
at the old senoolbouAe, ard pA! neI
handkerchief 70 her eyer, oS soSh ny
ewes got p full l oonldn tpii %nesnef
il was q Aickel or a lozeE9er sne gave
ms last then one OF those loaiers
beosp 60 laugh at he, and call her
MANS, and say the police ought to
TAX her up for a gray, and be made
f,,J of her until ahe cried some more,
md I got hot and went around TO
where he vas and told him II be said
another unkind word to that girl !
would n.sdl him. He laughed and
asked ifshe was my sister. and told
him that a poor friendless girl, who
was sick aud in distSess. and VINO was
ineulted, ought TO De every roy SIS
ter, for d minute. and any boy who
had g. spark OF manhood Should Pro-
tect her, aud then he laughed and
said ought to be one OF tns Little
Sisters otthe Poor, and he TOOK hold
of Der faded shawl and pulled the
weak girl against the showcase, and
said someLhing mean to her, and she.
looked as though che wanted to die,
and l mashed that boy one right on
the nose. Well. the air seeI ed to be
full of me for minute, cause he was
bigger than me, and he got me down
and got his thumb in my eye. 1
guess he was going TO take my eye
out, but l turned him over and got
on TOP and | mauled him until ne
begged, but wouldn't let him up
till he asked the girls pardon, and
swole be would whip any boy that IN
suited her, and then l les him up.
and then the girl thanked me, bat |