The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1883-10-13
THE BAD BOY.
F1om PECK 5 SIN

mao to the bad boy, as he came in
with a kerosene can, and sat down
by a peach basket while the gro
cerymau drew the kerosene. GLOW
did you get iti Have a fight or did
your pa knock you down with a
chair ("
"Got IT trying to be an angel"
said the boy as he fumbled around
the mosquito bar over the basket
Of peaches, to see if there wasn't q
place where a peach might drop
out. "You know that blind WON
III that grinds the hand organ on
the corner. Well, a person would
think that a poor blind woman that
grinds out the awfulest music that
ever was, to support herself and
five children; would be the last per-
sol in the world to play tricks on,
but this morning found a couple
of dudes dropping lozenges in the
cigar box that is on her organ for
pennies. The first time they drop
ped in one the old lady smiled and
took it out and eat it, and | wasn't
very mad, cause | thought the
dudes would surprise her by drop
ping in q five dollar gold piece for
n nlckle, and make her feel good.
But the next time they dropped III
- cayenne pepper lozenger, and
they got behind a peanut stand to
see how it worked. She bit It,
and then she opened her mouth
and bowed cold wind on her parch-
ed tongue, and | almost laffed al
first, she made such a face, but
when | see the tears begin to pour
out of her poor old blind eyes,
and roll down her withered 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 laffing at
her, | got crazy. Somehow | felt
as though that poor old woman
was my ma, and before | knew it |
jumped right in among those dudes
and knocked one of them through
the peanut stand on the hot pea
nut rooster, and | kicked the other
where it hurt, and ran, and the
other one said, what you got to do
about the old woman, don't you
know and | said she was a friend
of mine, 'cause she was blind and
then a policeman came along and
the dude told him l was a terrier,
and the policeman ierkcd my coat
collar off, but when | told him
what it was all about, he gave me
back my coat collar, and chased the
dude, and the old lady thanked me
with trembling lips, that were
marting from the %lozenger, and ]
went home TO get my collar sewed
on, and pa a going to take it out
Of my hide. | guess if | hadn't
told him about the blind woman he
would have been kicking me vet.
Sometimes | think it don't pay to
be too darned good. Forinstance,
now in this row, all the friend |
have got is this old blind woman,
and and she does not know me
when she sees me. The two dudes
and the Italian will lay for me, and
The policeman will, very likely be
iold by the dude that it was me
who fired the lozenger in there,
and | have got to wear this black
eye for two weeks, Just for having
II heart in me. Do you think it
pays to be good, or didn't you ever
try "
"You bet it pays" said the gro
Gerry man as he stuck the nozzle of
the kerosene can into a potato,
and ripped off the mosquito bar
and told the boy to help himself
to peaches. "You have got a
friend in me, you can call on me
tor "a certificate of character at any
time. "A boy that protects the
poor and unfortunate. is a thor
ough bred, if he does get a black
eye occasionally But don't see
how it is hal the minister is down
on you so. He was in here this
morning to get trusted tor q mum
Der three mackerel, and he said he
would walk around a block any
time rather than meet you, be-
cause you asked so many questions
that he couldn't answer What
have you been asking him about
lately ~
so, only wanted to get a little
light on yachting, He is paid a
salary to enlighten his congrega-
ton, and he always wants to ask
questions, hut lately he has turned
me off with soft answers. I asked
him if he didn't think Mount Arrat
would have been a boss place 10