The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-03-13

straight brows as high as possible,
"'Isn't he a professional musician? i
guess he is said |, but he mends shoes
now, and we play evenin's. l live with
him. 'Um-m' said the gentleman. so
your uncle plays Wagrer's music and
men1s shoes, does he" Tnen LIE turned
to the other gentleman and said: There is
another phase of American life for your
book, Patton"
Then do you know, Uncle Tony, ne put
up his other boot, and bending his head
with queer kind of smile, said: And do
you anticipate going TO the op'rer this
year" If l can get shines enough for tick
cts in the ''loft" for Uncle Tony and me-
said /. 'O-ho, so you furnish your Uncle
| Tony with op'rer tickets, do you? said he.
Yes, Miss Marshall won't let Uncle Tony
spend any money for 'em.' And who might
wife, of course Isn't she your aunt"
NO, nor Uncle Tony amt my right uncle.
He found me asleep in packin' box seven
years ago."
"sWell, well, well Here is a combina-
toni l suppose you would like go to the
op'rer, even though this adopted uncle of
yours-the musical cObbler-Should stay at
homen No, | wouldn't said /. 1T
wouldn't be the same without Uncle
Tony"
AT this point Uncle Tony brushed his
eyes carelessly, and bowed his nose vigor-
ously.
"EWeH,' said the gentleman, come into
the desk amoment AMI we will see what we
can do We went in and he wrote on a
| told me to 90 over to Cartons Theater and
give it to the man at the ticket-office. l did,
and here, Uncle Tony, is two-season-
| tickets :" And Tim took them triumphantly
from his pocket and handed them to the old
man, who, bringing them close to his near
I IT, l.. 81.
are for the dress circle, as sure as you and
l live"
The door of the inner room opened with
an emphatic click, and large woman with
broad, round face, small features and
beady black eyes, came in, treading with
such weight that the triangles i'll the cup
board set up a vigorous Ginning. Her ex-
preston plainly told that she believed her.
self to be a martyr, and that no one could
know what she suffered. She seated her.
self in 4 rocking chair and fetched heavy
sigh.
Tim turned his cap round and round I'M
easily. Uncle Tony gave an apologize lit
tie cough and asked:
Z" Do you feel any better, motherW
" Nobody cares whether | do or notn'
was mothers" gracious response, as she
leaned her head on her hand and swayed
back and forth ominously.
Uncle Tony coughed again and said,
gently: "NOw don't mother! Tim and [
do care great deal about how you feel"
81 should think you did by the noise you
keep up when l am trying TO get little
restu'
81 did upset the clamps, but really did
not mean to-"
Mother" was unappeaSed and continued
to rock and sigh. Tim shifted uneaSily,
and Uncle Tony bent over his shoe iii u
very industrious way.
AS the continued silence gave mother"
no further opportunity to say anything I'M
pleasant, she raised her bead and turning
towards Tim, said severely:
"Iimothy. this is a strange time in the day
for you to come home. l should certingly
think that boy who needs as much as you
are always a-needin', and earns as little
as you are always a-earnin', ought to put
in his time pickup up what he could"
Tim looked furtively toward Uncle Tony,
who came to his assistance.
Tim had great luck to-day, mother, and
came home to let us know about it,"
1t would have been too much condescen-
sion on the part of ''mOther" to have ap-
peared at all Interested, but, under the
influence of awakened curiosity, she ceased
to be aggressive, and Tim was emboldened
to relate briefly how he had obtained the
season opera tickets. Knowing that
''mother's'' one standard of all earthly
good was money, Tim, in an evil moment,
and to make his story impressive, de-
clared that his tickets were worth forty
eight dollars, and would fetch as much as
thirty dollars, he knew. "Mother's" inter-
est began to kindle, and in tone of SUI
perior wisdom and commanding sugges-
ton, she said:
snow, Timothy, you have a chance to
make something worth while. You just
advertise i'll the papers that you will sell
them tickets. If you can get more than
thirty dollars, just do it, and it will be a
nice nest-egg for real little fortune. l
will help you take care of it, timothy"
Tim saw his error too late. He grew red
and stammered:
"But the gentleman gave 'en to me for
Uncle TONY and me to dSe. L guess he is
the op'rer boss, and he wouldn't like to
have me sell 'em"
"W ELL" said mother, bridling, 81 don't
s'pOse a gentleman such as the one you
told us about, gives Injun presents, to take
'em back again, does he"
Moo" said Tim, 'but if he had
a-wanted 'em sold, he'd a-sold 'em him.
self"
Timothy. now when you have chance
TO get a chunk of money, it is a-hyin' in
the face of Providence not to do it, What
if Won was to be sick, what would you do
and just put it out to interest, the interest
is a-goin' on night and day, day and night.
Your money is a-earnin' for you while you
are sleepin'. You just go and put in the
advertisement"
Tim, in common with great many peo-
pie, felt what he found it quite impossible
to express. He was no match for Mrs.
Marshall on the subject of selling the
tickets, though aside from his great long
ing to go to the opera, he felt it would be a
mean act TO sell them. He twirled his cap
round and round, and looked furtively,
anxiously toward Uncle fony.
Perhaps three times during the fifteen
years that Anthony Marshall had lived
with his second wife he had quietly, firmly
and successfully asserted himself in direct
opposition to her will. On these rare occa-
sions he had done this to vindicate some
nice point of subtle honor, or fine delicacy
of feeling; for Anthony Marshall was born
a gentleman.
Now he raised his head slowly, and
spoke with a shade more precision and dis
tinctneSS than usual.
"Mi-ran-dai Tim must not sell the tickets.
1t would not be honorable. Tim and will
90 to the opera and use them, as the gentle
man who gave them to him expected we
should"
Mrs. Marshall recognized in the tone and
manner that this decision was final. She
was not a stupid woman. She therefore
arose, and with q look of lofty, commiser-
ating disdain, remarked:
"Some people ought to be born with two
silver spoons in their mouths"
Then she marched out of the shop, her
crinoline-distended skirts moving down a
wide swath of small movables as she went.
When the door had slammed behind her,
Tim, in silence, hastily ate the lunch of
bread and meat which he had taken with
him in the morning. Then taking one of
the triangles from the cupboard and his
hoy from the fOOr ha mt his hand IN tho
latch and turned with hesitating,
"Well. Uncle Tony:"
alt will take US an hour to walk it, Tim.
We will start at seven O'Clock. Good-bve,
my boy; and good luck" said Uncle Tony,
wrapping up the shoe he had finished.