Nevada County picayune., 1886-08-25
A PLUCKY BOY.

"Wel', my little man." said the merchant, complacently-he had just risen from such a glorious dhnner-"what. will you have to- dayF"
 "Oh, please, sir, may I do some work for vou?"
 It might have been the pleasant blue eyes that dld it. for the man was not accustomed to barley with such small gentlemen, and Tommy wasn't yet and small at his age at that. There were few wisps of hair along the edges of the mer- chants temples, and looking down at the appealing face, tho man pulled at them. When he had done tweaking them he gave the ends of his cravat brush, and then his hands travelled down to his vest pocket.
 "Do some work for me, ch! Well, now, about what sort of work might your small manship calcu- late to be able 10 performa Why, YOU can't look over the counter"
 "Oh, yes can, and I'm growing, please; growing fast-there, see if 1 can't lcok over the counter" "les, by standing on your toes. Are you coppered"
 "What, sir?"
 "NVhy yolr toes, your mother could not keep you in shoes if thcy were not"
 ''Shc can't keep me in shoes, anyhow, sir," and the voice hcsi- tatcd.
 The man took pains to look over the counter; it was too mnch for him; he couldn't see the little toes. Then he went all the way around.
 "I thought I should need a mi croscope," he said, very gravely, '.but 1 reckon if get close enough l can see what you're like" "I'm older than Pm big, sir" was the neat rejoinder. "Folks say Pm very small to my age"
 "What might yonr age be, sir" responded the man with emphasis. w'm almost 1,' said Tommy with a look calculated to express six feet nine. "Iou see, my mother has nobody but me, and this morn ing l saw her crying because she cOuld not find five cents in her pocket book, and she thinks tho boy who took the ashes stole it, and--I-.l,ave- not-had ad-any - any breakfast, sir.'
 The voice again hesitated, and the tears came to the blue eyes.
 Fl reckon can help you to a beefstcak, my little fellow" said the man, feeling in his vest pock- ct. "Therc. will that quarter do" The boy shook his head. ..Mother wouldn't let me beg, sir,' was the simple answer.
 "Humph! Where, then, is your father"
 "We never heard from him, sir, after he went away. He was lost, sir, in the steamer, City of Bos- ton."
 "Ah, yon don't say, That's bad. But you are q plucky little fellow anyhow. Let me see" and he puckered up his mouth and looked straight down into hls. sanders" he asked, addressing A clerk who was rolling mp and writing on par cells, "is Cash No. f still sickw "Dead, sir; died last night" was the low reply.
 "Ah, Pm sorry to hear that. Well, here's youngster that can take his place"
 ! Mr. Sanders looked mp slowly; then he put his pen behind his ear; then his glance travelled curi- ously from Tommy to NIT Towers.
 ooh, I understana," said the latter: ''he is small, very small. in decd, but l like his pluck. What did No. 1 get?"
 "Three dollars, sir" said the still astonished clerk.
 "Put this boy down four. There, youngster, give him your name and run home and tell your moth CT you have got a place at Si n week. Como back on Monday, and I'll tell you what to do. Here's a dollar in advance. I'll take it out of your first week. Can remem- bcr?'
 "Work, sir; work all the time"
 ''.As long as you deserve it, my