Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-02-24

the shoe and the stick of blacking with
which he was finishing the edge of the
sole, and then he sat down.
He looked at Tim. The boys dis
appointed face touched his sensitive,
gentle heart, and he at once assumed a
look of interested inquiry, though his
face was still very pale.
well, Tim, if L can't guess, tell
me-"
Tim hitched himself into a chair,
and began to tell his news.
"Well. you know, Uncle Tony, how
we was talkin' yesterday about the
op'rer, and about the time whent you
used to play in the orchestrer at that
Lane Theatre in London?n
''Yes. Tim in the orchestra at Drury
Lane Theatre"
That's it! Well, this mornin' after
had sold out, was iusta-wishin' and
a-wishin' that | could get twenty shines
to do, as l did last year, so we could
60 ag'ln, for, oh, it was just heavenly!
and l was a-standin' before the main
entrance of the Grand Hotel, and a
thinkin' about that op'rer we went to
last year, and a-whistlin' the theme
you learned me, and We play together,
when two awful swell gentlemen came
along, one of 'em with his boots all
splashed. l said to him:
"'Iave shine, sir? You need it.
''He put his boot on the box, and
said; Where did you learn what you
was just now whistlin' my lad?' Il
heard it at the op'rer last year, and
Uncle Tony learned me to play it,
Then lie says, is your uncle a musi-
cian?' Says 1, You Jest bet he is!'
Where does he play?' says he; and
told him yoI played at home. AT
homeI' said the gentleman, raising his
eyebrows this way''-and Tim opened
his handsome brown eyes, and raised
his fine, straight brows as high as pos
sible.
"'Isn't he a professional muslcianp'
Il guess be is, said, but he mends
shoes, now, and we play evenln's. 1
live with him. 'Um.ml' said the gen.
tleman. 'Soyour uncle plays Wagner's
music and mends shoes, does hep"
Then he turned to the other gentleman
and said: There is another phase of
American life for your book, Patton.
"Then, do you know, Uncle Tony,
he put up his other boot, and bending
his head with queer kind of a smile
said: And do you anticipate going TO
the op'rer this year?' IF / can get
shines enough for the tickets in the
loft for Uncle Tony and me- said l..
'Oh-ho! so yOu furnish your Uncle
Tony with op'rer tickets, do you?' SAID
be. Yes; Miss Marshall won't let
Uncle Tony spend any money for 'em.
And who might Miss Marshall be?'
] 'Why, Uncle Tony's 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. We'll, well, well! here is combi-
nationl l suppose you would like to
60 to the op'rer, even though this adop-
! ted uncle of yours-the musical cobbler
should stay at home2''No, wouldn't
said /. 1T wouldn't be the same with
oft Uncle Tony"
At this point Uncle Tony brushed his
hand across his eyes, and blowed his
nose vigorously.
"'Well, said the gentleman, come
| IN TO the desk a moment. and we will
| see what we can do We went in, and
ne wrote on piece of paper, put 1t in
! an envelope, and told me to go over to
/ Cartons theatre and give it to the man
at the ticket Office. / 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-sighted eyes, exclaimed:
why, Tim, they are for the dress
circle, as sure as you live!"
The door of the inner room opened
with an emphatic click, and a large
woman, with a broad, round face,
small features, and beady, black eyes,
came in, treading with such weight
| that the triangleS in the cupboard set
up a vigorous Ginning. Her expires
sion plainly told that she believed her.
self to be martyr, and that no one
could know what she suffered. She
seated herself In rocking-chair, and
fetched heavy sigh.
Tim turned his cap round uneasily,
Uncle Tony gave an apologetic cough,
and then he asked:
'.Do you feel any better, mother! y
Nobody cares whether do or notl''
was mothers" ungracious response,
as she leaned her head on her hand land
swsyed back and forth ominously.
Uncle Tony coughed again, and SAID
gently:
Now, don't 'motherl' Tim and 1 dc
care great deal about how you feel
81 should think you did by the noise
YOU keep up when am trying to get
little restr'
az did upset the clamps, but 1 really
did not mean to-"
eMother'' was unappeased, and con
tinued to rock and sigh. Tim SHIFTED
upeasily, and Uncle Tony bent over
his shoe very Industriously.
As the continued silence gave "moth'
err 10 further opportunity to say any
thing unpleasant, she raised her head
and, turning toward Tim, said, sever
ely: :
Timothy, this is strange time IN
the day for YOU to come home. should
certainly think that a boy who needs as
much as YOU are always a-needin', ought
to put in his time a-pickin' up what he
could"
Tim looked furtively toward Uncle
Tony. who came to his assistance.
"Tim had great luck, to-day, moth
err and came home to let US kno"
about It."
II would have been too much conde'
scension on the part of ''mother," &c
have appeared at all interested, but
under the influence of awakened curl,
osity, she ceased to be aggressive, ana
Tim was emboldened to relate, briehy,
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, declared
that his tickets were worth forty -eigh'
dollars, and would fetch as much as
thirty dollars, he knew.
"Mother's', interest began to kindle,
and in tone of superior wisdom and
commanding suggestion. she said:
snow. Timothy, you have chance
| i,,,o,b;n1 worth while. You