South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1889-04-26

aC Wene0a ~ sStA nCk ROlAV4oknkt At1 -
low and mysterious tone that aroused
all that young damsel's curiosity at
once.
What is it. Tim 2 she asked, as
soon as they we're in the hall, out Of
everybody's hearing. Have you got
something for mef ~
Yes; Pve got something for you
TO keep, answered Tim, producing
his slip. You see. jess, I've made
bargain for sewing machine, look.
ing AT her keenly to see how she was
impressed by the s.upendous an
nouncemept. Yes. eir,' with an air
Of greater Importance than Wander.
bilt ever wore when he had completed
the purchase OF . railroad. .Ive
agreed to take . machine. Pm to
pay for it a. fast as / can, am the
mans TO give me o slip every time
pay In ten cents. or do a job for him,
an waut you to keep 'em for me
Here's the first one. Be awful care.
fui OF it, and don't you let mother
know the first thing CT what's going
on. You won't, now, will your
No, / won't. answered Jess. won.
dering, though, as she promised If it
would be possible for her to keep such
great secret to herself. Say, may.
be 1 can do something to help, Tim
Next time mother sends me to carry
work home I'm going to ask if there
amt some jobs can do for the FOLKS.
Won't it be nice il we can get ma
chine for mother. She was wishing
yesterday that she had one.
she shall have one, said Tim. /
will stick 10 It till l pay for one.
How long do you s'pose il'll take
asked jess.
oh, l don't know. A good while,
sure, answered Tim. But we'll have
itsfor some time. mean business.
Two more slips, said lin &c Jes-
sic next night, as they went into con-
sultation in tie hall. That makes
three. Only hundred and forty.
seven more to get, with chuckle.
will tell you what, Jess, 1 keep an eye
out for extra jobs. nowea. daJs.
only hundred an forty six more
to get, said Jessie. proudly, produc.
ing slip from her pocket. have
earned something to-day as well as
you. Got ten cents for taking care of
the machine.man's baby. They live
up stairs over the shop, am he says |
may como twice week an help his
vile. The baby awful cross, but
don't mind that's longs Pm helping
pay for the machine.
'Hooray! cried Tom, Hinging up
his old cap in delight. We are in
luck, amt we? But mother'll mis-,
trust somethin' II you keep goin' to
take care Of the baby. Won't she {?
Il told her I was going to have
something for it sometime, said Jes-
sic. She thinks like to go.
Il do wonder what those children
are doingf thought Mrs. Wylie. more
than once as the weeks went by.
They're trying 10 keep something
from me, [ know; they took so know.
ing and mysterious, sind hold so many
secret meetings in the hall. But it
isn't any mischief, I'm sure, and /
won't ask them to tell me if they
don't want TO. FL find cut some
time.
AS the days passed Into weeks the
precious slips increased in number.
Sometimes they came in slowly then
there would be streak of luck aud
dozen would como in week. They
were counted over end over, till
some OF them began to show signs Of
wearing out. Jess kept them in an
old cigar-box, hidden away under the
stairs. Often in the night she woke
up to wonder If they were safe from
burglars. She vent TO see if they
were here tho frs. thing every morn
ing.
What il we should lose them?' she
often said TO herself, with q catch in
her breath, at the bare idea. Would
not Tim feel just awful IL we were to
fail nowP'
How the boy and girl worked to
make q success Of their undertaking
They went afou. on the alert for
Jobs, and because their heart was
IN their work they succee ed beyond
what they had dared hope for. They
did whatever was given them to do
faithfully and we'll. and won the re-
spect OF those who employed them 10
consequence. Some of the men and
women who gave them Jobs found out
what they we're working for and gave
them extra jobs TO hs,r them along.
Il like 10 do it, said one Of their EN-
ployers, because they're willing to
work and earn their money. They
don't beg for IL, and when they have
anything TO do they don't BAN do u,
as some children would. Whas they
do they do as it ought to be dOnc.'
From this you will see that while
Jessie and Tim we're making sue
cess Of their undertaking financially
they were working MP good reputa-
tion for themselves.
Perhaps tie proudest day their lives
will ever hold came when the last
slip s-sR added to the number. in the
old cigar-esoV four months after they
hnd bcgu1 10 co .lect them.
oh, I'm rs paid for, isn't it7'
cried Jess, iu kind.of solemn. way.
Yes, its paid for answered. Tim,
III srf inc a .rrraf h~anfI - Lily