Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-06-07

I W tit pidCS as nlllsSii. IT, tdllet iduSiclt
he would like to get work from them,
and he stopped them after block Or two
and asked if they knew Of Job for a
! young man who was strong and willing
to work.
] They answered him sharply in the
negative, but stopped as he turned away
4 at once with a startled apology.
500 you really want work2' one of
them asked, aud then they told him there
were thousands like him, and that only
one out of hundred over got the work
he came for, but stopped looking for it
and went to the bad They told him to
90 back to the farm and stay there; that
it took very bright men indeed to get
along in New York, and that he might
better be a big man on his own farm than
| slave for a small man in New York. They
seemed to think they ought to soften this
by some assistance, but Hiram told them
sharply that he didn't want any money,
| and walked away feeling very much hurt
and discouraged, though he wouldn t
own it even to himself.
He walked up and down the Bowery
all the rest of the day, and ventured into
little cross streets and into big ware
houses, where he asked for work of any
sort. He determined not TO 60 back to
/ the farm with nothing to show for his
I visit and have his people say I'VE told
you So" He felt very lonely and wished
he had some one to talk to. He concluded
finally to 90 back and look at that girl
in front of tho dime musesm. She was
still there, and he took great deal of
comfort in looking at her. Once or twice
he fancied she noticed him standing
there at the back Of the constantly chang
ing crowd, and he turned his eyes away
because he thought it enough to shame
any girl to have maa stare at her.
When it grew dark and the electric
lights began to sputter overhead, Hiram
felt himself conspicuous and turned away
to get supper, which he purchased for
fifteen cents in restaurant He was
very tired, and the hard pavements hurt
his feet after the soft country roads; but
before he went to his room he walked a
few blocks ont of his way to take look
at the red-haired girl with the pretty
complexion. She saw him this time,
surely ARC looked rather curiously at him,
but she made no sign, which rather
I pleased him than otherwise; he would
not have liked it at all if she had smiled
at him.
One day followed another and no work
came to Hiram, aud his money ran very
low. Each day he refreshed his home
/ sickness by going to look at the young
] lady, without any waist, who hung in
midair in the window of a museum. The
( young lady without any waist had grown
to look for and expect Hiram; there was
/ a something so earnest,and likeable in his
honest, handsome, sunburned face, aud
then he was so respectful in his bearing
and did not wink at her, nor laugh at
her, as the other men did She was very
tired of hanging in midair IN the window,
but she knew no other way to keep her
self alive in that big city, to which she
had turned when her aunt died and left
her alone in the Connecticut village from
which she came
And one afternoon, after Hiram had
not turned up for whole day, she could
not help smiling when she saw him, and
he saw her smile, and it pleased him, for
she looked so much prettier when she
smiled. After that, Hiram came regu-
larly to the window three times day,
and though she never smiled after that
first time, he knew she saw him and that
she was pleased to have him there. He
often wanted to punch the heads of the
meG around the window, but he consid-
cred that she could not hear what they
said, and so let them alone. But one
night, when his money was quite gone,
and when he had already learned the way
to one of the big pswnshops, and while
he was standing disconsolately gazing at
the lady in midair, something happened
that made him boilwith rage. Two very
unpleasant young men in front of him
tapped on the window pane and took off
their hats and bowed to the girl and
called her very endearing names. She
grew as red as her hair, but she was afraid
to move, as that would upset the mirrors
which made her look as though she were
cut in two, but she called to the proprie-
did not wait for the proprietor.
He just learned over the heads of the
laughing crowd and caught the young
men by the collar and shook them as
though they were dirty rags.
'You mean, cowardly pups, you,
yelled Hiram, 9'insulting lady that amt
got no one to take care of her. If you
Il - IL,
that girl again I'll beat every bit of life
out'en your mean bodies.
Then Hiram whirled the two toughs
into the gutter and strobe angrily up the
street. 1t was late and there were few
people about. Hiram was much dis
turbed. His visitto the city had been a
failure, bitter failure, and he would
have returned to the farm the very next
morning if it had not been for that girl,
but he felt he could not leave her to be
abused and insulted, Il was really more
than any one could ask. And then a
hand touched him lightly on the shoulder,
and, turning. he saw the young lady of
the dime museum standing firmly on her
feet now, and with a shawl thrown over
her red hair. Come here, quick, - she
said, drawing him into the vestibule of a
dwelling house. "They'res piping you,
the boys are; they've been followin'
you ever since you Knocked Casey down.
Ny stars, but you did do for him. didn't
you. Those two boys are cappers for
the place, and they were bit full, that's
all. Well, they're after you now, and
I've run all the way to tell you. You get
away, now, quick" She looked eau
tiously out of the hallway, and pulled him
after her. run UP to Houston street,
She said "Keep in the light, and take
the elevated"
But where to-what forl" gasped
Hiram
,soh, anywhere, she said; ''only get
away. They're wild as bulls, they are,
and they're the worst of the gang. II
you run up against them now they'd go
for you, sure"
And what about you?" asked Hiram,
who was too ignorant of the particular
gang OF which the girl spoke to be veryl
frightened.
''Oh. I'm all right" said the girl.
sim used to taking care of myself; and
you stood by me, and SO thought I'd
do you turn. Look cut, she screamed,
here they are. Police - There was
sudden stamping and trampling of feet,
a blocking of the entrance to the hall
way, aud the gang were upon him. Hi