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

Hiram ShllrlSn came from the nine
woods back ofSNew Brunswick to make
his fortune in/New York. He had no
very ambitious hopes of becoming a
Vanderbilt'or an alderman, but he knew
something aboAt horses, and he thought
he might Tetfs job as driver.
Inc looks down on the farm were op-
posed TOXINS going; they would have pre-.
TERED. to have him marry the Youngest
daughter of the Methodist parson and
settle down at home His father had
even gone so far as to offer him two
fooms on the second floor of the old farm
house and a third interest in the farm.
with $500 down on the day of his we'd
ding, but Hiram wanted to see the CITY.
and his interest in the Methodist par
son s youngest daughter was very slight.
He came to New York with lust SIS in
silver in his pocket, and shiny papier
mache yalise. As soon as he saw the
long. unbroken line of carts and draws on
west street he gave up all idea of becom-
ing driver. He could guide horse
down the furrow in front of the pillow.
and he could steer the hay wagon along
the country roads, but this writhing puz-
zle of heavy drays and trucks and the
swearing drivers dazed and terrified him.
He wandered up Cortlandt street to
the City Hall park, which struck him as
the pleasantest part of the city that he
had yet seen, and he sat down on
bench and looked around him wonder
ingly with his valise shut in between his
knees, for he knew what thieves and
shsrpers there were prowling about in
TINS big metropolis. He had a great
curiosity TO see the Bowery, of which
his cousin Elijah mad told him, and when
he was rested, and little used to the
noise and rush, and felt little more
confidence in himself, he asked one of
the "constables" in gray where the
Bowery was. He was much relieved to
find it was so near at hand, and plunged
into the stream that flowed up Park Row
with vivid interest and vet with his senses
still alert for possible sharpers. He was
much pleased with the Cinnamon, and
observed them cautiously at first, until
he saw they were used to being stared at,
then he took his fill and stood for half an
hour on the corner of Mott street gazing
at them and listening with puzzled iu-
terest to their queer chatter. He was
rather surprised to find that no one else
seemed to notice them. He was also
much pleased with the pawnbrokers
shops, the cheap clothing stores and the
cheaper lodging houses which seemed to
promise such rare accommodations at
such moderate rates He went into one
of these where the rooms were quarter
of dollar a day or dollar week and
paid for week in advance The man
in his shirt sleeves behind the desk gave
him big key with brass tag to it, and
he went up to his room and left his bag
there. He sauntered out with quite u
feeling Of being somebody, for the owner
ship of the room gave him a sense Of
vested proprietary right in the metropolis.
He felt almost like citizen and rather
wished the folks at home could see him.
There was hidden haud-organ. play =
ing inside of place, the front of which
was covered with colored canvas signs
such as Hiram had seen billowing before
the sldeshows at the circus.
The pictures were very inviting, but
Hiram knew, from his experience at the
circus, that they were not 10 be relied
on. He stopped to look at them,
though, and then he moved over to the
outer edge Of crowd of men who
stood gazing in through pane of glass
at a young woman. Hiram thought she
was rather bold to sit there and be. stared
at by so many men and he thought it
was all the more a pity because she was
so young and so comely. She had a red
silk bodice and very large gold chain
around her neck, also reddish hair and
the fair complexion that always goes
with red hair.
Hiram thought her remarkably pretty.
She looked as if she was put out about
something or other and did not meet the
eyes of the men in front but stared up over
their heads. Hiram wondered what she
could be doing and crowded up nearer to
see. What be saw took his presence of mind
completely away, for when he came near
CT he discovered that the girl waa whole
to the waist and that the lower part Of
her body was cut completely away
Hiram had seen some dozen oircuses in
his time and many curious human freaks,
as they are very we'll called. but that .
woman who was SO good to look at
should have been born in this way filed
him with sudden pity and disgust
Than he blushed and houed bic had