Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-03-09
WHsT TIM AND JESS DID.

about his mother than he did of himself.
He was wishing that she didn't have to
work so hard. She took in sewing for a
living. 1t was stitch, stitch, stitch, all day,
and more than once he had walked up at
and found her still at work.
"oh, mother, do stop sewing and go to
bed," he would say at such times. "You
must be all tired out.n
ayes, TIM Pm going to bed very soon,
now" she would answer. II just want to
finish this seam first"
As have said, Tim was thinking about
his mother as he went homeward, and just
as he was wishing that he could do great
deal more than he was doing to make her
work lighter and life less weariseme, he
came to place where some men were un-
loading lot of sewing machines.
"Must be going to start shop here"
he thought, and stopped to watch them
work.
'AIy don't | wish l could buy one of
them machines for mother" thought Tim.
''If she had machine she could do more
now in all day, and do it easier; and jess
and l could help her lots of times after we
had learned to run the thing. | wonder
how much one of 'em costs. Most a for
tune, s'pose," with sigh.
Here, you boy, if you haven't anything
else to do, lend hand an help us get
these machines inside before it begins to
rain," said the man who seemed to be the
owner of the stock. "You can earn ten
cents in next to no time"
"All right, sir" said Tim, with alacrity.
Ten cents would help good deal in poor
family, and he was just the lad not to let
such chances slip.
In little while they had the machines
inside, and the drayman drove off and left
Tim with the machine man.
~ s'pose, sir, one O these machines costs
a good deal, don't it ?' asked Tim.
''Not such great sight," answered the
man. "New ones come higher'n poor folks
like to pay, but secondhand ones, like
this, now"-indicating a machine that
looked about as well as any of the others
so far as Tim was able to iudge-"this one
1 could sell for $15, an warrant it to be
Just as good as a new one that you'd have
to pay double that for. take old ones in
trade, you see, and fix 'em up so they're as
good as ever, bein' tinker, and sell 'em
cheap. Want to buy %
"Id like to, but don't happen to have
S15," said Tim, with longing in voice and
eyes.
"Work and earn it," said the man.
II work an earn all l can now," said
Tim. 81 sell papers, you see, an it takes
all mothern | can rake and scrape to live
ont, so | couldn't save anything to buy a
machine with. But I'd like to, all the
same Mother, she sews, but she'd never
run in debt for a machine. | just wish |
could buy her one"
'Do extra jobs an save up what you get
for 'em, and you could pay for machine"
said the man.
m-I don't s'pose you could give me
jobs, could you ?" asked Tim, eagerly.
swell, / might, now and then," was the
reply. "Pll tell you what Pll do. Pm
one O them folks that's always willing to
help folks that try to help themselves.
I'll give you all the chorin' round have
to have done at ten cents job. Fll give
you credit-Slip for each one, an if you
pay in ten cents in cash, any time, I'll
give you slip for that, too an you can
keep the slips till they come to the price
of machine, an when you've got fifteen
dollars worth of 'em, you can have your
pick of any secondhand machine in the
store. What dye say~
'I-Pll do it" said Tim, with kind of
gasp. The magnitude of the transaction
almost took his breath away.
"All right, then,' said the machine
man. "Do you want a slip for the job
you've done tonight, or the cash ?"
''I'll take slip" said Tim. "If Pm to
buy machine | might as well begin to
pay for it on the start"
'That's business" said the man. He
wrote on a card, "Due the bearer ten cents
on account" and Tim pocketed it with a
feeling of Importance. 1t was almost like
putting money into the bank.
''You can drop in when you come along
nights and mornings. and see if there's
anything to do" said the man.
81 viii" said Tim, and started off home
on run.
ooh my, but amt 1 in for it now
thought wonder what mother'd say if
she knew? But l won't tell her thing,
for something might happen an the
machine not come after all. But I'll
tell Jessie, an let her keep the slips for
me-"
Tim had such bright, excited look
that his mother asked him what had hap
pened to him, as they sat down to supper.
"Oh, nothin'," answered Tim, with
chuckle that made Jessie look at him with
suspicion.
After supper he watched his chance and
whispered to jess to come out, he wanted
to tell her something" iu low and mys-
terious tone that aroused all that young
damsel's curiosity at once.
"What is it, Tim," she asked as soon as
they were in the hall. out of anybody's
hearing. 'Have you got something for
me ?"
Eyes; I've got something for you to
keep" answered Tim, producing the slip.
.You see, jess, Pve made bargain for a
sewing machine" looking at her keenly to
see how she was impressed by the stu
pendous announcement. "Yes, sir" with
an air of greater importance than Wander
bilt ever wore when he had completed
the purchase of railroad, give agreed to
take machine. Pm to pay for it as fast
do Ittli, al ilC ludh W give LIE oiip
every time pay in ten cents, or do a job
for him, an want you to keep 'em for
me- Here's the first one. Be awful care
full of it, and don't you let mother know
the first thing of what's going on. You
won't now, will your
"No, / WON'T" answered jess, wonder
ing, though, as she promised, if it would
be possible for her TO keep such a great
secret to herself. Say, maybe can do
something to help, Tim? Next time
mother sends me to carry work home Pm
going to ask if there amt some job can
do for the folks. She was wishing yester-
day that she had one"
"She shall have one" said Tim; "Pll
stick to it till pay for one"
GLOW long do you s'pose it'll take?"
asked Jess.
"Oh, l don't know. A good while,
sure" answered Tim. "But we'll have it
sometime. | mean business"
1.-TWO more slips" said Tim to Jessie,
next night, as they went into consultation
in the hall. "That makes three. Only
147 more to get" with chuckle. 81 tell
you what, Jess keep an eye out for extra
iohs nowadaxs y