The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-01-10
STRANGE REUNION.

"Evening News!" piped a small,
bird like voice and small, bird-like
boy hoped from beneath an awning
and extended damp paper in a thin,
claw-like hand. "Evening News! Only
two cents!"
The words were chirped rather than
spoken; and as the thin featured ur-
chin swayed upon his crutch. with one
leg drawn up, his thin features, bright
eyes, and skinny hands made him
seem more than ever like rain.soak.
ed sparrow.
Jasper Corson looked curiously at
the newsboy over his gold trimmed
glasses.
"Rather damp weather for a little
chap like you?" he said, kindly, as he
fished in his pockets tor dime.
20, I'm used to It'll" replied the lit.
tie fellow, cheerily. "1'm crippled up
some, We see, and the mud makes it q
little tough on me gettin' around;
that's ALL"
"On'y two cent's?' as Corson took
the paper and turned away without
waiting for the change.
keep it'll" said Corson. "You've
more than earned it. standing here in
this drizzle."
The boy thanked the old gentleman,
tipped the dime into the air for good
luck, caught it again and then hoped
off down the wet pavement calling his
wares in that wee bit OF voice.
Casper Corson was a business man,
we'll along i'll years and not much CIV
en- to sentiment, but the boy had
somehow touched a tender chord in
his heart; and the little rain-soaked
figure came to him again and again
during the busy hours of the evening.
Why he watched for the newsboy
the next afternoon Mr.. Corson could
not have told. Newsboys we're plenti.
ful-too plentiful by half, he often
thought
"There is something pathetic about
the little fellow!" he unused. in answer
to the question he had unconsclously
asked himself. HE seems so out of
place; and his lameness and general
appearance rather appeal to my SEN
sibilities.''
The newsboy saw him coming and
went to meet him. He would have
been an uncommon sort of newsboy if
he had so quickly forgotten the gentle
man who was SO willing topay dime
for q 2'cent paper.
Here's your Newsl" All about the
anarchists!"
Corson took the paper and tossed
him another dime,
IA little nicer weather than yester.
day!" he said, striving to put great
deal Of kindness into his tones. Some
how he felt it incumbent on him to
say something, and SO spoke OF the
weather, that convenient refuge OF all
of us who feel called on to talk when
we have nothing to say.
"Better'n twas yesterday" replied
the boy reaching for the change which
he hoped would not be accepted.
Mr.. Corson waved aside the extend
ed hand, with it's load choppers, pull
ed his hat over his eyes and strobe on
to his place of business.
Almost every evening, for more than
a month, this was repeated. Some
times the newsbov, who carried a
backing outfit, would polish the old
gentleman's shoes. And once or
twice Corson paid him for running err
rands.
Not many words were exchanged
during those weeks. The newsboy
clattered away necessarily; but his
benefactor was chary of speech. He
learned, however, that the boy was
aiding his widowed mother and as
sisting in the support of little broth
er, who was several years younger. and
that they lived In an over-crowded
tenement in a shabby and obscure
quarter of the city.
One day the boy was missing from
his accu stoned post. Corson would
before have doubted that so much of
the sunlight of his life was conferred Fin
the boy. He felt lonesome and dis
contented; was grumpy to his clerks
and managed to make himself gener-
ally disagreeabl yet he was unwilling
to ackn owledge, even to himself, that
the disappearance of the newsboy
was the cause Of it all.
"Humph! I'm getting bilious.
Must see doctor. Would like to
know, though, what's become of that
newsboy! If he don't turn up in the
course of a few days I'll make some
inquiries about him." were his mental
observations.
Evening News! On'y two cents!"
It was very faint and feeble voice
that now chirped the ''cry." The thin
little hands were thrust outside the
coverlet, the bright eyes shone with
unnatural brightness, the sharp feat.
ures seemed sharper than ever before.
and the flush OF lever touched and
colored the pallid features.
Sa0-eve6 ca~o.w0rn wonor hopt