Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-08-08

4 and mirrors, but it's good, isn't it2"
I Aud then the gentleman added carelcssy
to his companion rs he moved away
"And the girls pretty, too--quitc too
i pretty to be wasted in these sums
\ Hiram followed then, rs they turac1
| up the street. He recognized them us
belonging to II different class than that
of the men lounginS on the street around
him. Yet they seemed to be us strange
| to the place as himself. lie rather fancied
he would like to get work from them,
and he stopped them after Il block or two
and asked il they knew of job for n
young man who was strouy and willing
to work.
They answered him sharply in the
1 negative, but stopped as h turned away
at once with startled apology.
''Do you really wan work." one Of
them asked, and then they told him there
were thousands like him, and that only
one out of II hundred ever got the work
he came for, but stopped looking for it
and went to the bad. They told him to
go back to the farm and stay there; that
1t took very bright men indeed to get
along in New York and that he might
better be II big man on his own farm than
slave fora small man in New York. They
seemed to think they ought to soften this
by some assistance bit Hiram told them
sharply that h. didn't want any money,
and walked away feeling very much hurt
and discouraged, though he wouldn't
own it even to himself
lie walked up and DOM the Bowcry
all the rest OF the day, and vcnturci into
little cross streets and into big ware
houses, where liz asked for WORK OF any
sort. lie determined not to go back to
the farm with nothing to show for his
visit and have his people say: 'Wc told
yon So He felt very lonely and wished
he had some one to talk o. He concluded
finally 10 so back and look ut that girl
i'll front Of the dime museum. She was
still there, and he took II great deal Of
comfort IN looking at her. Once or twice
he fancic,l she noticed him standing
there ut the back of the constantly caano-
ing crowd, and h. t,rncl his eyes away
because he thought it enough to shame
any girl 10 have Il man stare at her.
When it grew dark and the electric
'-ht' 7-.th ~ HlIuttIa
felt himself conspicuous and turned away
to get supper. which he purchased for
fifteen cents in Il restaurant. He was
very tired, and the hard pavemcnts hurt
his feet after the sof. country roads; but
before he went to his room he walked
few blocks ont OF his way to take look
at the led haired girl with thu pretty
complexion. She saw him this time,
surely, ard looked rather curiously at him.
but sine made no sign, which rather
pleased him than otherwise; he would
not have liked it At all il she Ind smiled
Mt him.
One day followed another and no wori,
came to iIiram, and his money ran very
low. Each day he refreshed his home
sickness by going to Look ut the young
lady, without any waist, who hung in
midair i'll the window of II museum. The
young lady without any waist had grown
10 look for and expect Hiram; there was
so refining 80 earnest and likcablc in his
honest, handsome, sunburncd face, and
then he was SO respectful in his bearing
anal did not wink at her, nor laugh at
her, rs 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 i'll that big city, to which she
Ind turned when her aunt died and left
her alone in the Connecticut village from
which she came.
Aud 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. lie
often wanted to punch the heads of the
men around the window, but he consif,..
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 pawnshops, and while
he was standing disconsolatcly gazing at
the lady in midair, something happened
that made him boil with rage. Two very
unpleasant young men in front of him
tapped on the window pane and took oil
their hats and bowed to the girl and
called her very cndcaring names. She
grew rs red as her hair, but she was afraid
10 move, as that would upset the mirrors
which made her LOOK rs though she were
cut in two, but she called to the propric-
tor and the tears came to her eyes. Hiram
did not wait for the proprietor.
lie just learned over the heads of the
laughing crowd and caught the young
men by the collar and shook them us
though they were dirty rags.
You mean, cowardly pups, you, )"
yelled Hiram, Insulting lady that amt
got no one to take care OF her. II you
dare to speak, ur look ur even come near
that gill again I'll beat every bit of life
ont en- your mean bodies"
Then Hiram whirlcd 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 visit to thu city had been a
failure, bitter failure, and he would
have returned TO the farm the very next
I.morninG if it had not been for that Girl