Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1890-01-10

was in i'll humor. business hll
somehow gone wrong with him all
day, and be felt irrated; consequent
~, when Il friend accosted him with a
request to buy Il ticket for the or
phan home ball, to be held next even
ing, he declined somewhat brusque-
~ and hurried on towards home.
Five dollars for Il ball ticket he
unused as he walked along, that $
altogether too steep. | suppose
they'll use the money well, but there
are lots of people better able than
am to give that amount, and then
business has been so bad the last
week that really can't possibly af-
ford it."
And just at that juncture, happen
ing to pass cigar store, he remem-
bered that he had smoked up the last
cigar he had at home, and going in
purchased box of fragrant Havan-
as for $3.50, and renewed his journey
homeward.
Arriving at his home, r. ate his
supper, and after lighting one of the
new cigars, lay down on the sofa for
a quiet smoke, and after watching
his two fair-hared children, a girl of
10 and Il boy of ), playing before the
fire for II few moments. fell asleep.
When he regaincd consciousness, to
his astonishment, he found himself
standing in the hallway of a strange
house. For moment he rubbed his
eyes, to make sure that this was no
hallucination of his vision, and then
finding it WAS not, pinched himself to
make sure that he was awake and not
dreaming. He felt the pinch as plain
as he ever did any touch in his life,
and realizing that he was in a strange
house, with no reasonable excuse for
being there, like sensible man he
sat down on one of the chairs near by
to consider what it was best for him
to do. 1t was still night, the hall in
which he found himselfwas lighted by
a single gas jet at the farther end,
and outside he could hear the wind
bowling dismally and driving the fall
ing sleety snow against the windows
with sound that made him SILVER
as he realized the wildness of the night
outside. For quite a while he could
not for the life of him imagine where
he was, but all of a sudden he recog
nized it as the hallway ofthe orphan
home, where he had called
on business day or two
| before. He tried to think
what particular business had called
him there upon such a stormy even
ing, and what excuse he should make
ii any one came before he discovered
what he had come there for. While
in the midst of his cogitations, sud
denly the door-bell rang, and {
woman whom he took to be the mat
ron came, and without apparent,
seeing him, admitted two shiverinl
mites of humanity, boy and a girl
of about the same age as his owl
two darlings. He could not see thei
faces for they kept their backs to
wards him, but he saw that the girl'
golden locks were of the exact shad,
of those of his own May, and tn,
boy, too, strangely resembled hi
Johnnie. The blast that sweep
through the open door as they en-
tered chilled him to the very marrow
and the tears stood in his eyes as h
surveyed their shivering forms, an,
saw that the clothes of both wer
threadbare; that they were withou
stockings, and that barely the sem
blance of shoes covered their hall
naked feet.
The little girl with the left hand O
the boy held tightly in her right
faced the matron bravely, but tn
boy, upon whose face could be seel
the trace of recent tears, shrunl
timidly behind her, and tried SUI
reptitiously to dry his eyes upon tn
corner of his sisters ragged apron.
well, my little dears," said tn
matron kindly, "what can do 10
you to-night?"
"Please ma am" said the littl
girl, for she being the older of tn
two was by virtue ofseniority leader
"a lady told me yesterday that yo
had shoes and stockings here to Civ
away to poorlittle boys that had n
got any, and we've come to see if yo
wouldn't give us some, cause on
feet 'smost froze."
II am very sorry" said the ma
tron. but we gave away the las
pair of shoes and stockings that W
had this morning
Haven't you even got IL pair fo
Johnnie?' said the little girl, her lip
beginning TO culver and the water t
come into her eyes with dispppoin1
ment, "cause, you see, ma am, it don
make so much difference about m,
cause I'm big and can stand it; br
Johnnie here, he's so little and j
cries so much cause his ieet's $
cold" And as she spoke she DIRE
herself up to the full height other tin
figure as if to impress her audito
with the full extent of her highnes
and at the same time, with one
those motherly gestures which I'll
poor of her sex learn so early, place
her arm around the form of IL
shrinking boy beside her, as if t
shield him from the cold.
mo, dear" said the matron, vii
ing a suspicious moisture from la
eyes with the corner of her aprol
Il am very sorry, but | haven't eve