The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-01-12
MRS. BRIGGS CLERK.

OLD woman VINO KEPT q NlLe hbOp 10
candy and tHmminp8, and poor enougl
itself, heaven knew bgt, she said, h
looked h,tle Ike what her Tom nigh
II be bad grown up and been neglected
and 6ho could not stand 1t. Sue calleC
10 him
Come here, sonny" she said, ant
the boy obeyed.
Before che could speak again he said
~ didn't do il. I'll take my oath on
anything. didn't do 1t. I Ein'E 8,
mean"
"Didu't do WHAT" asked the pIeasan,
old woman.
'BreaR your windcr,' said the boy
nodding bis head toward a shattered
pane.
"Why, broke that myself with 10Y
shutter last night, said the old woman
II amt strong enough to III, them,
tb.rs the fact. I'm getting old. ~
al I'm round here when you shut up
I'm do 1t for you, said the boy "rJ
Just as soon. What was that you wanted
me tUr?"
II want to know what you was eating
that dry crust out OF the gutter for2'
vas the reply.
"Hungry,n he said. 1--WE tried to get
a job all day. I'm going to slesp in an
area over there, after it's too dark FOR q
policeman to see, and YOU can't have &
good nights sleep without some supper,
II 1t Ia little dirty
an give you some that's clean, said
the old woman.
"That will be begging he said.
'No," she said, You can sweep the
store and pavement, and put up the
shutters for Il"
avery well, heslid. "Thankee. then.
II sweep up frs; III feel better"
Accordingly she brought him broom,
and he did the work well. AtteTward
he ate his supper with relish. That
night he slept, not in the area, but I'M
der the old woman's counter.
He had told her his story. His name
was Dick; he wRB twelve years old, and
his father, whom he had never seen
| sober WAS in prison for life.
The antecedCnts were not eleveling,
but the boy seemed good. The next
| morning the old woman engaged clerk
for her small establishment. The terms
were simple-his living and bed under
the counter.
When the neighbors heard OF it they
were shocked. A street boy, whom no
one knew. Did Mrs. Briggs really want
10 be murdered in her bed? But Mrs.
Briggs felt quite cafe. She had go much
time now that she intended to take in
sewing. Dick attended to the shop al.
together. lie kept It IN fine order, and
increased the business By introducing
candies and chewing gum. Pennies
came in rs they never came in before,
since he had painted signs in red and
blue ink TO the effect that the real old
molasses candy was to be got there, and
that this was the place for peanuts.
And in the evening after the shop
was shut up, she began to take him into
her confidence.
Her great dream was to buy herself
into the home OF the aged. II would
cost her Sl00. She was saving for it.
She had been saving for three years,
and had Slj OF it. But it cost 80 much
to live, with tea % cents per quarter,
and loayes 30 SMALL and she had been
sick, and there was the doctor and Mrs.
Jones' Maria Jane to be paid Tor mind
ing her and the shop.
After this Dick took great interest in
the savings, and the winter months in
creased them as though he had brought
blessing. One night in the spring she
took the bag from under the pillow and
counted what it had. It was $50.
and I'll begin TO make kites to-
morrow, Mrs. Briggs said the boy,
"and you'll see the custom It will bring,
II little shaver sees the kites hell
spend all he has for EN-, aud then hell
coax his mother for more to buy the
stuck darts and chewing gum. l know
boys" -,
YOU'RE a clever boy yourself" said
the old woman, and patted his hand.
1t was plumper hand than 1t had
been when it picked the crust out OF the
gutter, and he wore clean, whole clothes,
though they were made oil very coarse
cloth. -,
"How wrong all the neighbors wers!n
she said. THAT boy is the comfort OF
my life
So she went to bed with the treasure
under her pillow, and slept. Ear on III
the night she awoke. The room was ut
terly dark there was not ray OF light
but she heard q step upon the floor.
"Whois that" she cried.
There was no answer, but she felt that
| there was some one leaning over the
bed then hand clasped her throat and
held her down, and then dragged out the
bag, and abe was released. Hall suao'
Gated, she for moment found heISeli
moiionless and bewildered, conscious
only Of q draught OF air from the open
door and some confused noises. Then
ale spraug to the door and hurried into
the littls shop.
"Dickl Dick" sho cried. "Dick
Dick help-wake up Pm robbed !"
There was no answer; the door into
the street was wide open, and by the
moonlight that poured through it she
quickly saw, as she peeped under the
counter, that Dicks bed was empty
The boy was gone.
Gone! gone Oh, that was worse L
Granny Briggs than even the loss Of hel
money, for she had trusted him, ard hi
had deceived her. She had loved him
and he had abused her love. The
neiShbors were right she was q fool Il
trust strange street boy, and had beer
served rightly when he robbed her.
When the dawn had broken the wist
neighboEs came into granny's shop Il
find her crying and rocking to and fro
and said they had told her 60 and so
she only shook her head. Life had los
its interest for her. Her occupation wa
gone, but not with her savings. None!
was but money, after all; he had CONT
to be the only thing she loved, ant
! Dick had robbed her.
It was ten o'clock. Granny eat mourn
ing by the kitchen hearth. Good.nRtur
ed Ms. Jones, from upstairs, was 'see
ing to things" and trying to cheer her
; when suddenly there came a rap on tn
door, and a policeman looked in.
=, "NIrs. Briggs?" he said.
q "Here she is, said Mrs. Jones.
"Yes, I'm the ETetched crittur," sal
! Mrs. Briggs,
y "sOme one wants to see you at head