Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-11-26
MONEY AT IN rEREST.

Please. si5. will you give me penny
anly d penny?
"No-go along with yo1! never Civ
money 10 street beggars.'
And Mrs. Parker sat, if it were possible
trifie m"re erect In her buffalo-covere
wagon seat, and grasped her b'ue cotton
umbrella tighter round the handle. But
her husband, Pull Parker, on whose kind
y face the boy turned his e. n, said:
See here, boy. I've only got fifty
cent piece, and It's more n than ! ought to
give away. snail be here at 3 o'clock
this day week opposite his very tavern.
VIII you be here to pay it back?' mind,
only lend it to you-and may be I'll be
aole to find some work for you by that
time"
Yes, sir, said the boy, gleefully, as he
scrambled up tbe side of the wheel 81
will be here, sure
You re fool, Paul Parker" said the
woman angrly, Ito be scatterln your
money about in that sort of a way. Do
YOU s'pose you'll ever see it again p
Il hope so, wife," said the old man.
touching his placid horse gently with the
relns, and urging him into sort of sleepy
dogIot. Il should be sorry 10 think that
there wasn't no truth In that bright little
back.e ed fellow Give the world a fair
chance, hat S all I've got to say
The clustering August sunshine was
pour ng into hot little garnet room il
one of the Tost squalid and neglected
turIleus of the town, where brutal look
ing man was smoking short black pipe,
and two or three boys lounged around
half asleep. A hand organ stood UP
against the wall. monkey dressed in
soiled red rags sat chat ering in the win
dow, and Nipo's accoI deon and thumped
tamhourine lay near by; Nino himself,
with tear stained cheeks and heavy eye
lids, was crouched Ill a corner, wlstfulIy
watching The door, as ifresolved to avail
himself of the first chance that offered
itself for escape.
There was scrt of wild, weird beauty
about the boy, after 81, in spite OF his
swarlhy sheeks and forlorn uniform OF
black locks streaked with purplish gloss
and SHINE, was frank and open bis ewes
We're soft and liquid as a mountain spring.
and there were both spirit and sweetness
In the we'll outlined curves of hi. mouth
Had Nino Berlani been the off >prlng of al,
arlstOcratic lineage, he would have been
called handsome as a boy Apollo; bu'
alas! rags and poverty and blows are
anything but beautlfers, and Nino had
never known aught else in his brief and
sunless life.
Presently the man knocked the ashes from
his pipe and laid it down, with vicious
sidelong glance at the boy.
Soycu We got 50 cents hid away, you was
goin to CANNON me out of eh?" he de-
manded. You young wagabone, Id like
to know what you meant by 1t.
at was mine" sobbed the boy. 81
carried it singin' under the great folks
winders, atter work hours was over.
gave YOU all | earned in the daytime,
did,
'Yours!' growIed the man ssvagely
There amt nothin' is yours! You IT
mine, and all you earn Is mine; snc
again. I'll split your skull open tU1
you Where are you gong now Sit down
again y
Only out so far as the West Landhil
tavern S; id Nino, entreating'y, as hi
eyes marked the slow-creeplng tiue OF sun
shine along the floor, that formed his onl,
substitute for clock.
"Wel, you won't do no such thing!
SdiU TUG utslli, ShhOthijy lii Il uIosb Sou
crazy and quarrelsome mood. "G'
back to Your corner sgiD; do yol
bear? You're not going to stir ou
this afore night. and not then unless
you behave yourself as straight as chalk
mark. :"
III be rack in ten minutes, sir;
will. indie. d.
He Id Your noise!' brutaly CALCULATED
his irate keeper. Il tell you you shan
stir ps g. there, now! Dave 10 one o
the other boys, give US light here 10
this pipe
Nlno, watching his opportunity, as /
wild beast might watch Tor an e. cape iron
It's cage, gave IA forward dart just as tn,
man stopped over to lub his match again
he sole or his boot. But he WAS scared,
quick enough; his tyIant seized him rude
y by the arm and slung him across tb,
floor rs if ne had been toy. He tell, bi
empie striking against the leg OF rust,
iron bedstead that stood III the corner
and lay their quite insensible.
BEST If | don't think he done for
dad" said one of the hitherto impassiv'
spectators of the scene, a boy of thirteen
who was generally dressed as a - an
deIing Bavarian, with tamborine an,
cells,
LET him alone. l say!" snarled th,
father. ''u's lesson ash do hlm good.
And az the same moment the bell ID tn