The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-06-18
JOE PAID THE INTEREST.

JUE PAlU JHE INTEREST.
The clock in the kitchen had just struck
9, but sthl little Joe Petersham, who
usually dropped asleep as soon as his head
touched the pillow, lay with wide open
eyes staring into the darkness in his little
bedroom just off the kitchen, where Mr..
and Mrs. Petershan were sitting talking.
Joe's ears were wide open too, for he felt
great interest in the subject which was
being discussed
"It's no use, Mary" he heard his father
say in a low voice 'The place has got to
go. Morrison says we must either pay the
money or he will foreclose. He won't wait
any longer. We might just as well talk of
flying as of raising 500 in two weeks, and
if this strike keeps on we will have to use
the little we have got saved up" And Mr.
Petersham brought his hand down upon
the table so heavily that the dishes ratified.
1T is hard to think of our pretty little
place being taken from u.s." said Mrs.
Petersham, with sigh, ''but suppose it
must come to that, for don't know where
the money can be raised"
at can't be raised, and that's an end of
it" raid Mr.. Petersham, getting up and
walking back and forth across the room
I'VE must just grin and bear it, and
there'll be worse than this to bear if our
side doesn't win. There's not cent COM
ing in this month. Pm sure l don't hold
with them who try to wreck the trains
They've no right to do that; but it comes
pretty tough to man to see his family
needing clothes and food and not a cent in
the house. It's not much wonder that
some of them get desperate and go too
far" and then Joe heard his father tramp
heavily up the stairs, his thick boots max
ing great clatter. Presently his mother
blew out the light, and with weary sigh
she also went up to bed, and Joe was left
alone with his thoughts.
Six weeks ago his father, brakeman on
the Central railroad, had come home one
day with his dinner basket unopened to
tell his wife that strike had been ordered.
and that he would not go back to work
until the Central came to terms.
Week after week had gone by and still
the strikers were not gaining ground and
some of them were beginning to be des-
perate. The Central had found men to
fill the vacancies and the Pinkerton mep
were on hand to prevent their being inter
fered with. One day Joe and two or three
other boys had walked up the track all the
way to the city to see the tiny boxlike
houses put up at intervals along the track
as shelter for those who guarded that
section of the road
AT first everything seemed bright and
the strikers felt confident of success, but of
thai-
coming in, they did not feel as hopeful,
and even ten-year-old Joe felt oppressed by
the general gloom. But tonight a worse
trouble weighs upon him. He could I'M
derstand enough of his fathers converse
ton to know that unless hundred dollars
could be raised at once their pretty house
and garden would be taken from them.
He wondered if they would take Topknot
too, his pretty little black rooster, that
jumped upon the fence in front of his win
dow every morning and woke him up at
just the right time; and as he thought of
this he could hardly swallow for the great
hump in his throat, and he rubbed his eyes
hard with a corner of the sheet 4 hun
dred dollarsi What pile that would bel
Ii he could only think of some way to earn
It; but there seemed no chance to earn even
4 single dollar, let alone a hundred of
them, and poor little ice laythere puzzling
his brain over the matter until he dropped |
asleep.
''Rat-a-tat-tat." "Rat-a-tat-tat. and Joe |
woke suddenly out of a sound sleep to hear |
some one rapping loudly at the outside |
ioor. a moment after his father opened |
The upper window and called out loudly, |
Who's therc?" and then Joe heard old |
Mrs. jenkins, their nearest neighbor, say,
Jim is CROWN worse, an come over to |
zee if you or Joe would go for the doctor"
Don't you worry yourself, Mrs Jen-
zins," was Mr.. Petershams reply. my
rheumatism is that bad this damp weather
hat l don't dare to go out myself, but
{ won't hurt a boy ike Joe. He can go
Town in no time and ride back with the
ioctor." Mrs. jenkins murmured her
hanks and hurried off, while Joe, in re-
ponse to his fathers call, turnbied out of
ned and into his clothes with all haste 1t
vas about three miles to the village by the
Dad, but by going down the railroad il
vas only little over two miles. Joe was
brave boy, but the prospect of two mile
walk down the track in the pischy dark
less did not look at all enchanting TO a
leepy little fellow, and It was not with
Tut some grumbling that he started ont.
lie went down through the garden and
ut the back gate, and then, climbing
Town the steep bank, he found himself
Ipon the track, down which he started on
brisk walk, whistling eheerily.
Everything was so still about him that he
oon ceased to whistle, and no soaud was
eard but the shrill chirp of the cricSets
nd now and thea the baying of dog
omewhere in the distance. No$ q star was
o be seen, and the trees aud bushes doomed
p grim and black on either side of him
lie buttoned up his jacket closely, for the
amp night air was chilly, and trudged on.
He had gone about a mile when, as the
Dad makes slight bend, he saw some
hing on the track just ahead 1t looked
liz and black, and ne could not make out
that it was, so he prudentiy halted and
tared forward into the darkness with all
is might
Presently the object moved, and then he
aw that there were three men bending |
YER something. He was almost afraid to
,ove lest they should hear him, but be was
lso afraid to stay where he was, 50 be
rePt softly up the low bank aud lay FAT
own under the bushes.
The men were talking, but in sceh low
ines that he could not hear what they are
wing. What conld they be abouts They
.emed TO be lifting up something heavy,
nd 10 be placing il upon the rails, but |
lis was all he could see. Joe knew ;
lough about the trains TO know THAI the ,
OWN express train would soon be along;
Id &c shIverei with the thought thas per :
sps it was a mans body that they were
ltGng on the track
Ga, II they would only 20 before the e1-
'ess comes. And. - il IN answer 20 his '
ISL, they did finally start I'D the hill and |