Los Angeles herald., 1891-10-29

gravestone after my funeral expenses are
paid, wouldn't be bit better off than
them poor creatures as lies up in the
potter's field. But marble amt the
stuff to make tombstones Of, anyway
it's hearts as l wants. Mine made out
of heartsI I'm pretty cranky old GUS
toner, not over good lookin. 1 never
was one of them as can make friends
like a streak of lightning But there's
the childrenl God bless emil and it's
them I'll look to for my epitaph."
Two days later he gathered his little
household goods together and moved to
a cheaper street down town. He decided
to be very economical until he had OBJ
tanned good situation. Days passed,
and weeks, but he heard of no opening.
His funds ran very low. At last there
came a day when Ham resolved that he
would no longer haunt the agencies, but
go out on his own account and, no mat
ter what it was, accept the very first
thing that offered. Help came that
night from very unlocked for quarter.
On the floor below him lived an old
man and his little boy and girl. The girl
was a little mite of creature, and the
boy, several years older, was a cripple.
Ham and the children were great
friends. He used to spend the greater
part of his time there, helping the boy,
Leo, to sort stamps.
There was hospital somewhere in the
country which had offered cot to any
invalid who would collect million post
age stamps. 1t was the one ambition
of Leos life now to gain that prize.
There were thousands and thousands of
stamps already done up in neat little
packages containing hundred each, but
Leo was learning to his sorrow that a
million was ''monstrous big" number,
and the end was by no means yet.
But on the evening in question Ham
met Leo's father for the first time. " 'Ow
de do, Mr.. Ami" he exclaimed, coming
forward and shaking hands. II was just
tellin Leo as I've just eard of situation
as would suit you nicely. It's open air
work and very 'ealthy. I'm in the same
business myself for firm in Broadway.
This situation is in Grand street, where
the watkins particular good, and can
recommend the boards to use as being
very light. Pm a sandwich man, you
know, and SO you'll be before long, l
'ope."
1t took Ham some little time to grasp
the situation, and it took him a still
longer time to consent. Suppose some
of the old frm-one of the Office bows,
even-were to see him, the whilom book
t1.oa hn c+,
boards on which the virtues of patent
medicine were extolled in ELUSIVE terms
what would they say? But it was no
time for reflection. He was happy here,
and the thought of going out into the
world again fairly appalled, him, and SO
he accepted the position and began his
duties on the morrow.
Really, all things considered, after a
months trial Jared did not find it as
trying position as he expected. And
there was one great thing about it, it en-
abled him to help Leo. He made friends
with all the shop boys along his route
by degrees, and got them to save all the
stamped envelopes for him, and in the
evening he would take them away. In
return there were many little favors
he did for them. He was by no
means his old self nowadays, and his
mind was apt to stray, but figures had
always been a ruling passion with him
and he was as good mathematician as
ever. There wasone little office boy in
the grocery at the corner to whom he
was boon in this respect 1t was q
part of his duties to add the accounts up,
and this formed the bane of his small ex-
istence. He used to sit near the window,
and as Jared passed he would stick out
his head and exclaim:
"Say, Sandwich, seven times five?"
Sometimes even he would be awaiting
him on the doorstep, and as Jared passed
slip of paper covered with figures and
pencil would be pressed into his hands,
while the boy remarked, soto voce
"Say, do it for feller, will yer? I'm all
muddled up" Every night Jared car
ried home great bundle which filed
Leo's little soul with joy. The evening
was spent in sorting the stamps and
packing them away. At last there came
day when the cupboard in the back
room could not hold another bundle, and
yet there were by no means a million
there yet. Winter passed and the sum-
mer came, and still Leo kept on count
ing, counting.
At last one night-a night when Jared
felt so i'll that as he came in from work
he told himself he would go and lie
down for little while before he went
in to see Leo-as he climbed the stairs
the door of the child's room stood open,
and as Leo caught sight of him he
waved his crutch enthusiastically and
exclaimed:
'Mr. Jared, it's million!"
Jared took his hat off and gave vent to
feeble cheer.
''It's a million!" he repeated, as he
threw himself exhausted on the bed. ga
millionI Hip! hip! hooray"
Those were the last words he ever
spoke.
There's new sandwich man walking
in Grand street now, though the legend
upon his back extols the same patent
medicine as it did in Jareds time; but
he has failed to propitiate the shop boys
of the vicinity, and the boy in the gro
Gerry shop was but expressing the opin-
ion of the boys in general when, In
speaking of old Jared Ham the other
night, he remarked, "All us fellers liked
him, we did," And then added paren-
thetically on his own account, "An, by