The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-06-27
A LITTLE Blue CAP.

Of honest toll, for he had been a lock-
smith in his youth, and had by industry
and economy raised himself steadily IN
iii he became the proprietor Of large
business and secured competency for
his old age. His wife, a quiet, gentle
creature, worshiped her husband, and
both of them wore on their faces an ex-
preston of serenity which betokened
ease of conscience and a life of peace
Durand was PAST sixty years of age and
his wife must have been fifty, yet in
spite of their wrinkles and gray hairs
these two treated each other with an
affectionate difference which was pleas
ure to behold. They were Philemon and
Baucis resuscitated.
While we were engaged in converse
ton just before dinner Durand rose and
opened drawer to take out some trife
which he wished to show me. While
he was turning over the contents of the
drawer it chapced that little cap, such
as might have been worn by doll or an
infant, fell to the floor. l picked it up
and noticed that it was made Of coarse
blue linen, with two bits of Irvine in
stead of ribbons. AS handed it to him
said gayly:
care you preparing baby basket,
Papa Durand"
had no sooner spoken than regret
ted it, for I rccollected at that moment
having heard that the only shadow on
my friends' lives was the fact of their
union beiag a childless one. For a mo-
ment Dursnd made no reply, but looked
at the little cap affectionately; then, as
he laid it carefully away again, he said
in a tone os seriousness:
'sThat is n souvenir"
Then we all three sat down to dinner
and talked IF other matters, but as soon
as the repa,A, was finished and the little
maid of all work had put cigars and
liquors upon the table my friend said
suddenly:
GLOW much that baby cap reminds
me Off II was evident that he wanted
TO explain mis- remark, and begged him
to do so.
It was great many years ago, he
said after slight pause, for l was
about twelve years old. | was working
in large factory, and had compan-
ion of the same age as myself whom on
account Of his ugly features we nick
named Zizi Monkeyface.
He was a sly, thieving, mischievous
urchin, very much given to flching
tarts from Che pastry cooks counter, but
jolly little chap and full of pluck. He
was SO lazy that he would have been
turned out of the factory had it not
been for the indulgence Of the overseer,
who had been friend of his father, and
who took an interest in the boy for the
sake of his dead comrade. Monkeyface
was an orphan, and the only relative he
had ever known was the woman who
brought him up, cousin of his moth
er. This woman was a fish peddler, a
brawling, brutal creature, whose affec-
tion for her youJsg charge was mani
tested only by blows. Perhaps if he
had known parents love he would
have been less perverse.
One afternoon the lad took it into his
head to run away from the factory and
go vagabonding about with gang of
young ruffians like himself. AS they
were coming slowly home after night
fall they heard, to their establishment,
the cry of an infallt. The sound seemed
| to issue from long, narrow, dirty alley
which opened on the street, and at the
other end of which hung dimly flick
ering lamp. After short consultation
the street boys ventured softly into the
passage and enc of them espied behind
the door little bundle Of rags which
struggled and walled. He seized hold
IF it, and the whole party ran into the
street triumphant, stopping under a
amp to examine their capture. 1t
proved to be a baby girl few weeks
Id wrapped up in series of dirty
:'loths-a poor little innocent whom a
arctched, perhaps desperate mother
| lad abandoned to the charity of stran-
| .ers.
A council was held to decide what
'hould be done with the booty, and the
| yollng captors gave free play to their
| n1ischieyous imaginatlons. One said to
| put the baby back where they found it;
mother, to hide it in a half empty prune
WA "AA1h oop"O 0e ~ s3ASCOI o OOeA q
hind proposed to climb up to second
tory balcony and leave the youngster
| here, and how astonisled the people
would be next dayl But Xii Monkey
lace secuted all these ideas and declared
that the baby must be given to she
sypsies. There was band of these POO
ole near by, who practiced jugglery and
fortune telling, and instances of kidnsp
ing were by no means rare.
Monkeyface's decision was hailed with
enthusiasm, and he claimed the right to
! sarry the treasure-trove in consideration
of his having made the plan.
"Give US the kid" he said. The baby
had all this time been screaming pite-
ously, but it stopped suddenly when
Monkeyface took hold Of it, aud while
lie walked along with an air of triumph
it fixed its great blue eyes upon his ugly
face and smiled, at the same ti1ae
stretching its tiny hands out as if to CT
ress him.
"She is laughing!" cried the boy in
delight; ''see how she looks at me-"
Then new impulse seized him.
81 will not give her away he saids