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


Monkeyfaco had at the end of each arm
an argument SO strong that it would be
useless as well as unsafe to oppose his
wishes
When he reached homo with his bur-
den the fish peddler exclaimed furiously:
EDO you think have not enough to do
to fill your mouth, you lazy imp? Take
that brat to the police-quick, now!"
PIT, pafi A box on each ear showed the
boy that she was in earnest and he fed
from the house.
That night he did not return, and the
next morning he was in the factory as
soon as it opened for the first time in his
life.
"Mr. George" he said timidly to the
overseer, show much will you pay me il
work hard all day?"
81 have already told you twenty
cents" answered the man in surprise,
and Monkeyface worked indefatigably
until night. The overseer, amazed and
delighted at the change, paid the boy
for his work and even gave him twenty
cents in advance in order to encourage
him.
That night Monkeyface was again alb
sent from his home, and his cousin, the
fish peddler, went to the factory the
next evening, lay in wait for him and
dragged him home in spite of his strug-
giles, administering thrashing on the
way. But it was no use. AS soon as the
old woman turned her back to cook the
soup for dinner the boy slipped out Of
the house and did not return.
The factory overseer, having been in
formed of the state of affairs, made up
his mind to settle the matter at once by
finding out where Monkeyface spent his
nights, and for this purpose watched the
lad as he left the factory. Mr.. George,
III company with one of the workmen,
followed the wanderer short distance
and observed him enter bakery and
buy small loaf Of bread; next he went
into dairy and came out carrying a
bottle of milk, and then turned his steps
toward lonely, deserted quarter near
the river.
Suddenly his followers saw him
plunge into a muddy alley. The place
having no lamps was as dark as an
oven, but Monkeyface was dimly visi-
BILE as he stopped before board fence.
The next minute he had scaled itwith
the agility of the animal that was his
namesake and was lost to sight.
The two men, determined to discover
his hiding place, climbed over the wall
and found themselves in large vacant
lot, surrounded by weeds and rubbish,
but of Monkeyface there was not
sign.
At last they espied in the farthest cor
ner low wooden shed, which had evil
IDENTIFY once served as fowl house, and
through the cracks Of which faint
light was shining. They approached it
noiselessly and peered through crack.
Great was their establishment. In the
middle of the wretched hut, in which
man would not have been able to stand
upright, sat the young runaway, a can
die end stuck in the ground beside him;
he was gravely pouring milk into feed
ing bottle, and in a corner on a bed of
dried leaves a baby was sleeping soundly,
wrapped up in an old blanket.
Zizi Monkeyface transformed into a
nurse!
"What the deuce are You doing here?"
asked the overseer, throwing open the
door of the cabin suddenly, and the boy,
startled at first by the intrusion, soon re-
covered himself and answered slowly:
Haven't I got right to have little
sister,"
Then after pause he added grandly:
81 earn twenty cents a day. That is
enough for us both, and we don't ask
any one for anythingr
The narrator paused, smiled softly and
added:
"The next day the owner of the fac
tory, being informed of the matter,
raised my pay to forty cents just
double"
l"WhatT cried, sit was your"
"Ah, | have betrayed myself" said
Durand; fYes, was the young rascal
who was in a fair way to come to the
gallows, and, thanks to the blue eyes of
that little girl, became good work
man and afterward set up for myself.
Now you understand why keep that
little blue cap; she had it on when we
found her."
"And what has become of herr"
asked eagerly.
The old man answered, "We have
never parted" then smiling, he looked
at his wife and added, shave we, my
dear~
She smiled in return, but her eyes
were moist Us she looked at him, and
under her eyelids l saw a teardrop
glistening Translated for Epoch.