Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-01-15
penny, and in a low voice asks for
"a ha 'porth o bread, please,


"A ha perth o bread, please
What is the smart young woman behind
the counter to do? Refuse to serve so I'M
desirablea customer? That would be to
offend the ideas of the well-to-do who are
consuming her dainties; yet, if she gives
him the bread and refuses the coin, heman
Will perhaps come again and again. So
she cuts off thick slice from 'yester-
day S loaf, and the poor fellow breaking
eft mouthful, which he eats ravenouslv,
suddenly stops, and with what is appar-
entity heroic resolve, thru,ts the remain
der lnSlde his coat evidently saving it for
the starving wife or little ones at home. 1t
Is clever dodge. He he's asked no aims;
yet everybody In the shop gives him some
thing, not few IF them with moistened
eyes. Coppers ire showared upon i'm Che
generally times his visit at an hour when
clerks and others are taking midday
smack J, and he carries away goodly
supply CT stale pastry, ETC., given him by
those who dlsapprove of giving money in :
discrlml' a Fly, "on principle, ~ u know.
II those generous luncher9 could see the
next proceedings of the reel lent of their
bounty they would be very much surprised.
As soon as he is round the corner the
piece OF bread Is thrown disdainfully into
the gutter; the pastry is disposed of for a
tribe to some hungry crossing-sweeper or
curb-stone merchant and in less than
an hour the lmpoSter, generally IN COM
pany with an abandoned companion. is in
a very advanced state of Intoxication.
And the worst Of it is that there are so
many Confectionery shops of the class de.
scribed IN every large town, that the ras-
cal can carry on his game for a long time
before they are all exp oitad," while he
coolly shifts his quarters in search of
fresh woods and pastures new"
Perhaps need 4rdly refer at any length
to the jovial sailor, who, though attired in
Jack Tar costume, has never sailed a voy
age in his life He stops you in quiet
street, and informs you in hoarse wits
per that lie has
"Got lot o prime seegars, mate; which
got 'em safe ashoro, through them -
sharks o tie custom 'ouse, and thew are a
bargain, that they are
IF you are foolish enough to rise to the
bait, one of two things inevitably hap
pens. Either you give him half-a-cro wn,
to bind the bargain, and arrange to
meet HIM in an hours time at some con
venient tavern to conclude the bargain, in
which case you, of course, never see him
again; or you become the proud pOsSessOr
Of a couple of hundred vile weeds
at about treble the price you would pay for
them over the tobacconist's counter.
The painted sparrow trick is old-yery
old; but there is novel bird swindle,
which | saw played last week for the first
time. | was Stacking my thirst in a
quiet bar in the city, when coupl: of
men, apparently stokers or engineers from
their dress, entered and ordered pint of
beer. One of them carried small paper
bag In his hand, and asked the girl be-
hind the bar If she would like to see a
Java sparrow. Naturally the girl replied
in the affirma i've, and The man proceeded
to open The bog-very clumSily. The
bird flew out, and there was considerable
confusion Ill attempting to catch it again.
the girl beng much interested in the pro.
ceedingS, and assisting in the task. When
at last the lite thing was captured the
two men left rather hu1riedly; and a
minute or two afterwards the girl made q
discovery which made me very glad that
| had not left with too, or suspicion might
have f,llen on me. Not only had the till
been cIeverly raided but some piles of
silver, placed ready for giving change on
shelf at the hack of the bar, had also dis
appeared. in Edinburg Scotmau.