Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-07-30
GER JIM"


bare foot, his face close to the plate glas
window. Cant they even keep th,
place free from beggars," he mu,tered, ir
r.tably.
What are you doing, boy7 Yor
mustn't hang about here
Please, sir, answered the little fell
low, raising freckIed face to his
Please, sir, was just smellin' bit fer
| jim.
| Mr.. Farnum started, but before be
could reply the boy was OF
"A singular coincidence, he said tc
him elf, lit must be the same little raga-
muffin, only when be ran into me in the
Metropolitan Museum, he was seem fer
jim. HIM m, it souds Interesting but
he is probably fraud like the rest of
them And dismissing the subject from
his mind he entered the restaurant.
A week later be stood IN the crowded
aisle of large church waiting to be shown
a seat
The clear, sweet notes Of the boys as
they sang the opening GLORIOUS of great
oratorio, rang out above the buzz of voices
round the door.
This way, sir, " whispered the sexton,
touching his arm. 81 think | can find a
place fer you.
AS they walked over to the side aisle,
the sections sharp eyes spied small fig
IRE crouched by the door, half hidden in
the folds of the curtain.
He sprang forward: Didn't ! tell you
you couldn't come in, you dirty little beg
gar?' be cried, seizmg the boy and push
ing him toward the door
GGtI,, a ,,,Cy,,o,,A ~ c,Sl NJ
"he hasn't any card answered the
sexton, "and its the second time I've had
to turn him out
It's a church. said the boy wrissling
away from the hand on his collar. "And
or looking wistfuIly up at Mr.. Farnum,
81 do want ter hear it fer jim, awful.
Yes, his eyes had not deceived him, it
was his disreputable friend of the museum
and restaurant.
Let him stay" he say, turning to the
impatient sexton; "he will do no harm,
and want to see him after the thing is
over.
Il suppose if you say so it's all right,
replied the sexton grufy, "but he's got
to sit quiet and not get in anybody's
way"
Mr.. Farnum looked at Ted, who shut
fed somewhat uneasiy under his gaze.
''Wait for me here by this door after the
people have gone, he said, II want to
speak to you,
Many times the sweet solo had died
away, and the chorus sweled into tri-
umphant burst before the oratario, so beau
tifully rendered, was finished; and Mr..
Farnum was afraid that his small friend
would have gone home for very WEAKNESS.
But he found him still standing in the
corner, with dilated eyes and flushed
cheeks.
"Did you like it?' he said smiling.
my. wasn't it splendid" calculated
Ted. Didn't the little kids sing good ? |
Them tris beat the ladies in the theayfer |
boiler. told Jim I'd better sneak in
church where the swells go.
"Who is Jim ~ asked Mr. Farnum.
"He's my brother, his backs broke -
simply; che has to lie still all day, and it /
kinder cheers him if / hev' somethin' TO /
tell him wien | come home, so whenever | |
pit a good chance J pop in somewheres.
| N dom the city regular, new street
most every week; I'm uptown now dom
the fashionables; but shucksl there ain Z
half as much to see as there was in the
'Bowery
"What d. your mother and father do?'
asked Mr. Farnum.
"Ain't got any. Pop was killed by
some bricks fallin on him, and mom died
asst year. She told me to take care of
Inn pest could, cause there wouldn't be
nobody else to- / run errands for Mr.
Cobb; he's awful good to me, sends Jim
and newspapers and let's me of
very Saturday afternoon.
"Who stays with jim while you're
lway?'
Nobody, mes used ter bein alone
Mr.. Farnum took out his pocket book
nd put bill into the boys hand
Get something nice for Jim with
his, be said, and bafore the astonished
BOY could stammer out his thanks be was
zone.
He had grown impatient as the evening
wore on and Ted did not come back. The
1ain had been very bad all day, but he
orgot il all when Ted told of his wonder
u experience, how he had heard ''httle
lids sing like angels and swell had
,uv" him FLYER, four dollars of which
le rad brought safely back.
The next morning Ted went out to his
work with a light heart, and Jim spent a
lappy day, feeling under his hard pillow
very few minutes for the precious hoard
nat was slowly accommodating for a rolling
bair-like the one Mrs GrubbiDs, the
adv on the next floor, bad told him about
Nine O'Clock struck, and soon he heard
be well known step on the stairs His
yes Frightened 5s the door opened, but
rev puzzled and wistful when Ted came
lowly in and walked to the other end Of
he room without even speaking. Jim
Iutched the old coverlid tightly with his
eryous fingers. He knew that some
hing must have gone very wrong; only /
nee before had Ted come h1ma in that
vay-the day after bis mothers funeral, /
ghen the landlord had threatened to turn
hem out
whats up Teddy?" be asked, in a
usky voice, and the forlorn figure IN the
orner burst out passionately