Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-07-28
GER JIM

bare foot, his face close to the plate glas
window. Cant they even keep the
place free from beggars," he muttered, If
ritably.
"What are you doing, boy? You
mustn't hang about here.
please, sir, answered the little fell
low, raising a freckled face to his
Please, sir, was just smellin' bit fer
Jim. "
Mr.. Farnum started, but before he
could reply the boy was of.
"A singular coincidence he said to
him self, ct must be the same little raga-
muffin, only when he ran into me in the
Metropolitan Museum, he was 'seein'' fer
Jim. Fl m m, it souds interesting, but
he is probably a fraud like the rest OF
them Aud disnissing the subject from
his mind he entered the restaurant.
A week later ne stood in the crowded
aisle of large church waiting to be shown
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 for you. e"
As they walked over to TIE side aisle,
the sexton sharp eyes spied small hg-
ure erouched by The door, half hidden III
the folds of the curtain.
He sprang forward: Didn't | tell you
you couldn't come IN, you dirty little beg
gar?' he cried. seZlng the boy and push
ing him toward the door.
Stop a moment" said Mr.. Farnum
''He hasn't any card, answered the
sexton, land its The second time I've hao
to Turn him odC-
It's church. said the boy wrigglinR
away from the hand on his collar. AND
Or looking wistfu lg up at M. Farnum
u do want ter hear it fer jim, awful.
Yes, his eyes had rot deceived him, il
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 gruffly, ''but he's got
to sit quiet and not get in anybody s
way.
Mr.. Farnum looked at Ted, who shut
fed somewhat uneasily under his gaze.
Wait for me here by this door after the
people have gone" he said, 81 want to
speak to you.
Many times the sweet solo had died
away, and the chorus swelled into tri-
umphant burst before the oratario, so beau
tifuily rendered, was flashed; and Mr. i.
Farnun was afraid that his small friend
would have gone home for very WEAKNESS.
But he found him still standing in the
liloioI nnd Hucha
cheeks.
"Did you like it?" he said, smiling.
"My, wasn't it splendid" calculated
Ted. Didn't the little kids sing good -:
Them trills beat the ladies in the theayter
boiler. told Jim I'd better sneak IN a
church where the swells go. y
who is Jim?" asked Mr. Farnum.
Hes my brother, his backs broke. >
simply; che has to lie still all day, and il
kinder cheers him if | hev' somethin' t.
tell him when come home, so whenever
cit good chance | pop in somewheres
most every week; I'm uptown now dom
the fashionabIes; but shucks! there ain't
half as much to see as there was in the
'Bowery
what d. your mother and father do?,
asked Mr. Farnum.
''Ain'U cot any. Pop was killed by
some bricks fallin on aim, and nom died
last year. She told me to take care Of
jim best could, cause there wouldn't bt
nobody else to- | run errands for Mr.
Cobb; he's awful good to me, sends jim
sausages and newspapers and lets me of
every Saturday afternoon.
who stays with Jim while you II
away?'
Nobody, he's used ter bein' alone"
Mr.. Farnum took out his pocket bool
and put a bill into the boys hand.
Get something nice for Jim witt
this he said, and bafore the astonishet
boy could stammer out his thanks he wa
gone.
He had grown impatient as the evenins
wore on and Ted did not come back. Th'
pain had been very bad all day, but h
forgot it all when Ted told of his wonder
full experience, how he had heard ''l1ttl
kids" sing like angels, and 'swell ha;
guy" him ''fver," four dollars of whic'
he had brought safely back.
The next morning Ted went out to hi
work with light heart, and Jim spent
happy day, feeling under his hard pillow
every few minutes for the precious hoar,
JlaI was StDNlJ lSl q 1Oliills
chair-Iike the one Mrs. Grubblns, tn
ladv on the next floor. bad told him about
Nine o'clock struck, and soon he hear
the we'll known step on the stairs. Hi
eyes frightened as the door opened, bu
grew puzzled and wistful when Ted cam
slowly in and walked to the other end 0
the room without even speaking. Jir
clutched the old coverlid tightly with 81
IL no
thing must have gone very wrong; onl
way-the day after his mothers fupera
when the landlord had threatened to tur
them out.
whats up Teddy?" he asked, in
husky voice, and the forlorn figure In tn
orner burst out passionately:
Il didn't do it, you know | woudn
do it, Jim, don't you1 | amt never don
it since was kid and hooked an orang
fer you when your back got broke. "
believe me, don't You Jim?"
Soon the whole story was told i
broken words. Ted had gone up tow
on an errand, and met Mr.. Farnum con
ing out of his club, who had stopped. an
accused the boy of stealing a ten dolls
bill, which he had missed on returniD
home from the church. In'vain Ted ia
asserted his innocence. Mr.. Farnan
thoroughly angry, called him a good-fo
nothing beggar, with the old story of
bogus sick brother, and said that ne hs
a great mind to have him arrested for
liar and thief