Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-12-21

Blanche Maxwell, perhaps, but old TO
those who know city streets and city
ways. a dreary thronging of the
men about town"
Christmas! one OF the holidays; pleasant It's
But what is the man about town to dog
AL the clubs are deserted; the men who have
Are at home to-day. looking in somebody's
eyes.
To see-snd see only-the land he desiredf
1t was not such a hard assignment
after all, and after three or four
shabby restaurants she had become
quite used TO ii, and entered the
shabbiest OF them yet with almost
happy air 1t was, indeed, a cheap
place, even lower down in the scale
than problbly the city editor had
dreamed Of sending her, a place
where there was l-cent line in the
menu, thus Bread, l cent; milk,
l cent" etc.
The girl took seat at a vacant Ia
bic, and ordered tea and rolls she
never expected to consume, while she
ensconced berself behind that morn
ing's Beacon, aud proceeded to size
patrons that filed the dingy place.
But first she took a long look at a
man who had come in and quietly
seated himself opposite her. Then
! her eyes came back to him again, and
| there they stayed. and filed with all
pitifulness.
He was a man of about 50 years,
pale with the pallor OF exhaustion
and hunger, aud threadbare in the
| extreme. Yet he was Enthusiastically
Of finer stuff than those about him,
| even as china excels earthenware,
though it be soiled and cracked. The
| greasy waiter, with slippers Tapping
| loosely from his heels. pushed the
bill of fare toward the pale man,
who took it anxiously, then said in
quiet tones, at the same time laying
a battered penny on the coarse linen
cloth: "Bring me bread, please.
The greasy waiter stared impu-
IDENTIFY. Then seeing there was no
earthly prospect for tip he went off,
remarking audibly that there was a
snide teller a-blowing hisself on his
Christmas dinner. No doubt he'd be
wantin' fnger-bowls an solid silver
service"
The girls heart grew hot within
her as she heard, then she leaned for
ward impetuously, and said; Pray
do excuse me, but l am making a col
lection Of coins, and I would so like
to buy that curious penny from you.
l will give you so cents for it; may
have it, please?"
And before be could answer she
bad conlscated the penny and laid a
bright half dollar 10 its place.
4 faint red dyed the mans blood
less brow. Il think l understand,
he said quietly, "and I thank you,
young lady, for am hungry, l con
fess, and that is my last penny. But
pardon me, this time-you can't
be Overburdeued with money yourself
or you wouldn't dine here Christina:
day"
"Oh, please don't mind me; I've
Its, " blUndeTed Blanche, "and If yor
don't care III lend you the money
just"
The man looked grateful and as
tonished the greasy waiter into civil
ity by ordering a beefsteak. Ther
he explained.
1t, too, was an old, old story O
wild oats, wickedness, illness, poverty
and repentance, friends lost, anC
utter loneliness. The penny was thu
only novel feature in the whole tale
only this was silly, unworldly girl
aud she wept behind her paper Ions
before that was spoken of. You see
people from the country are so easil.
moved, and-well, the mans fac,
was a tragedy in itself.
The peuny-oh, yes-it wasn't al
ordinary penny at all, but one Of twt
| queer coins which had been given b.
| an eccentric uncle TO twin boys anC
kept afterward as talismans by then
both. Somehow he never had beer
able to get over the idea that tha
penny would bring him luck. Perhap
it was only remnant Of the super
stition that cluug, thick as the odo
of tobacco, to the wings Of tn
wretched little theater where for
time he picked the banjo aud SAM
topical songs. And he hated to le
it go this morning horribly, bu
hunger is stronger than superstition
or that queer thing called reverence
: and so-
Well would the young lady klndl
loeep the penny until he could re
deem it? He would surely get wor
SOON
Work" exclaimed Blanche. I'D
you mean anything"
Anything at all. ."
Then come to the Seventh Church
corner Of Mary Jane and Worthing
ton streets. Do you know where it is