The Somerset reporter., 1893-04-27
\ Plueks Boy.

lie boy marched stfalSih up W inc
counter.
We'll, my little man,. said the mer-
chant complacently lie had Just risen
from such a glorious good dihner)'
~ hat will you have today
"Oh. please sir. maNnt | do some
work Tor YOU"
II might have been the pleasant blue
EYES that did it, for the man WAS not ac-
cu>lomcd to parley with such small
gentlemen, and Tommy wasn't seven
vet, and small of his aye NJ that.
There were few wisps Of hair along
the edges of the merchant : temples, and
locking down on the appealing face, the
man pulled at them When he had done
twcaking them he gave the ends of his
clavat brush, and then his hands tray
rllrd down to his Ne-t pocket.
DO some for work me, rh: Well. now.
about what sort of work might your
small nanship calculate 10 be able to
perform: Why, You can't look over the
rnuntcr<"
sOh, yes. | can. aud I'm growing.
please, growing fast; tlerr. see il cant
look over the counter
y T., by standing Oh foar toes: are
Thy copprrrdf =
~ hat. sir:
Why. yom toc-. \ NH mother could
not keep YOU in >hoe, il Hey we're not.
SIZE can keep uue il Hoes any how.
sir. and the voice hc,itatcd
The man took pain- To look over the
counter 1t was too much for him, he
couldn't see the little toe>. Then he
went all the the way around.
Il thought | should need micro
scope" he said very grayely, but |
reckon if get close enough can see
what YOU look like.
I'm Older than I'm biz. sir. was the
neat reionder. Folks >ay am very
small OF my age"
What might your age be- sir" re-
sponded the man, with emphasis.
Il am almost seven. said Tommy,
with Il look calculated 10 impress even
six feet nine. You SEE. my mother
hasn't anybody but me, and This morn
ing | saw her crying because she could
not find five cents in her pockrt-book,
and She thinks the boy who took the
ashes stole it-and-I- have-not-had-
any-any breakfast, sir. The voice
again heetated. and tcars came to the
blue eyes.
II reckon can help you TO break
fast, my little fellow. said the man.
feeling in his vest pocket. There, will
that quarter do:" Tie boy shook his
head
mother wouldn't ilet mt beg. sir, " Wa
the simple answer,
"Iumph, Where i your iallcr?''
1--WE never heard of him sir, after he
went away. lie MIS- lost. sir, in the
steamer city of Boston
".Ah. that's bad. But YOU are plucky
little fellow, anyhow. Let me see. and
he puckcrcd up his mouth. and looked
straight down into the boy, eyes, which
were looking staight into his. "Saund-
ers," he asked, addressing Il clerk, who
was rolling up and writing on parcels,
is Cash No. { still sick:
dead, sir; died last night, was the
low reply.
".lh i'm sorry to hnar That. Well.
here's IA yOungstcr thai can take hl-
place
Mr. Saunders looked up slowly, then
he put his pen behind lis ear. thcn his
glance travelled curiously from Tommy
10 Mr.. Towers.
"Oh. | understand, ,aid the latter;
ives, he is small, very small, very small
indeed, but like his pluck. What did
No. gct:"
Three dollars, sir, aid the still as
tonished clerk.
Put this boy down four. There.
youngstcr, give him your name. and run
home and tell your mother you have got
II place at 81 a week, Come back on
Monday and I'll tell you what to do.
Here, u dollar in advance; I'll take it
out of your first week. Can ynu rcmcnl-
her,
"Work, sir, work all the inc"
AS long "a you deserve it, my man.
Tommy shot out of that shop. If ever
broken stairs that had Il twist through
the whole flight creal>ed and trcmbled
under the weight of small boy, or per-
haps, a. might be better stated, laughed
aud ehucklcd on account of a small boys
good luck. those in that tenement house
enjoyed themselves thoroughly that
1--we got it, mother I'm n cash boy
Don't you know when they take parcels
the clerks call Cash: well I'm that.
-Four dollars a week and the man said |
had real pluck courage, you know. And
hercs Il dollar for breakfast aud don't
you ever cry again, for I'm the man OF
the house now.
The house was only II little l0Xl5
room. but how those blue eyes did mag
nifty it. At first, the mother looked
confounded then she lookcd-well. it
passes my power to tell how She did
look as she took him in her arms and
Rugged him, kissed him, the tears
streaming down her checks. But they
were tears of E"g'iSb
JoUrR0i,