Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1893-04-05

back where they had found it; an
other to hide il i'll "a half empty
prune box which stood at grocer's
door; a third proposed to climb up
to second story balcony and leave
the youngster there, and how as
tonished the people would be next
day. But Zizi Monkeyface secuted
all these ideas and declared that the
baby must be given to the gypsies.
There was band of these people
near by, who practiced jugglery and
fortune telling, and instances of
kidnapping were by no means rare.
Monkeyface's decision was hailed
with enthusiasm, and he claimed
the right to carry the treasure trove
in consideration of his having made
the plan.
"Give us the kid" he said. The
baby had all this time been scream
ing piteously, but it stopped sud-
denly when Monkeyface took hold
of it, and while he walked along
with an air of triumph it fixed its
great blue eyes upon his ugly face
and smiled, at the same time
stretching its tiny hands out as if to
caress him.
"She is laughing" cried the boy
in delight, "see how she looks at
me-"
Then new impulse seized him.
81 will not give her away he
said; Il will keep her myself"
His companions protested indig-
nantly, but in vain, for as they well
knew Zizi Monkeyface had at the
end of each arm an argument so
strong that it would be useless as
well as unsafe to oppose his wishes.
When he reached home with his
burden the fish pedlar exclaimed
furiously:
"Do you think have not enough
to do to fill your mouth, you lazy
imp? Take that brat to the police
quick now"
Pif, pat! A box on each ear
showed the boy that she was in
earnest, and he fled from the house.
That night he did not return, and
the next morning he was in the
factory as soon as it opened, for
the first time in his life.
Mr.. George" he said timidly to
the overseer, "how much will you
pay ME if work hard all day."
81 have already told you, twenty
cents answered the man in sur
prise, and Monkeyface worked indie
fatigably until night.
The overseer, amazed and delight
ed at the change, paid the boy for
his work and, even gave him
twenty cents in advance, in order
to encourage him.
That night Monkeyface was
again absent from his home, and
his cousin, the fish pedlar, went to
the factory the next evening, lay
in wait for him and dragged him
home in spite of his struggles, adj
ministering thrashing on the way.
But it was no use; as soon as the
old woman turned her back to cook
the soup for dinner the boy slipped
out of the house and did not return.
The factory overseer, having been
Informed of the state of affairs, made
up his mind to settle the matter at
once by finding out where Monkey
face spent his nights, and for this
purpose watched the lad as he left
the factory. MIR. George, in COM
pany with one of the workmen. fol-
lowed the wanderer short distance
and observed him enter a bakery
and buy a small loaf Of BREAD next
he went into a dairy and came out
carrying bottle of milk, and turn
ed his steps toward "A lonely quarter
near the river. Suddenly his fol-
lowers saw him plunge into a mud
dy alley; the place having no lamps
was as dark as an oven, but Monkey
face was dimly visible as he stopped
before a board fence. The next
minute he had scaled it with the
agility of the animal that was his
namesake, and was soon lost to
sight.
The two men, determined to dis
cover his hiding place, climbed over
the wall and found themselves in
large vacant lot, surrounded with
weeds and rubbish, but of Monkey