Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-10-12


The Young man in the whole sale boot
and shoe way, who will be here directly.
The pink and white girl IS the official
stenographer at Cores hotel, and her
roommate (who is late to. nigh') Is in
the threads at Mande's-a tall, dark
girl, who never stops to clean her feet
on the door mat in muddy weather; the
landlady OF I3S has spoken To her about
this
By half-past seven was almost alone
on the curling, and, having an errand
down town, was about to 90 ia for my
hat, when a little boy came up the
avenue, crying bitterly. When be was
opposite me | asked what was the
matter? He could scarcely speak for
sObbing at FIRST, but finally he managed
to ask the location of the corner of
North Clark and Indiana streets The
corner being but few blocks away. |
easily directed him. and then with
another period OF catching and swallow
ing he walled, j been waiting there a
hull hour Already, but he amt never
come. o. what II | do? They Il XIII
me when | git home. 0, | wish Ise
dead, and a'riding in the hurry-wagon
to the morguen This naturally arous-
ed my interest and curiosity, and l
tried, with what kindness Of manner
could summon, to sooth the lad, and
learn the cause of his misery. There
was the unmistakable something of the
street-arab about him; but many such
boys, l remembered, are honest and
sincere in their lives, and worthy any
man 5 sympathy. This boys face and
hands were clean, and that. of course,
was in his favor With humility OF
manner and anguish oi soul be told his
story
He was a downtown newsbov, he
said, aud his "slan0 was in front Of
McVicker's theatre Two hours before
he was busily selling his evening papers.
when well dressed man approached
and asked if he wanted to earn dollar.
Naturally, the lad did, and, having been
sharply questioned about his honesty,
was given a small package o deliver to
an address in distant part of the city,
first, however, giving the stranger his
Gnsold papers and fifty cents in money
(all ne had) as surety for the safe de-
livery Of the package. The man, he
said, directed him to come on his return
to the before mentioned corner, for the
return of his property and for the
dollar. The boy sobbed afresh as lie
told how the distant address proved
fictitious; that there was no such place;
and that the package was a worthless
bundle Of paper; and now be couldn't
find the man on me corner He was
many miles from his poor home, which
lay beyond Humbolt Park, and he
looked forward. with fresh tears, to
being "skun alive" by his brutal parents
on his return empty hended.
| 1t was getting dark now, and the hot
street was nearly deserted. A cab or
hack rolled by occasionally, with side
lamps glazing in brassy way An
electric light swung airily upon the
corner, Turing to destruction a myriad
of night bugs, while its white light fell
on the pavement and house fronts. The
grips changed by on Clark street, and
now one stops, and presently the girl in
the threads at Mandel's trips round the
corner and up the steps of 1873, with a
bundle under her arm. In a moment
she bursts into the room in the third
floor front, and the girl with pink and
white face stands the banjo in corner.
1t seems the boot and shoe young man
is not coming tonight, after all. The
bundle contains a smart hat, which the
new conner tries on before the glass,
while the stenographer puts together
her hands in a rapture and says: o
lovely! Then the gas is turned low and
soon the young women come down the
steps and 60 giggling round the corner
to catch grip and 60 down to see Ali
Bahia. probably.
Then the little boy started sadly down
the street, bis mouth still twitching. He
went a short distance and then | called
him back Many imposters viii get
money dishonesty in Chicago tonight.
| thought, but if this boy is an imposter
he's welcome to the little | can give
him, anyway. So / gave the lad q
quarter and told him not to worry, that
it would come out all right With a
few more tears either of gratitude or an
apprehension Of being skun' be slowly
disappeared in the gloom. | sat on
awhile longer, N philanthropic state