Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-05-24
A FAMILY CHOSE.

In New York. There were two passengers
IN the Car at the time-a sanity looking
sister OF charity and a man who looked a
tramp in the last stage.
There was only one nickel In the box.
and after knocking repeatedly ON the door
/ stopped the car and went inside. The
tramp protested that he had paid his fare,
and turned TO the nun. By a gesture
she signifed that should hand to the man
paper that was lying on the seat. / did
30, and when turned again the nun was
gone. The tramp declared that he had
not seen her-that he had been alone.
Utterly mystlfled, went back and start
my name and address and left the car.
That night ] went to my doctor and told
him my story.
snow. doctor" I said. "if am ioony.
out with iti"
"No, no, Jim," said he; "very sane
men have optical illusions now and then. b"
81 don't want any more Of 'em, said l.
"Collecting fares OF optical illusions
doesn't pay"
"Ishould say not, ;" said the doctor. But
my opinion Is that you turned your back
a minute and that the woman got of with
out paying her fare. Probably she was
not a real sister OF charity. The city Is
full OF frauds. She made you take the
paper to the man TO give herself a chance.
See nowi"
didn't see, but what can you do when
folks are 30 sensible they can't believe
ansthingi
'Twasn't like that-there she was, and
there she wasn't, said !. "Tbat's how I,
was"
''If II happens again. come to me, and
I'll write you prescription and make you
a present OF IT," said the doctor.
So thanked him kindly and went away,
and it didn't happen again. Weeks went
along, and 1t was winter, and as cold as
Greenland, and passengers more bother
some than ever knew 'sm, when one day,
standing in the stables, talking TO Mike
Gallagher, the old fellow that watered the
horses and always had . joke for every.
body, heard my name called.
you're wanted, Jim," said some one,
and went out into the street, and the
man that had called me pointed to gen.
tleman--about a. fine a looking one as
ever knew and he Cthe gentleman) walk.
ed up to me.
"It's your dinner time. isn't iti" said
he
"Yes, SIR" said /. "I've got few min
utes left"
"Come along, then," said he. He walk
ed me into a restaurant close by the sta
bles and said, "Call for what you want"
and named IL. Then said he, "You don't
remember me, Jim Browns"
"No, sir" said I.
"You gave me a paper about six months
ago." said he-"a newspaper. / asked
your name"
"oh, ohl" said I. "No, sir. I didn't
know yoa. bsgin to see the likeness, but
you--you"-
"I know" said he. "I was pretty well
down on my luck then. See here"-hs
unbuttoned bis coat. sealskin, bless you,
and took out Of the breast pocket a news
paper-"read that" he said, pointing to
where it was folded.
read It. This is what Il saidi
"If Ferdinand Melrose will return home,
all will be forgiven by his dying father, "
and after that where he was to inquire foi
further particulars"
swell, am Ferdinand Melrose," says
the gentleman, "the black sheep Of my
family. Long ago my stepmother made
mischief between my father and myself.
He forbade me his house, and i rather
went to the bad. No matter for my story.
Besides the fare you inquired about had
ouly bottle Of laudsuum in my pocket.
was going to Central park to take II.
should have slept myself out Of life into
eternity and the city would have seen to
my funeral IL you bad not given me that
paper. went to the place mentioned and
found, as ! expected. that money had been
left in a lawyers hands to take me homo.
When got there, found that my step
mother had been dead three years and that
my father had been attacked by disease
that must be fatal. We were reconciled,
and when he died found myself a rich
man. had kept Jim Browns address,
and feel that owe him something"
"Nothing-at all, !" says /. "The lady
the sister-told me to give IL to you"
"What ladyp said he.
"I'd like TO know myself" said I, and
then i told him my story.
at is strange" says he. "l could swear
that was the only passenger at the time.
felt so miserable and so shabby that
purposely waited for an empty car. And
another thing Is strange, Jim Brown, "
said he. ave had ghost In our family.
A nun is said to appear now and then, al
ways to do good. And my father declared
bndb Wnlle ne was III sue hppcdrtu tO nun
three times, always pointing to my por-
trait, which hung I'm his bedroom, and al
ways conveying to him In some way that
Il was his duty to search for me. In fact,
she was the cause Of our reconciliation.
couldn't say anything. Neither of us
spoke about the thing again, but when he
insisted on starting me in the eating house
line wasn't fool enough to refuse and,
as you see, I'm not bobtail car driver
any longer.
No; haven't seen anything queer since
that time, and l can't say I'm anxious,
but whether the lady was a what the doc
tor called an optical delusion it's certain
that she only did good to all concerned.
Plsss her for coming New York Journal.
Simple Arithmetic.
A potato bagger went into Pittsbure
commission house one day and asked II
there was anything to do. YES" re-
piled the proprietor, "a car load of po-
tatoes is waiting at the station to be
bagged. What will you do it for?" "A
cent bushel. boss" "Now, I'll tell
yot1 what I'll do Thara ora 900 bnabal. 1.