The herald., 1894-10-08
EXCITED ABOUT LICENSE FEES,
A Street Arabs Lament to the
City Clerk.
"Wat's de Charge fer Us Kids
Playin'?"
He Thought 1t No More Than tho
Salvation Army Ths Man
With the Pink Bal
looms.

sinister. wot's de charge fer US kids
| playin' on de streets?"
A little, pinched-up face. surrounded
by fringe of hair the color OF jet, and
set with eyes as black as midnight,
looked up over the counter OF the city
clerks Office on Saturday afternoon,
straight into the face OF the deputy.
There was shrewdness and deep cunning
written all over that face, notwithstand-
ing that the years OF it's owner were few
and, judging by his appearance, his
knowledge of men and things has been
gathered on the crowded streets and in
the byways and dark corners OF big
cities.
Just for fun the boy was told that the
kids were not allowed to play their vic.
Inns and harps on the streets and pass
the hat any more.
A look OF disappointment passed over
tbs dark face a2d the midnight eyes
Lost just little of their brightness, but
only for q moment.
"Wot amt dsy goin' to leave us play
any more?"
mot on the Streets"
Then the eyes changed again. They
flashed ont look that would have
made the fortune of any stage villain
who could have initiated il.
Say, mister, wot's de matter wild US
Kids. anyway. Your people let's de Sal
ystion army git ont on the street and
play de. tamborine an pass de hat
round fer to git dc stuff, so what's de
matter wild us? We'se amt no worse
an dey is | bet. Jess 'cose dem peo-
pies prays and breaches youse people
let's 'em git in de dough an shuts out
us kids wot'a making honest livin'.
Dat amt fair, mister"
A fiush had come into ths tiny face,
just reaching high enough to be seen
above the counter, and the eyes were
sparkling.
"Wese kids don't pray. but we knows
how to make music, and dat's more'n
dem jays does. An music's bout as
good fer feller as prayin' is, any day."
When the matter was finally ex-
planned to the little fellow he swallowed
his wrath in no time. and the brightest
kind of smile illumined his face, which,
as much aa any face ever does, showed
the real feelings of its owner--a face that
was as easy to read ss an open book. He
thanked the deputies in tho clerks
Office for the kindness which he imag-
ined these great and mighty men had
shown for the kids why play the violins
and paaa the hal, and then he went cut,
still smiling.
The city council did at one time coli.
slider this matter and were inclined to
either stop the strolling players entirely
or impose such heavy license that they
could not afford to pay it. 1t had been
represented to them that these boys are
only in the employ of brutal Italian
who collects from them every night
nearly all of the money they take in on
the streets. But the council finally de-
cided that the 'kids" might play and
pass the hat without hindrance or Ii.
cense.
Later in the afternoon a squatty man,
swarthy OF countenance and with the
map of Italy plainly written on his face,
came in, holding in his hand the string
which held cluster of pink snd blue
toy balloons on the end.
''Disa polcea man tella mea to giva
fife dolla getta license. Lasta time l
giva onea dolls; diea time he tella mea
fife. / liks 10 know what makea dot so.
You tella mea quick; I want celia da
balloon"
Then the sffable deputy who makes
out licenses explained to the man that
the council had raised the license to $5.
'Corpo de Baccho! You tella me SO?
l psya da fis dolla not mooch. Tella da
man 30 fora me. 60 sella da pennutta.
Damma!"
And the dark-skinned con of sunny
Italy passed out through the doors with
his pretty little pink balloons floating