The Opelousas courier., 1895-09-21
MONTY'S SCOOP.
VS.

being either winter or spring, possesses
the d~isagreeable features of both.
Miss Dodge came drearily down the
capitol steps, feeling her wet skirts
flap disconsolately against her wetter
boots at every step. She was too dis
couraged to care. She was tired and
cold aud miserable as she could be.
She wanted to revel in it. She felt old
and shabby, and a great wave Of pity
for herself washed a lump up into her
throat.
Up and down the avenu umbrellas
were bobbing, like IN endless funeral
procession of mourning mushrooms.
The ruby and emerald lights of passing
cabs and herdicks threw splashes of
color on the wet pavement, and the
street lamps were yellow blurs in the
dusk. 1t was her habit to stop for a
moment on the terrace to look down
along the grays and puppies of the av-
enue, but to-nigh she walked on stol-
idly.
Montgomery was sitting in the hall
way of a deserted buildiga few blocks
further down the avenue as she came
up. He was crying softly. The news
paper woman stopped.
whats the matter. my .boy?" she
asked.
None of yer business" responded
Montgomery, promptly.
. But you're crying she persisted,
amused.
Free country, amt it?' was the
boys answer.
The newspaper woman walked on n
few steps. Then she turned back.
Say" she said, Il haven't any
friends either. Come on and go to
supper with me. | don't like to go
alone
Montgomery wavered. The woman's
one was frank and friendly, without
d suspicion of patronage in it. She
held out her hand with an engaging
smile. The boy was cold and wet and
hungry. Down in the bottom of his
tough little soul was a longing for sym
*pathy.
Come on" said the newspaper wom-
an. Montgomery went.
1t was the very jqlliest kind of a sup
per Imaginable. The restaurant was
dingy, to be sure, and there hung
around it reminders of things
cooked week before last, but the table
was clean, the ham and eggs piping
hot, the coffee a masterpiece and the
pie d thing to dream of.
Montgomery's table names had not
that repose that stamps the caste of
We're de We're. Enforced attention to
the bread and butter problem at a time
of life when most boys are scarcely out
of pinafores had prevented him acquir-
ing any of what he called funny bust
ness" He leaned on his elbows, and
his knife went quite frankly into his
mouth with every bite, but his eyes
were bright and honest, and his
freckled face "a frank and clean. The
newspaper woman found herself warm
ing to him strangely. His faculty OF
observation was singularly developed
for one of his years, and he spoke the
language Of the streets with a brisk
ness and cheerful Inconsistencies of
it's %vulgarity tina made it quite engage
ing.
To the newspaper woman it was
something to have another friendless
SOU with her. 1t gave her a P~harisaical
pleasure to see somebody who was
really worse used by the world than
herself, and supping in shabby restau-
rant with a newsboy was a slap in Mrs.
Grundy's face that "a a relief to her
rcbellious mood.
After supper Montgomery escorted
her to the door of the newspaper office
where she was employed. From that
day they were fast friends. The boy was
her guest at supper several nights, and
then on an occasion he appeared in a
new high collar and invited her to sup