Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1896-10-10
His little lass.

rnent, IN the old quarter Of Washing
CON. old samuel in his shabby shop
sust and tilted hsck chair. was second
hand clothes dealer. High up IN the
sixth story, he was the father OF q Ut
S,e lass whom he loved better than ne
Moved the silver coin the old clothes
<.xify brought him. For her sake ne
5,ore hard bargains and boarded away
Ms coin. For her sake he built a tnick
4,arsirion wall in that high sixth story
ans shut away from his motneTiess
child an the sights and sounds OF Sew
sF,nf1t street. He made a home room
for her M there and crowded II Win
Tuxury. But ever in the midst OF an
ms beauty STOOD lacedraped ped,
watched and guarded by a low-voieed
nurse. and on il lay the small. silgnt
form and lovely face OF Samuers httie
lass
a fan in early infancy had injured
7,er In such a way that she had never
walked. A famous physician said sne
.s,ux,yd be cured if her father would con-
ssent 10 a long separation and some
terribly critical surgery. Old Samuel
dread was greater than his hope. anu
his child was very dear 10 him. he
mad not consented. He had kept MS
lass in that high sixth story ana.
through his tender care. hfe's best ana
eairest things had come TO her.
A Through the whole long day she DID
mot see her father; but when IN the
evening stiffness she heard the Clear
slov strokes of a o O'Clock bell she
knew one half hour more would bring
( him 10 her. And when he came, clotned
! In fair linen and finest cloth. all hard.
!. harsh manners left downstairs ana
J only gentle looks and loving words Tor
her. She never dreamed they lived IN
s,f,sa of the fOuleSt. filthiest quarters OF
washington nor that her father. who
looked ike her pictures OF the
pstriarchs. was q second-raIe. second
hand clothes dealer.
She believed his business called him
each day far down in the great, rich
capital. She thought of him as one OF
> those wealthy persons she read about
whose gold had given aid TO govern
ments- to kings, to princes. TO presl,
dents She was very proud. and al
her ina ginings were Of noble and lofty
2 things. She had never guessed OF the
/, dingy shop. the shabby slop-suit. tins
dirty pavement and the pawnbrokings
2.
The DAYS went on. and each one add
ed coin to Samuers hoard and com
forts and luxuries manifold TO the hf'
Or his little lass. Until, suddenly, IN
eNpec4edly. there came a terrible
.,change. A fire broke out in tn
crowded block where the dingy tene
uenfs stood so close together. No
eody knows Just when or where
started IL was a monday confiagra
sffon and fierce flames of forked yellow
light were mingled with the glare o
August sunshine. The throb or engine
and the shouts of fl emen sounded on
over walls of women made homeless
and imprecations of men mad wit
pain
When the fire broke out old Samus
was away. That morning he ha
locked his shop and had gone TO atten
an auction sale, where the contents {
a wardrobe as well as household e
fects were to be disposed of. He r
turned soon after midday TO find b
block ablaze. The door of his she
had been broken down. Firemen ar
hoods of water were pouring in; snol
and flames were rushing out.
With desperate bounds the old ms
fought his way through the wild crow
He staggered up steep flights of stat
until, stified. burned and nearly bin
ed, he reached the high sixth stor
To A1iah, lying on her lace-draped be
shut away by that carefully built pa
aftion from the sounds OF Seven
street-to Adah. talking quietly TO h
A<.rr- efTr Ied
wfh-eyed moke-grimed. hatless, Goa
Z less man, who grasped her almo
fiercely in his arms and, signing to 4
nurse to follow, began a perilous
accent of stairways, whose dark cor
5 doris were lighted up by flames.
The fire was feasting on the rottl
woodwork; its blaze was making me
Try over the foulness found in brio
and mortar. II was the strength
.SiesJair that neryed old Samuel, as
Fought with binding smoke and gla
Tor the life of his little lass. Doy
swaying stairways, over falling Zoo
until at last he stood within the lit
shop where for years he had bong
and sold old, faded garments a
boarded away silver coin. Only y
terday he had carried heavy bag
silver to the bank and had brouc
back a heavy roll of bills. The bi
were under the counter now, lock
away, with many other rolls in ste
square wooden box. That box "
Samuel's only bank, he himself
only trusted barker. The hoard
meath the counter represented all
req r1ings and his savings since
year his wife died. Should lie LEI
g his hoard for the flames to devoI
Should he let fate cheat him out Of
future? There had been n dream
mis- old heart of day when he and
child should sail away to the fair Ia
!. of the Orient-where among PEG
of her mothers gentle race and m
ners, his Adah should live out her
and he begin to live his own m
nobIy. Should that golden dream
happiness end in reality of absol
pennilessness?
He measured with quick glances
distance to the doorway. There '
time to leap the counter, to seize
Cox: to gain the outer air. Except
tha precious burden lying helpless
mis- arms! Except for his Adah, '
had uttered neither cry nor question
since he staggered to her lace-dra
bed and tore her roughly from 1t!
arms were full of his little last