The Monitor-register., 1896-03-06
THE HEART OF THE POPCORN
BOY.
BY W. BERT FOSTER.

noon when the train stopped at for
gotten little station on the branch line,
and sat down near the door, placing the
two small children he carried on the seat
before him.
There was something odd about the
mans appearance which attracted our
attention. His clothing was clean, but
very shabby. The old felt hat, pulled
down about his ears, could not wholly
hide the closely cropped hair beneath.
His clearly shaven face was colorless
from illness or confinement.
Some of US thought we recognized that
shuttle when he walked as being the step
| of the ''chain gang; but the children.
tho quite as poorly clad, were boistew
ously happy over their prospect re
journey.
The boy was about six years old, the
girl not more than four.
"Yon can't remember it. Betty" the
boy kept repeating to his little sister.
"We used to ride lots in the train with
Dad. didn't we, Dad ?"
And the mans face would break into
solemn smile as he nodded his reply.
"And oh, we had such good times"
prattled on the youngster. "You know,
Betty, there's boy that comes through
the car and brings all sorts of nice things,
and Dad always buys 'um; don't you,
DadP Oh, there'll be candy and popcorn
and orwauges, and lots of other things,
more'n can member"
Thus the youngster ratified on while
Betty fairly jumped up and down on the
seat with delight.
By and by the conductor came through.
The man started up hastily when he
heard the car doo- bang, but sank back
relieved when he saw the brass buttoned
official.
A few moments later the door of the
rear car banged again, and we knew that
that bane of the traveller, the pop corn
boy was approaching.
The man rose hastily, whispering to
the children to remain where they were,
and came hurriedly up the aisle.
He was not bad-looking man, but his
face was weak, and the eyes did not look
at one squarely.
he reached the head of the car just as
the popcorn boy entered in his customary
nerve.racking manner.
Say" the man stopped before the
youth. holding on by seat back to steady
himself. Say he repeated, 81 want
to ask favor of you, mister"
The popcorn boy was stricken dumb
at being thus addressed.
"Don't take that basket down the car
just yet. Can't you take the books and
papers along fust, jest as we'll ? The
kids won't mind them so much. We
shall get off at the junction, and that
amt very far, now"
"What kids ?" demanded the popcorn
boy.
MY two, down yonder. You can see
'em there" said the man, gaining courage
as he proceeded. ''You see it's like this.
I'll own up I've been to jail. I've been
there two years. Now I'm goin' West
with the kids.
"Some folks give us jest money enough
to take us there and get us bite now
and then on the road; but them kids.
they remembers-leastways the boy does
how they ulster ride on the cars with me
1aforo. am nstar to treat sn' to every
thing that come along.
II was earnin' good wages at an honest
trade then, and it'll nigh about break
their hearts if you come along with that
basket full of goodies and me not have a
red to buy any. Come, you'll wait.
won't yef 1t amt far to the Junction
where we get Off"
The man turned without waiting for a
reply and stumbled back down the aisle.
And then remarkable thing happened
q miracle, if you will. 1t was proven
that popcorn boy, whose anatomy
embraces cast-iron lungs. nervous
system made out of steel wires. and
brazen bronchial tubes, has warm heart.
His face, on which no expression but that
of insolence was ever known to appear
before, was strangely moved and he
vigorously rubbed the back of one primy
hand across his eyes.
"Say, did you hear dat ?" he blurted
out, appea ling to the neighboring passen.
gers. "Did you hear what dat man said
Them kids are goin' ter have all thew
want outer this basket and 'twon't cost
'em cent. Now you gents shell out and
give him enough stuff soft he can buy
'em all the candy they want from here ter
out West.''
He swung his basket on to his other
arm, whipped off his cap, and we found |
ourselves ''shelling out" before we hardly
realized it.
Then he marched down the aisle, |
emptied the cap on the seat beside the |
father. and about half the contents of his
basket beside the children, and hastily
decamped.
But, somehow, that wasn't the end of |
it, The man broke down ard sobbed; |
but we didn't pay any attention to that.
One good woman found that she had a |
spare cloak with her that her little girl
didn't need, and it was much better and
warmer than the baby's threadbare gar
ment, and travelling man, who was
taking home new overcoat for his little
boy, took it out of its paper and dumped
it down beside the six-year-old, and,
blowing his nose violently, went into the
smoker.
And then one cody old grandmother
went down the aisle and kissed the chill.
dren warmly, and, as tho the man had |
been her own son, she pushed the hat
brim back from his forehead and left the |
print of her kind old lips, there, too.
And then the train slowed down at the |
junction.
The man rose up with child on either |
arm, and he seemed taller than before.
and his carriage was more manly, and |
his face shone like an angels.
If ever reach Heaven, where my good |
old mother went SO many years ago, |
know that l shall see that man there,
whatever his past may have been.-THe
Independent.
All last winter Mr.. Geo. A. Mills, of |
Lebanon, Conn.,, was badly afflicted with |
rheumatism. AT. times it was SO severe