The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-10-15


evenings free, to take the last five
hours of the work off his hands.
Barney's parents never questioned
his late hours, and were quito in
different to his goings and comings;
so he had no trouble in keeping from
them tue fact of his new employment;
but he found it hard, indeed, being
still weak from his illness, to bolt his
supper and hurry away. to night work
| after eight hours of day work; and it
was also hard to give up the evening
I frolics in which he had been accus
! toned to join with the boys.
| For bank he used the toe of an old
! shoe, which he kept tucked under his
mattress. Every night he lodged
something therein, copper, nickel or
silver, and every night he counted and
recounted the contents. Finally, at
the end of almost three months, the
night came when he was to round out
the needed sum with the last coin.
Trembling with excitement, he thrust
his hand under the mattress.
For q moment his heart beat so
wildly that he could feel the hot blood
surging to his temples; then it seemed
to stop, and he felt cold and sick and
faint, for his exploring fingers failed
to discover the familiar and welcome
roughness of the rain stiffened old
shoe. When he had pushed his arm
in to the shoulder, and had even
turned tho bedding up and looked as
we'll as felt, he realized that further
efforts were vain. The shoe was gone;
the fruit Of three months unremittinG
labor stolen.
Barney dared not raise an cutlery; to
? do so would only mean to share his
!, secret with the members Of his family,
8 and thus thwart at the outset all his
!, plans. Toward morning, as he lay
: tossing on his despoiled mattress, I'M
Z able to close his eyes for grief and
- bitterness, he heard his fathers un-
y steady footsteps on the stairs. They
II came nearer aud nearer, until the for
st bidding figure, with its dishcvelled
is hair and rum-laden breath and brutal
Of lied features, stood beside the bed.
le Tnstinctiyely the boy slid as far away
lg es the narrow limits Of the cot per
n mitted; but the movement betrayed
le the fact that he was awake, and his
is father, Selling him by the arm,
dragged him, with an oath, into the
y middle of the room.
:" "I'll teach ye to steal, you limb o
Is satan!" cried the drink crazed man.
sc 80 father; I didn't steal; don't,Ibea'
e, mel" protested Barney. "The moneys
re mine, earned very cent of it working
$, nights. I did, honest, father"
d. "Earned it, did ye? an hid it away
d. from your poor, hard-workin' parents
You ungrateful whelp; I'll teach ye tx
I'd be liyin' in aise an idleness, an layin
~ up money like miser, an kapin' i
III from yer betters, an me shweatin' M
OF life away carryin' the bod up ladde1
ID al day."
And then, with O heavy strip Q
&c board brought home that day for kind
~ ling-wood, from the building wher
'VS he was at work, the half-drunke1
q father beat the boy until the lad
T. screams brought Mrs. Rollins to tn
y point of determined interference.
a From the shock of his great disap
III pointment Barney rallied with cheer
full courage and determination. Thi
uS time he took his mother into his con
% fidence. -
Mrs. Rollins, if not in all respects
llS model mother, was at least kind
:" hearted one, and she showed her good
y0 will by aiding the boy in his endeavo
p to keep the secret from the unreason
IL; IL able father, and by giving him nicke
ID or dime now and then from her wage
oy as scrub-woman. They decided be
tween them that tho surest wey to out
W, wit the father was to take the money
Id as fast as it was earned, to a neighboi
Il" ing branch of the Stamp Savings Sc
"a "a cioty, and to leave the book of depos
VI in the society's care.
t ~ In this way the saving went O
NV smoothly, and success was again al
most within reach. Barney's heal
ou beat high with happiness and hope.
en But on the day when the ten dollar
- ~ was once more complete, he cam
H. home ct midnight from his work
We the bowling-alley, to find the hgl
burning in the tenement, and n
10 mother sitting anxiously beside tt
- - cot where his little tive-year-old slstt
n Ll Aggie lay tossing and moaning. nc
y several days she had not seemed vel
10 and since Barney had left her at SUI
ne t perfume she had grown rapidly wors
Oh Aggie was the one thing tho be
Up loved most of all in the world. Thel
CIV were other children between himse
NY and Aggie in age; there were othel
'"S 9 younger than she, and Barney was fl
'nu from being Indifferent to any Of then
NY NY But Aggie was the very apple OF Il
WV eye. 49,.