The Lamar register., 1898-12-14


durated expression IN the little face.
the pinched uostriis. the blue circles
under the eyes. and the wolfsh look
on the wan features faded away as the
child turned 10 Thoraes and said;
Say. mister. Iir me up so kin see
de candy clgarettes,''
Thomas lifted the boy in his stroag
arms so that his range OF vision In
cluded all the TaDtAius delights o. the
bazaar
4 wish, ne mudder vas goin' Z hAv'
a Krismus tree. but she says she can't
have none dis year. cause she ainHt
got no dust She scrubs In de Morse
bundin en- gets 81 week. Say, dai's
lot O. money. ain't 1T Huily gee,
Look at de dinty little tin soier! Ain't
he corkerl Mister. Is your little boy
goin' to hav' KrismuS treeT"
I'm afraid not this year sonny
Thomas replied. My iitle boy Is 10
Heaven"
where's datr Across de Fivers-
"Yes. Il Is across the river" replied
Thomas. graveIy, putting the little fel-
low down upon the sidewalk What
is your nameg" he continued
Tommy o'Dowd.'' replied The boy.
''and l live In Middle alley"
well. Tommy. said Thomas, you
90 with me TO the telegraph Office and
then I'll go home with you"
And so. hand in hand, the strangely
assorted pair went to the telegraph Of
hce and Thomas sent this dispatch to
his wife In Harlem:
Dear Molne: Detained down town
by important business. VIII be home
at IL o'clock"
do you know the way hone2" asked
Thomas as they came out OF the teie-
graph Office on Park Row again
Yes said Tommy. scornfnlly- Il
know all de streets. Ye goes down
New Chambers street till ye comes to
Roosevelt, den ye goes down Roose-
welt till We gets 20 Cherry en- den y
are in Middle alley"
They followed this itinerary. Tommy
running ahead to point out the way.
They entered the alley between two
enormous brick tenements, through a
big iron gate. and after wearisome
climb up crooked stairways arrived at
the o'Dowd residence. Tommy went
into the room. and as Thomas fingered
on the threshold he heard strident
voice say:
$50 that's you. you little scut! Sure
YOU had the heart o. me ar bruk ! was
that freckened! All. good evenin' to
We, sir" as Thomas stepped inside.
Come in, sir. It's little We have. but
ye,re welkim as II 'twace palace, sir.
Tommy. ye amodhoun, you. get the
ginueman chair"
~ hope you viii excuse me, Mrs.
o'Dowd," said Thomas, ''but saw your
little boy looking in toy store win
dow and thinking he might be lost
came home with him.
Now, amt that kind o you, sir"
exclaimed Mrs. O'Dowd- Sure it's not
many would do the same, SO there"
But We needn't be freckened about
that little blaggard. Faith, he'd find
his way from Harlem to the Batthery.
so he would
In such genial converse the time
passed. while Tommy and his mother
supped on mackerel and potatoes. And
when Tommy had been tucked away
for the night in his mothers bed under
the mantei, on which stood plaster
cast OF the Virgin. with hands out
spread In benediction, Thomas had a
whispered talk with Mrs. o'Dowd, in
terrupted at frequent intervals by such
exclamations as, "oh, dear, may your
shadow never grow less!" May your
wife never attend your funeral" etc.
At . o'clock Thomas was walking up
Roosevelt street with eager footsteps.
He stopped at a grocery store and made