The Opelousas courier., 1898-10-29
THE BROKEN PANE.
Johnnie Squared His Debt After Many
Yeara.

Years.
Forty years ago q certain Cleveland
family lived on Huron street, close to
the corner of Miami street. Huron
street was a leading thoroughfare then,
and a number ofprominent Cleveland
ers resided in the neighborhood. The
lady of the house was q young bride;
and she and her husband had arrived
in Cleveland quite recently. In Miami
street lived a family in very moderate
circumstances, and among the numer-
Gus children hat filled the tiny house
was a boy called Johnnie. He was q
bright, manly little fellow of perhaps
eight years, and the Huron street
bride took quite a fancy to him. He
would come to her home every day
and do her simple errands, and she
always had something nice to give
him. One day he was playing in
front of the brides home with some
,ther boys, when he, Glanced to throw
a$stone that missed it's mark and
era he'd throGal .parlor window. The
brideTIippened to see the accident, and
as the little fellow looked up and saw
her, an agoniZed expression clouded
his face, and he turned and took to his
heels. He never came again to the
Huron street house. Look as she
might, the bride caught sight of him
no more. A few weeks later Johnnie's
family left the city, and Johnnie was
soon only a faint memory.
Tho hrila 10 now q grandmother onl
lives in a handsome house in the
suburbs. One day not long ago the
maid brought her a callers card. 1t
bore the name Of "John Robinson"
She looked at it with a puzzled air.
She had no acquaintance of that name.
But she went downstairs and con
fronted a fine looking, portly gentle
man, well dressed, and bearing an un-
mistakable air of prosperity.
"You wished to see me?' inquired
the lady as she looked again at the
card.
"Yes, madam" he answered, son a
slight matter of business"
She looked up at him quickly and
drew back q little.
"No," he smilingly observed, II
am not an agent. The fact is, madam,
| have called to pay a debt that has
been accommodating interest all these
years, and which [ have neglected to
pay before because l have never since
been in the neighborhood."
"a debt?" echoed helady. "There
must be some mistake"
"No mistake at all, madam" said
the stranger cheerily, and he reached
MS hanA IN Mis- pocket. Yhere WAS a
gold coin in it as he drew it forth.
"There, madam" he said, 81 want to
pay you for the window I broke in
your house in Huron street one July
day in 1857"
Then it all came back to her.
"And you-you are Johnnie?" she
cried.
eyes, madam" he answered, "I'm
Johnnie" And their hands met in a
tight clasp.
and you remembered that little
accident all these years?" she said.
"Why, I had forgotten it long ago"
perhaps I had better cause to re-
member it," he smilingly said. sit
was a dreadful affair for me. I saw
jail door opening; [ heard the
clank of chains. Then I somehow
felt snre that you would come and tell
my father, and he was not a gentle
as you may remember. But as
hour followed hour, and you did not
come, | began to breathe a little again,
md, oh, you cannot tell how grateful
was to you. I did not dare to go
see you, for fear of possible con-
but when we went away I
made up my mind that some day I
would pay every penny it cost to mend
hat broken pane. And here I am"
The woman looked at him with glis-
ening eyes. Somehow she seemed to
ee again the t~ireless manly little boy |
# that long-ago time.
"And you have prospered?" she
sked.
eyes," he answered, ~smilingly.
I'm reckoned as one of the solid
1en of California. l live just outside
f San Francisco, have what [ am told
) a charming home, a beautiful wife
two fine boys in the university.
md when / have this little debt paid
shall possess a thoroughly clear con-
cience as WE'LL" 8
"Put away your money, John" -
aid the woman. cts worth q hum
red times that to see you so we'll and
Apply"
II found out about you before I r,
anne out here,' said John. 81 in a
ulred with some fear and trembling
years bring many changes you
now. But [ went direct to the foun- L
lln-head for information. [ hunted
p your husband at his ofice-I hada
tier of introduction from the presi-
OF u road-and we were soon
friends. Bless you, he had never
card of Johnnie Robinson, but that az
dn't make any difference. In fact, II
, asked me to stay to dinner and
to be home early" II
When John Robinson left the house -
g next morning-his stay in the city ~
shortened by pressing business "a
left behind him on the parlor man.
a box containing adainty ornament W.
gold and jewels and this card: NJ
my wife picked out q little gift, 90
tn the firm belief that Johnnie D"
'uld surely find his early friend. rd
ease let it square the broken pane" w
Cleveland Plain Dealer. IA