Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-12-15

PibeuL . VI II OSOluilpu anu ldlluE6.
One evening, as Tim came home,
tired, respondent and little sulky,
he met Nelly at the gate. This Was
no unusual occurrence, as Nelly lived
next door and their families used the
sane passageway.
Now Nelly was rs brisk girl as
ever swung a broom, which was Just
her occupation this evening. She had
the gift of making things and people
go her way. The babies, no matter
how many, could not override her for
minute; and arms akimbo, with q
stamp of her foot, she could scare
the surliest prowler from her yard.
Moreover, unlike Tim, she liked to
talk to people, to push out into the
world and expand her knowledge and
experience.
With these qualities, she made an
excellent housekeeper for her father,
and although barely sixteen, assumed
capably the place of the mother who
was gone.
Her sleeves were rolled up to the
elbows; her eyes were on Mamie and
Eddie, straying little too far up the
street; and the open house-door showed
that she had left some unfinished task
behind her.
"Hello," she said, as the wanderer
shambled in.
"Hello, Nelly" He saw that her
eyes were fixed on him critically, and
felt that he was not altogether fit for
inspection.
aren't you working yet, Tim?"
Now this question, when put by
anybody else than, of course, his
mother, was in Tins sensitive ears q
thrust, a yelled innuendo, an unfsvor-
able verdict But he and Nelly had
for long time made friendly eyes at
each other and exchanged intimate
condolences. For, if Tim was unfor-
innate, he was also, according to the
standard of that neighborhood, dis
tinctly "nice." So Nelly's voice had
a ring of sympathy in it, which relieved
the harshness of this most embarrass-
ing question.
mo" said Tim, mot yet"
"WhY can't you get place, Tim?'
81 don't know" he answered, with
a sickly little smile. 81 wish could" "
81 guess you try hard enough"
ooh, yes, I've tried" Tim was
truthful. He put his statement in the
present perfect tense. "But it's pretty
hard"
"Other fellows get jobs. There's
Jack White, only graduated with you,
and he's clerk in u dry-goods store" ="
eyes, hut Jack Whites a fine
writer, and I'm no good at writing"
"Well, there's Walter Craig works
in meat-shop."
'Yes, 1 know. He got the place I
was going to get. His big brother
goes with the man that started the
store and
"Oh, we'll, there are lots of other
places. Don't you ever see any
chauces?"
"Ye-es," replied Tim, slowly.
Yesterday went in to get a place,
but the man asked me if / could make
change, and Inever made change"
'Blst you could! OF course you
could! And you've got to make them
think so. Spunk up to anybody.
That's the way to get along. Why
don't you try selling papers?"
''Oh, I'm too old to sell papers"
''You aren't as old as the Martin
boy"
"Oh, well, he always sold papers. !"
Nelly flicked some dust off the
wooden gate. 81 know what I'd do.
I'd get wagon and peddle."
"Oh, people wouldn't buy anything
of n boy like me-"
"Nonsense! You went round with
Dineen last summer, and everybody
said you hollered fine"
Determined as he was to deny him.
self every imaginable virtue, Tim
could not contradict Nelly's last as
sertion. His voice was famous, both
for power and quality, although, curl
ously enough, when he tried to say
the simple words, 81 saw in the papers
this morning that you w-wanted g
b-b-boy," it could sink to the feeblest,
huskiest whisper that any employer
ever heard from an applicant.
Anyway, l haven't any wagon OF
anything" protested Tim, more fertile
in imagining obstacles than expedients.
THAT wouldn't cost much" said
Nelly, little doubtfully, because the
price of wagons was beyond her range.
"How much do you have to pay for 6
horse?"
''Ten dollars. That's what Dineen
paid for his"
"And wagon-a secondhand one
I Imean?"
"Oh, I don't know anybody tha
has one to sell"
"Well, if I was a boy, I'd make
one" said Nelly, sharply, and wher
Tim looked in her eyes this time, ht
saw that they were not quite like hi
) mothers after all. They were sym
, pathetic. but they also seemed to b,