The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-05-08

the dOOlpoSt, nNc leaned In a row WITH
their backs set squarely against the.
front of the public .-ouse.
Smoking and blinking thus In the
warmth of t afternoon sun, they had
snoozed to such a blissful languor that
when. at wide intervals, one of tnem
revive sufficiently to mutter half in
| teiligible remark. none OF the others
would exert himself to answer 1t.
They were Law stationers' clerks be-
gained In long vacation. Law offices
were closeu, lawyers were away on the
holidays. and the lean scribes of the
/ profession had rarely more than three
days work to do in week. They were
I lounging there today. these six, as they
| had lounged there yesterday and would
| probably lounge. again tomorrow.
The man who dozed apart against the
| doorpost was the oldest and the shah
bIes of the group He was a tall. with
cred man. with large head, heavy lit
tie sacks under his sleepy eyes. and
sligntly bulbous nose. His mustache
and beard were scanty and untrimmed,
and general expression was morose
| uIlNlbilS. Il TIC hNao aHP'oi
ed larger nan II was by reason OF his
NANCY tail hat being a size too small
/ for IL. He wore a tightly -buttcned frock
coat that was faded 10 greenish
brown. and gray trousers very baggy
at the knees, and very frayed about
his boot tops: the boots were disgrace
fully down az the heel and there We're
bIack streaks in the Dena or ms left
sleeve Mere ne wiped his pen.
Yes. When | heard YOU d got the ID.
T's agen, Mr.. FAINT, drawled the near
est idler 10 him, resurping a somnoient
murmur he had commenced ana discon-
| tinued a few minutes before, Il said TO
| young Freddy here"
1T wasn't ID. rs this time." Mr.. FAINT
| gicomily interposed 1t was only pleu-
risy."
well, we heard 1t was. Freddy. |
said, we shant see i'm any more. The
third gos always fatdl / cont old
with goin to excess, / don't; let IL be
a warnin' to YOU 1 said. never to ave
moren two.
I'VE did talk" grinned Freddy, lazlly
corrob0rating him, "of subscrbin Tor
little wreath-we felt 50 sure or IL.
Mr.. FAINT remained passive and inn
| pervious.
The other two were drifting back into
a contented stupor, when ali % ssD-
den somebod whistle1. Instantly sax
pairs OF eyes opened. and flashed all In
the same direction. n dusty, pallid
man stood beckoning from the door
way OF a law stationer's shop across
the road.
Job for somebody" growled one OF
the six. "Go on Freddy, Its your
turn"
Freidy's long legs were galvanized
anto spasmodic activity. and ne went.
OF the o1ner five. two retired into the
| North star for consolation, three sank
back into their former iistless atti-
tudes and rellt their pipes.
They We're lulled by the snore OF traf-
fic !n Chancery lane out beyond the
end OF the street. Now and then an in
truslve cart would rattle noishy past
ehem: otherwise the quiet of replace
| was undisturbed. except for the monot-
onous grumble and thump OF printing
| machines i'm same adjacent works.
Pgesently a perspiring Italian wheel
| ed a piano organ into the street. and,
| affably grimacing drew up exactly op-
poste the North ~. weary female
| " no accompanied nan attached herself
ms haniCally no the handle, and pro-
ceeded TO turn out tune. She scatter
ed the notes OF a blithe prelude into the
air and. With the melancholy persever-
ance of an automatic efiigy, dashed on
TO a rollicling melody.
| The loungers were startled into wase-
fulness. Mr.. Fant glanced round about
| a.s IL expecting TO see something or
somebody else beside the organ and the
organist. and all of them looked and
listened with a dull enjoyment. The
tune was OF the music hall yariety--a
frivolous. fitting all chat got into the
feet OF it's hearers as an intoxicant goes
10 the head. Several Indifferent heels
drummed in time on the pavement out
side the NORTH star; printers boys
temporarily emancipated from the
neighboring. works. jigged on the curb
and sang snatches Of the chorus, and,
in a Hash as II one Joyous note OF the
music had matcrialiZed into Visibility,
a tiny, goden-haired. dimplad baby
girl Ixas out there in the road tuttering
her threadbare skirts in q quaint little
dance, her small feet lying SO airily
they scarcely seemed 10 touch the
ground at all. r
Here's the Itue un," chuekled one
Of the loafers. Thought II would soon
bring her out"
~ saw her comm down the court.
Don't she do II treat2'
Some youngstcr that lives in the
same house an dances IN pantomimes
she taught her. she told me so.'
Mr. FAINT said nothing. but his eyes
began 20 sparkle, and he watched her
rapt and silent
And the tiny feet went merrily as if
they would never grow tired. and
round and round bobbcd the happy,
buoyant little figure such little, lit
tie figure, and so lightsomc that the
first pun OF wind might almost have
caught Il up and carried it floating and
wavering away like the downy, feath-
cry bah that is blown from dandelion.
Half way through fantastic circling
movement she Unexpectedly caught
sight of Mr. FAINT. and, with cry of
delight. ran straight from the middle
OF her dance toward him.
"lrncic Fanti' SHE pipcd I'm her pretty
childish treble Uncle FAINT, Where
YOU binl They said you wouldn't come
back no more"
Did they?" Mr. FAINT smiled pleas
antly. and stopped to pinch her cheek:
and when Mi. Fant smiled YOU would
hardly have recognized him as the
same man. his features were so soft
ened and humanlzed. But have come
back. YOU see. and here | am"
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