New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-16
THE LITTLE UN.
BY A. ST. JOHN ADCOCk.

outsIoe ,oinst The doorpost five leaned in row
with their backs set squarely against '"e ''"'
of the pubic-house. +. a., ,rarp,th of
,be afternoon sun they had snooZed 10 Such Z"
bssful languor that when at wiue lll'e' t,aiS
one of them revived sufficiently to mutteI
Ineligible remark. none oil the o'ii''' "'''
exert himself TO answer IL. ,,,od in
Thev were law statOners clerks pecaneu III
n long vacation. Law oihces were Clo' ~, 'an
vcrs were away on their holidays ana tIle ieal
scrihes of the profession had rarelN mioie .i'
tbree DAYS work to do in "A W EEK lneE VIZ
louneing there to-day, these SIX as the! n%u
Iounged there yesterday ana "ouu P'o'"'''
lounge again tomorrow. -
most was the oldest and the shabblest OF the
eroup He was a tall, Wlthcled man, WIN :"
large head heavy little sacks under MS sIeep!
ewes and a slightly bulbous nose. his ihuS'a 'ic
and beard were scanty and untrlmmed' ana ms
general expression was morosc ana uhihVl''Is.
The large head appeared larger imam II was y!
reason of his NANCY tall hat being a SIZE TOO
email for it, He wore a tightly buttoneo frock
coat that was faded to a greenish brown, ana
gray trousers, very baggy at the knees anu
very frayed about his boot tops the boots were
dissracefully down at the heel. and there were
black streaks in the bend Of his left sleeve where
he wiped his pen. r.
Yes. When heard you'd got the D. !. $
acen Mr. FAINT" drawed the nearest ldler 10
him rosriming a somnoent murmur ne had
commenced and discontinued few minutes be
fore Il said to young Freddy here
-
lily interpOsed. lit was only peurlsy
"Wcl we heard il was. Freddy said. we
shan't see i'm any more. The third COS always
fatal | don't old with goin to excess. don't;
ret il he a warnin' TO you. ! SAID never 10 ave
moren two "
we did talk" grnnod Freddy. lazily corrobo
rating him. "of subscribin' for a little wreath
we felt sure Of it,"
Mr. FAINT remained passive and mpcrViOus
TIE other two were drifting back into a con-
tented stupor. when all Of a sudden somebody
whistled. Instantly six pairs OF eyes opened
and flashed all in the same direction. dusty
pallid man stood reckoning from the doorway Of
law stationer's shop across the road
JOB for somebody" growled one Of the six
"Go on. Freddy. It's your turn"
Freddy's long legs were galvanized into spas
modic activity, and he went
OF the other five two retired into The North
Star for consolation. three sank back into their
former stless attitudes and relit their pipes
They were lulled by the snore of traffic in
Chanccry Lane, out beyond the end OF the
street Now and then an intrusive cart would
rattle noisily past them, otherwise the quiet Of
the place was undisturbed except for the mo-
notonous grumble and thump of printing ma
chimes in some adjacent works
presently "A perspiring Italian wheeled a piano
organ INTO the street and. affably grimacne
drew up exactly opposite The North Star A
weary female who accompanied him attached
herself mechanically to the handle and proceed .
ed to turn out tune She scattered the notes
OF bhthe prelude into the air and. with the
liz 9fi
dashed on to rollickng melody
The loungers were startled into wakcru,ncss
MT rant glanced round about as if expecting TO
see something or somebody else beside the or
gan ana The oreanist. and al OF them Locked
ana listened with "A dull endowment Tho inn.
was OF the music hall variety-a frivolous lifting
ar that got INTO the feet OF it's hearers &c an
1ntoxicant goes 10 the head Several Indifferent
heels drummed in time on the pavement outsido
The North Star; printers bows tennor.riI,,
sHaLcipated from the ncghboring works legged
on me curb and sang snatches Of the chorus:
rhd' IN Hash, as If one Joyous note of tho
music had materialized into visibility q tinv
&oIdcn-hared, dimpled baby girl was out thero
IN the road huttering her threadbarc skirts
III a quaint little dance, her small feet nvino o..
at all. Wv e''"''u
iiere the little 'un!" chuckled one Of the
loafers. Thought it would soon bring her out "
saw her comm down the court Don't she
do il treat" DIV
some youngster that lives in the same house
an dances in pantomimes-she taught her she
told me So" "
Mr.. FAINT said nothing but his eyes hogan ~
sparkle. and he watched her rapt and silent.
ana the tiny feet went merrily as if they
would never grow tired. and round and round
bobhed the happy, buoyant little figure-such
Mite. little figure and chtsome that the
hTst puff OF wind might almost have caught il
up ana carried it floating and waVcring away
hkc the downy, feathery ball that is blown
from "A dandeon.
Half way through fantastic circline move
mcnt she UNEXPECTEDLY caught sight of Mr.
FAINT. and with cry Of delight. ran straight
from the middle Of her dance toward him
Uncle FAINT she pipcd i'm her pretty child
ish treble Uncle FAINT! Where YOU bin?
They said you wouldn't come back no more
DID they Mr.. FAINT smiled pleasantly and
stopped to pinch her check: and when Mr. FAINT
smiled you would hardly have recognized him
as the same man. his features were so softened
and humanzed But have come back, you
see and here | am"
HAS you bin poorlyT'