The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-05-14
The LITTLE 'uN.

sitor street. One lolled apart against
the dccrpost, five leaned in a row WIN
their backs set squarely against the
front of the public-house.
Smoking and blinking thus in the
warmth of the afternoon sun, they had
snoozed to such blissful languor that
when, at wide intervals, one of them
revived sufficiently to mutter half
intelligible remark, none of the others
would exert himself to answer 1t.
They were law stationers' clerks be-
Gained in a long, vacation. Law Of
fees were closed, lawyers We're away
on their holidays, and the lean scrlpes
OF the profession had rarely more IMAM
three days work to do in week They
We're lounging there to-day, these SIN,
as they had lounged there yesterday,
and would probably lounge again To-
morrow.
The man who dozed apart against the
doorpost was the oldest and tine snapf9l--
est of the group. He was tall, WITH
cred man, with large head, heavy nj
tie sacks under his sleepy eyese, ana a
slightly Dubious nose. HIS mustacle
and beard were scanty and untrlmmco,
and his general expression was morose
and uninviting. The large head APP
peared larger than it was by reason OF
his NANCY tall hat being size 100
small for it, He wore tightly but
toned frock coat that was faded to
greenash brown, and gray trousers, very
baggy at the knees, and very frayed
about his boot tops; the boots were dis
gracefully down at the heel, and there
were black streaks in the bend of his
left sleeve where he wiped his pen.
X 7 ar-d on q
D. It's agen, Mr.. FAINT" drawled the
nearest idler to him, resuming a somno-
lent murmur he had commenced and
discontinued few minutes before, Il
said to young Freddy here
1T wasn't D. It's this time" Mr.. FAINT
gIoomily interposed, sit was only
pleurisy''
We'll we heard it was. Freddy I
said, we shan't see i'm any more The
third COS always fatal. I don't odd
with. goin' to excess, don't; let it be a
warnin' TO you, never to ave more'n
two
I'VE did talk" grinned Freddy, lazily
corroborating him, "of subscribin' for
q little wreath-we felt so sure of it,
Mr. FAINT remained passive and inn
pervious.
The other two were drifting back into
a contented stupor, when all of sud-
den somebody whistled. Instantly six
pairs Of eyes opened, and flashed all in
the same direction. A 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. :"
F'reddy's long legs were galvanized in
to spasnodic activity, and he went.
OF the other five, two retired into The
North Star for consolation, three sank
back into their former listless attitudes
and relit their pipes.
They were lulled by the snore of traf-
fic in Chancery 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 print
ing machines in some adjacent works.
Presently a perspiring Italian wheeled
a piano organ into the street and, af-
fably grimacing, took up exactly OPP
posite the North Star. A weary female
who accompanied him attached herself
mechanically to the handle and pro-
ceeded to turn out a tune. She scat
tered the notes of a blithe prelude into
the air and with the melancholy per-
severance of an automatic effigy, dashed
on to rollicking melody.
The loungersl were startled into wake
fulness. Mr.. FAINT glanced round about
as if expecting TO see something or
somebody else beside the organ and the
organist, and all of them looked and
listened with a duh enjoyment. The
tune was OF the music hall variety--a
frivolous, Hitting air that got into the
feet Gifts hearers as an intoxicant goes
to 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 flash, as if one joyous note of the
music had materialized into visibility
tiny, GOLDEN haired, dimpled baby girl
was out there in the road f1uttering her
threadbare skirts in a quaint little
dance, her small feet flying so airily
they scarcely seemed to touch the
ground at all.
Here's the little uni" chuckled one
of the loafers. Thought it would soon
bring her OUT
Il saw her comm down the court.
Don't she do 1t a treat"
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
began to 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 bobbed the happy, buoyant
little figure-such a little little figure
and so lightsome that the first puff of
wind might almost have caught it up
and carried it floating and wavering
away like the downy. feathery ball that
is blown from a dandelion.
Half way through a fantastic cir
cling movement she Unexpectedly
caught sight of Mr.. FAINT, and. with a
cry of delight, ran straight from the
middle of her dance toward him.
Uncle Fant!" she piped in her pretty
childish treble. Uncle Fanti Where
you bin? They said you wouldn't come
back no more"
Did they?" Mr. FAINT smiled pleas
and when Mr.. FAINT smiled you would
hardly recognize him as the same man,
his features were so softened and hui
manized But I have come back, you
see. and here I ann
Has you bin poorly?"
Yes, little 'un.
Uncle Fanti" She had taken one of
his hands in her small chubby fingers
and was swinging and leaping about
MS feet. Amt you goin' to kiss me?"