The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-02-24

NH was IL uSs NV ASA
1f conversation, and he sat a long
Time by the cheese boxes in the gro
Gerry without saying a word. Terry
T%ioolihan fitted about, putting his
small stock in order and wondering
why his friend Was so silent. Finally
McFad6en spoke:
My sister" said he, has given my.
mother the double cross-she's quit
home and married a booze singer"
Hoolihan made no comment for some
minutes. and when he did it was while
nc was ~freshcning the fire.
Il never told YOU" said he, "of how
Mother Murphy saved five dollars and
what became of il. did Il"
No" says McFadden. And as for
that I've troubles enough of my
without thinking of the M~urphys."
"Tut-tut." replied Terry. Were all
out of the SAINT pan, and what's sor-
row for one is sooner or later grief for
another. The world is little enough
when You come TO think of how big
i. is. Mother Murphy has lived in the
ward for 35 years-35 years within a
stones throw of Clark street and
never out of sight of Harrison. The
house is jammed in between two big
buildings and there's a window in
frc1lt and Il window behind. but never
d one on either side.
Murphy. the man, never earned
over a dollar a day in his life, but he
was coed 20 his voman and to the lit
tic girl that coIne and while it's tight
pinching to make $50 u month (and
sometimes only 500 take care of
three. he did it. And the old woman
She helped him and she helped the lit
tie girl. There wasn't a better dressed
girl in the street, nor one that thought
less of her folks. save for what she got
out of them.
1t was perhaps ten years after the
kid was born. just about the time they
was first talking of paving the alleys
and covering the garbage, that Moth
e. Murphy said one day to the old
nan:
1--we set my heart on it, Murphy
Whats that?' said he.
"A lace curtain for the front win
dow SAID she.
when sou find the money for it.
said nc. rolling uphill or swimming
in the river, you can get the curtain
Never mind says she. The cur
tain Iii get. and the cost of it will
never trouble your dreams when
yoT're awake
$50 the Old woman started to raise
The wind to pay for the lace curtain.
Mind you. McEadden. she was n wom-
Hi what never asked anything for her
self. To my certain knowledge, in
n.Ee years she never had but one dress
of her own. and she turned that when
sue ven to mass. She was never in
4 theayter. never had a ribbon in her
hat. and when she wanted car fare she |
walked. whether it was INT mile or
five. But the daughter had four
aresses. she had a tickets plenty, she
had a seat in the balcony of the Hoo
icy place and she ate candy as if she
would be sugar inside forever. In one
day she blowed herself in this store
Tor 90 cents worth of joo-ioo. and
that's a pile of ccin. McFadden, for a
poor person to get rid OF in frummery.
But Mother Murphy was not COM
planning. In her own way she was 60
ing to have the lace curtain. Her first
for it was the finding of n penny
IN the street near the door. She was
anxious to keep it, but fearful of
cheating. so she brings it in to me. and
she says:
"'ls IT yours, Terry?
And says /:
"'I couldn't identify it if it was
"And she kept it. A week later she
gets a dime for cleaning some win
dows. and then having to go to Cali
fornia avenue on a bit of work, she
saves a nickel by walking. By not eat
ing meat when she was at home at
moo she saves a penny or two more,
and at the end of IS months she has
cents saved for the curtain, which
she had made up her mind should cost
not less than five dollars. She was