Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-03-29

week, haggard face with sunken
eyes and cheeks and chin that had
egun to droop. 1t was the face of a
brok en- and starved man, and the look
of recklessness upon it became it lily.
The coat was buttoned and a pin held
the collar closely about the neck.
"You say there is a wife and chill
iren?" Polly asked, slowly.
He nodded. "But, see here" he
demanded, roughly, "what are you
askin' me these questions for? 1t amt
none of your business"
"Oh, yes, but it is, ," Polly returned,
confidently. 'You see, want to
know. You said they hadn't anything
they were hungry"
Again the head nodded. "And she's
sick," he added, briefly.
"You were trying to steal for
them?"
81 couldn't let 'em starve," he re-
turned, apologetically, yet defantly.
HOr course not. You did just right
The man that'll steal for his wife and
babies, if they're hungry, is enough
better than the man that won't" She
nodded her head at him approvingly.
He stared at her in wonderment,
and his loosely hung under jaw
dropped down. You think co
really?" he asked slowly.
"Why, Of course"
"And-and if you had wife and
some kids you'd steal for 'em?" He
was much in earnest.
eff / had wife and some kids I'd
steal for them," Polly returned,
promptly. '"rhat is, if they were
hungry. OF course L would"
The man scraped one foot upon the
pavement nervously. '"TheA you
think L amt so bad?"
"Bad?" Polly spoke enthusiastic-
ally. "Why, you're good! You're
finel"
He stared at her with the look of
one who cannot understand. "Well,
you're a queer 'un," he said.
But Polly did not even hear his
WORKS. "Do you know, think L owe
you something" she declared. 81
OUGHT to have had something for you
to take, and ought to have let you
taken it. L didn't have anything and
you didn't get anything, so I'm in
your debt Now, you come and walk
up the street with me to the place
where L live. want to pay up"
The mau's face showed even greater
wonderment than before.
"You mean you want to-give me
something?"
Polly shrugged her shoulders. 'Ii
you want to put it that way. I'd
rather call it paying debt. It's
something" voice again grew
soft and she stepped up and laid her
hand on his arm-''it's something 1
owe the wife and the kids"
"After-after 1 tried to hold you
up?" The man turned his head
away.
ooh, I've forgotten that, wish you
had, and had got something. Now,
come on"
The man did not move.
Polly tugged at his sleeve, still he
did not move. Then she held the
derringer up in front of his face.
Come" said she, lightly. "See, /
can make you"
He looked down into the smiling
face, his own face-Polly saw tears on
it-caught bit of the smile he saw
there, and without a word he walked
away with her. When they reached
the house in which she lived, Polly
hurried within after ordering him to
wait n minute. At its end she was
back beside him.
"Here, this is yours, she said, hold.
ing bill out TO him.
He made no effort to take it, and
Polly could see that his hands were
twisting about each other.
''How muchP" he asked finally.
ooh, not m&ch-only $5.
Give dollars! No-no-I can't
take It'll can't" he cried, brokenly.
Polly took one of the twisting hands
and thrust the money into it. ''But
you must--it's for the wife an9 the
kids" she whispered.
eyes, yes, for them," he said, ca
gerly, and his hand closed about the
bill.
There was long silence. The
man was breathing heavily and Polly
was beginning to feel as though she
wanted to cry. She was the first to
speak, and for the first time that
night she was timid
eff you don't mind" she said, visit
fully, 81 think I'd rather like to shake
hands with you"
The man seized the hand Polly held
out to him.
"Good night, she whispered.
"I-I"-he started, but something
caught in his throat and his voice
broke. Polly felt the fingers about
her hand twitch nervously. He tried
to speak again, and again his voice
broke.
Suddenly he dropped her hand,
turned about and, head dow Il, hurried
away into the darkness.
Extent of Matchmaking in Peru.
R1ool-p,oi limo j., Pam hoe in mann