The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-07-11

nearly five, but so very small that she did nicely in the tiny trousers Git is a boys part, as I should have said before, and when the act was over kissed the brightly pretty face and offered her little gift. She put out her hand eager ly, then swiftly draw it back again, saying, Its money"
 "Yes," I answered, tits for you take it.
 She hung her head and murmured: Its money-I dar'sent."
 "Why not?" I asked.
 Cause we're too poor" she replied, which was certainly the oldest reason I ever heard advanced for not accept ing offered money I was compelled to hurry to my dressing room to prepare for the next act, but I saw with what disappointed eyes she followed me, and as kept thinking of her and her queer answers I told my maid to go out and see if the pretty, very clean little girl was still there and if so to send her to my room. Presently a faint tap low down on the door told me my expected visitor had arrived. Wide-eyed and smiling, she entered. and having some cough drops on my dressing table l did the honors. Cough drops of strength and potency they were, too, but sweet and therefore acceptable to small girl She looked at them in her hand wishfully and then very prettily asked: "Please might she eat one right then|
 T consented to that seemingly grave breach of etiquette, and then asked if her mother was with her.
 Oh, no! Sam had brought her. (sam was the gas-man.)
 Why" I went on, "did you not take that money, dear?" (Her eyes instant ly became regretful) Don't you want it?"
 'Oh, yes, maam" she eagerly an- sWered. "Yes, ma'am, I want it, thank you-but you see I might get smacked again-like I did last week."
 Our conversation at this embarrass- ing point was interrupted by the ap- pearance of Sam, who came for the lit tie one, I sent out with message for the maid and then questioned Sam, who, red and apologetic, explained that "the child had never seen no theater before, but he knew that the fifty cents would be a god-send to them all, and an honest-earned fifty cents, too, and he hoped 1t was all right-that the kid hadn't given me no trouble'-and he beamed when I said she was charming and so well hammered.
 Yes" he reckpned, they aimed to bring her up right" Yer see" he went on, "her fathers my pal, and he mar ried the girl that-a girl-well the best kind of a girl yer can think of (poor SamD, and they both worked hard and was getting along fine, until sickness came, and then he lost his job, and it is plumb four months now that he's been idle-and that girl the wife, was thin as a rail-and they would die alto gether in a heap before they'd let any one help 'em except with work"
 What" I asked, "did the child mean by getting a smackng last week?"
 "Oh," he answered, "the kid gets pretty hungry I suppose, and t'other day when she was playing with the Jones child there in the same house. Mrs Jones asks her to come in and have some dinner, and as she lifted one of the covers from the cooking stove the kid says: My, you must be awful rich-you make fire at both ends of your stove at once! My mamma only makes a fire under just one hole cause we don't have anything much | to cook now 'cept teal The speech | reached the mothers ears, and she 1 smacked the child for lettin' on to any | one how poor they are Lord, no, Miss, | she darsent take no money-though l God knows they need it bad enough"
 With dim eyes I hurriedly scribbled 1 inc on a bit of wrapping paper, saying, This little girl has played her part so nicely that I want her to have some hing to remember the occasion by, and | since I shall not be in the city to-mor- 'oW, and cannot select anything my self, I must ask you to act for me Then I folded it about a green note, md, calling back the child, l turned Ter about and pinned both written message and money to the back of her apron. The little creature understood he whole thing in a flash. She danced about joyously "Oh, Sam she cried,