The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-10-20
JOE's EGG CORNER.
How Three Cents. Plus Business Abil.
ity. Raised q Street Walt 20 Com.
parative Richness and
Bank Account.
cory ,is,t, 1921. ~ CA r,., Bsasl iesm,

! was rcarly three hours getting over this
morning. They ought to furnish lunches
! guess IL will b. as lad fortnight. I'm
glad I'm not going back.
Little Joe Dempsey, who earned a pre-
oarious living by doing odd Jobs. was
down q his last three cents. He was
carrying the Vali-s ~ a man h had just
crossed tho North River. and II he had
been some boys the words he had just
heard would nave passed In at one ear
and out Of the other. but he was not som"
boys. but just, his own bright little self.
and he made up his mind to do something
that day to ~ct him on his fest.
He walked To the Cortlandt street sta
ton OF the elevated road with tho vali-e and
then the oN1l.r Of Il gave him a quarter.
lie had noticsd that Joe was trying not
10 staggcr under the weight Of IL. and the
dime that he had intended giving had
swelled To n quarter on the way.
Tanks said Joe. hs eyes cleaning
with joy.
He put the coin In his trousers pocket
and ran Ia the nearst hardware store
which Vas not far away. lie walked into
Il with the air Of a millionaire. and said;
Il want one Of dose market baskets
wild lids fer a quarter
Where's the money'' asked the cautious
clerk.
ooh. I got der money. all right. See''
He slapJed the quarter down on the
counter. packed up the basket. looked AT
II critically. and then marched out OF the
store whi-tling the latest song Of the side
walks.
-Chce. I hope de ice don give out. : said
n" Co himself A. he ran down Washington
srrcrt until he came to Washington Mar
ket Here he Threaded hi- way among
the ai-les Ia the stall 81 a produce mer-
chant.
Hello. Joe. What's newt asked the
man ~ egg~
I'm Ro'n' inter der egg business. an !
want yousc 10 g' me n start. Fill me
basket wit fresh eggs an I'll pay Yer ter
morrrr. or else take II ont woikin' fer yer =
Joe had an honest faco and he talked
~ II no meant business. and Jim Bag sley.
who had known him for some time. counted
ou, seven dozen eggs. packing them care
fully In the basket.
.Ther. YOU are Joe. Those are twelve
for a quarter. That makes 81 rs YOU owe
That's a weeks work II you don't pay
me.
Wen get dis ting down In wntin'.
Leave US nave a pencil an a piece Of papsr.'
said Joe.
Then he wrote:
1. Joseph Dempsey. prommi. 20 ray Jim
h gsly on dol.r an sevveny i've scents or
werk IL out fer q weak
10 DEMPSEY
.Say. wha, are you up 20 any way''
asked Mr. Bagsloy.
I'm tell yer tcr-morrer. Jim. Do you
think de ioe In der river IL go'n' ter bust
up'-
Nc, n nj. old weather holds Going
ioe yachtingi-
Yes. I'm go'n' ter git me iceboat nut
an take a sail down der bay an ! tough,
We might git hungry
You'll do laughed Mr.. Bagsley, and
turned 20 wait on q customer.
= long said Joe. and walked OF, but
not az quickly a. hc had come. for his bur
den wa= not only heavier. but more valuable.
All hi. eggs were in one basket and he
could not AFFORD to drop IL.
He made his wsy to a court back Of an
alley. where since tho death 81 his mother.
he had made his home with a kindly old
Irish woman by the name Of Clancy.
Mn. Clancy. I'm goin' to open a rst'-
rint an will you-- boil me deee eggs'
For the love Of murder. where did the
bye git tho beautiful esgsi What are you
go'n' to do Wild dosei'
Con ter chuck 'em AZ . copper. an
I wants dem hard III 81 yer 10 CENTS
ter morrer II yousell boil dem
'Nure. ! don't want amy money fer
bilin' eggs. But who wants hard billed
eggs in winter That's picnic vittle-
Well. maybe I'm go'n' on a winter
picnic. I'll tell yer q IL ter-morrer.'
Mrs. Clancy soon had the egg In q big
iron lot that, had some all the way from
Ireland with her. but It was n matter Of
nearly an hour before all the eggs were
hard boiled
Meantime joe had run ~anNiouslv down
to West stree, To scc II by any hancc
the ice had begun to break up. But IL
was stIl firmly packed and the passage
OF boats was slow and laborious.
The tide Of homewand travel set In early
that afternoon. A. Jersey s~uburbanite-
did not want Ia spend al evening on tho
zoe. Joe wnit-d until 3 O'Clock, and then
hc paid out his last three cents and stepped
aboard a Jersey Central ferryboat.
The passage was very slow. but It was
not slow enough 10 develop any hunger
on the part 81 the passengers and all too
soon, In Joe's estimation. they made tho
dock on the New Jersey side and hur-
red on Ia he met by other pa---ngcrs
hurrying on Joe walked part way up
tho float and then turned and came back
He was a little afraid that n dcckhand
might question him. but no one had no.
tiCcd him or his basket nor his bulgins
packet containing salt in a pepper bag
"A suggestion 81 Mrs. Clancy'-