The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-07-06


tial box while I'm a-gittin'.' and apo
nyln' up handsome there's where I
Weaken-I do. honest!" And meyer so
PLAINLY as at that moment did l see
within his face and in his eyes the light
Of true nobility
You See" he went on, In a tone OF
voice half courage. hal fapology, zr''I'
got family on my hands, and list
got to git along somehow / could git
along on the square deal as long as
mother was alive-cause she'd work.
but ever since she died-ai1d that was
winter fore last-I've kindo had 10
double on the old thing all sorts o.
ways But Sis don't know it, Sis she
thinks I'm the squarest muldoon in the
business" and even side by side with
the homely utterance great sigh fall
tered from his lips
And who is Sis?" 1 inquired, with
new interest
''Sis?" he repeated, knocking my foot
from the box, and leaning back. still
IN the old position. his hat now lying
on the ground beside him, and his
troWzy hair tossed backward from the
fuH, broad broW-''Who's Sis2'' he re-
peate with an upward smile that al
most dazzled me-"W'y. Sis is-is-w'y,
Sis is the boss girl-and don't you fer
git itr'
No need had he to tell me more than
this. l knew who ''Sis''-Mas by the
light of pride in the uplifted eyes: 1
knew VINO Sis was by the eNultation
IN the broken voice, and the half-de-
faint tossing of the frowzy head: L
knew who Sis was by the little
naked hands thrown upward openly:
knew who Sis was by. the tear that
dared to trickle through the dirt upon
her ragged brothers face And don't
you forget it.
bat
knees.-there in the cinders and the
dirt-so far, far down beneath us that
we tram3le on his breast and grind
our heels into his very heartl On, that
boy there, with his lifted ewes. and
Gods own glory shining in his face.
has taught me, with an eloquences be-
yond the trick of meIIow-sound{ny
words and metaphor. that love may find
a purer home beneath the rags of pow
erty and vice than in all the great
warm heart of Charity
hardly knew what impulse prompt
ed me. but. as the boy rose 10 his feet
and held his hand out for the compen-
sation for his work. 1 caught the little
dlngy palm close, close within nv own.
and Wrung it as L would have wrung
the hand of some great conqueror.
The little fellow stared a { me in Won
derment, and although his lips were ST.
lent. | can but believe that had they
parted with the utterance within his
heart my feelings had received no
higher recognition than the old con-
temptuous phrase, "Oh, what you Civ
in me?''
And so you've got a family on your
hands?" I inquired, recovering an air
of simple curiosity. and toying in my
pocket with some bits of change How
much of a family
-On'y three of us now
Only three of you. Ell? Yourself.
and Sis, an-an-"
easily; and after pause, in which he
seemed to swallow an utterance more
bitter, he added, And he amt no good
on EARTH"
Cant work." I queried.
Won't work, said the boy. bitter
". He won't work-he won't do MOTH
in'-on'y bulge, And 1 hat to steer
him in ever night, cause the cops
won't pull him any more-they won't
let him in the station house more.n
they'd let him in a parler cause he's
q plum goner now, and liable. 10 -croke'
any minute
Liable TO what?'' said L
Liable to just keel over-wink out.
you know-'cause he has fits. Kindo'
jimjams, I guess. Had a fearful old
matinee with him last night You see.
he comes all sorts o games on ne. and
haf to put up fer him-'eause he's got
to have whisky, and if we can on-y
keep him about so full he's a regular
lamb; but he don't stand no monkeyin'
when he wants whisky, now you bet,
Sis can handle him better'n me- but
she's been losin' her grip on him
lately-you see, Sis amt stout any
more, and been kindo' sick-Iike so long
she humors him. you know, more'n she
ort- And he couldn't git on his pins at
all yesterday morning. and Sis seat Ger
me. and I took him down pint and
that set him a-runnin' SO that when /
left he made Sis give up a quarter ne