Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-05-12
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Loves Dilemma {
j GAKvIcz
LO~INN~DHN)N
BIZ CHARLES GAKvIcz.

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quarter loaf, six buns, or couple
slices of pound cake; or, perhaps,
three sausage rolls? George, it's
worth being hungry to get such an ap.
petite as this" And with a short
laugh at the joke, he took a step to
the door.
AS he did so a woman with two
children clinging to her dress came
dragging up to the window and
stopped, as he had done. They were
shochngly poorly clothed. and if they
were not hungry, the look which they
bestowed upon the contents of the
window was a mockery and a snare.
y Neither the woman nor the children
said word. but after staring for a
minute with wistful eyes, she caught
hold OF hand of each and drew them
gently away. Then one of the chill
dren, girl, began TO whimper; but
without word. The young man look
| ed after them for a moment, then ne
followed and laid his hand on the
child's shoulder.
"Hailo!" he said cheerfully, and
with that peculiar smile which chit
| dren understand so well Would you
! Hike a bun. little 'un? You would
! eh?" for both the childI ems faces
flushed, and their eyes shoIe with the
wild hope that sprang up from their
hungry little bosoms. Come on,
then! You'd better come, too, and
see they don't eat too much" he addeo
to the woman pleasantly.
The poor creature hung back a mo
ment, murmuring something but the
young fellow took hold Of the girls
hand and led her back to the shop.
the others following.
Just give my young friends IA
oh, we'll help ourselves, Miss" he said
to the young lady behind the counter
who stared at the quartette in any.
thing but an inviting fashion.
Here, try some of these; they look
good. Anyway, they'll do to start on! -
} and he leant over the window barrier
!: and heaped up plate with buns and
tarts. Better try one yourself,
ma'am," he said. and thrust a plate
!, full into the woman's hand.
Then he went to the end of the
!. shop, and became apparently deeply
absorbed in colored showcard
recommending somebody's two
shilling tea"
The woman and children ate raven.
ously; twice he filed up the plates:
then, when it became evident that, for
the present the giant hunger was
conquered he took up a quartern
loaf, and slipping 1t under the womans
shawl, playfully bundled them out of
the door, cutting short their poor at,
tempts to express their gratitude with
a curt laugh and an assurance that
they were quite welcome.
/ Then he turned to the young lady
and asked the important question::
! How much?"
! She went through the fearful
reckoning, two of these, and four of
that, and six buns, and a scotch
bread, and a quartern loaf" and de,
clared the total.
The young fellow pulled out his
money and laid it on the counter. The
Ichange-eXactly ivepence-represent
/ ed the whole of his wealth.
/ He looked at 1t with queer smile
! then taking up a roll, laid down
penny and sauntered out. Watchins
three starved persons eat had not
made him any the less hungry, but az
no did not care to devour penny roll
in the high street of Sandford, he put
1t in his pocket and walked out away
from the sea and along a lane lead
ing inland.
He finished the roll-all too quickly
and mechanically drew out a pipe;
but he did not fill it, and with sigh
he put it back again; he was out OF
tobacco.
Presently footstep, a light but firm
one, broke the stiffness; but the young
fellow was so lost in thought that he
did not hear it. and it was not until
ia young girl came almost up to him
that he started and looked up.
1t was SO sudden and unexpected an
interruption to his thoughts. and the
girl herself had so beautiful a face. ana
was altogether such a graceful speci
men of natures handiwork, that he
was guilty of staring at her; and il
was rather for the sake of saying
something that should explain away
his rudeness than because he wanted
the information that, rising he said:
Can you tell me how far Thirle is
from here?"
The girl stopped and looked al
him. at first with a faint suggestion of |
fear-it was growing dark. and the /
lane was a lonely one-but Somethine |
in his voice treasured her. and with |
an accent that had touch of pity in
II. for he was as pale under his tan /
as n man who had only eaten a penny /
roll during the last twenty.four hours .
will be. she said
"Thirle? 1t is three miles from
here"
She may have mistaken the gesture I
for the familiar one of the professional
tramp; but anyway, after a seconds