The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-05-12

~ good days work, Tommy" she
said, glaring at him.
Her face was flushed. and there were
tears In her eyes.
Yer miserable old skinnint yer'u
live 20 repent itw
BE hurried from her, but her words
rang in bis ears for many q day after.
ward.
He was both angry and pleased
angry that he lad been innocently in
strumental In the boys conviction, and
pleased that he was rid of the pest,
and that Little MakeBelieve now stood
IN no fear Of conta nina ton from the
society Of the young thief.
The gentlemen who were destined to
play an important part In the lives OF
Little Make Believe and Saranne were
Mr.. Deepdale and his son Walter.
The father was a gentleman OF inde-
pendent means, and one Of Thomas
Dexter's best customers; Walter was
q handsome lad OF sixteen.
They lived alone-the father being a
widower and having no other children
and were inseparable.
Mr.. Deepdsle had one iove and one
bobby-hls love was Walter, his hobby
was the antique
An easy, credulous man, whose lines
of life had been cast In pleasant places.
one great grief had afflicted him
the loss of his wife.
One great compensate for q sorrow
which otherwise would have been un-
bearable was given him.
His boy was all in all to him, verita-
bly, the apple Of his eye and the heart
Of his heart, his solace, his comfort,
his JOY.
And when TO this was added the
means and opportunity OF indulging in
a passion for old china, old carvings,
old enamels, old anything, it will be
easy OF belief that his life was one to
be envied by the toilers and moilers
Of the world.
The truth must be told. He had about
ms much knowledge Of art as the man
in the moon, but whether an article
belongs to the fourteenth or the nine
teenth century is really Of small con-
sequence to the ,possessor II he derive
pleasure In the possession and IL his
faith be not disturbed.
Thus, Mr.. Deepdale was an easy prey
to the dealers, who fooled him to tho
top of his bent, to their profit and his
qualification.
Having received letter from
Dexter informing him that
he had a service OF Old Derby for sale,
he and Walter hastened one night to
Clare Market to secure II.
The month was August, and oysters
were in; also grottoes.
On their way they were attracted to
three children, who had formed them
selves into company and had
launched into Y speculation.
Their stock In trade, the value Of
which was nil, was represented by oys-
ter shells. but they had an available
asset (which, however, was consuming
Itself and eating itself up, as it were),
IN the shape Of penny candle.
The firm consisted of Little Make
Believe, Saranne and another child,
whose visions of wealth-conjured
chiefly by Make -Believe-were OF an
nature, the crownlng glory
Of which was TO be an eel-pie supper.
The grotto they had built was more
artistic and ambitious than most; the
candle was alight and the children
were ready for business.
But whether il was owing to the
strikes in the north, or the scarcity OF
meat, OF the high prices of Goals, or
over population, or the disturbed state
Of Ireland, or the rise OF half-penny
In the four-pound loaf, certain II was
that trade did not flourish with Little
Make Believes firm, one OF the men,
bers, at least, Of which worked hard
for nearly q couple of hours without
obtaining copper.
"Please remember the grotterw was
first launched merrily and saucily at
the passers-by; at the end OF the first
halfhour there was no light-hearted-
ness in the appeal; at the end of the
second il became pathetic; at the end
Of the third, mournful; at the end OF
the fourth, despairing.
Saranne was the first to give way;
cold looks chilled her, and she left the
battle to her two partners. of whom
Little Make Believe was the active
worker.
Two-thrds Of their only asset, the
candle, were consumed, and the eel-pie
supper was an airy imagining, not ut
all likely 10 be erallZed.
Saranne was crouching sullenly on
the ground, the light OF the candle
on her face; she was an i'm
patient sufferer-the very reverse OF
Little Make Believe, who was, merci-
fully, endowed with fortitude rarely
cxcelled even in men engaged in the
highest struggles for humanity's sake.
To be continued.