The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-06-20


Him in His Little Bed. for de sp~clat'
benefit oh ole Tommy Dexter You'll
j all on yer strike in with 1Aleyloojah'
and Mother, Dear MotEer.'"
After which prelude he delivered
himself of the following extraordinary
composition with great spirit:
Put him in his little bed.
stingy Tommy Dexter's dead.
Hes gone ober = golden shore,
Well nebber, nebber see him more,
| (And don't want tol
Mother, dear mother.
| No more, no more, rebber no more,
Mother, dear mother.
Then Dot-and-carry-n rose from his
seat and executed savage and exul-
taut dance over the imaginary grave
with such surprising v.gcr that it
brought down the house; and the one
it delighted most was Saranaa.
ssThank yer" whispered Thomas
Dexter to the cobbIer, II think I've
had enough"
And he crept out of the cellar and mp
the rickety stairs, and out Of Paradise
Buildings with a sickening feeling in
his heart, unconsciously murm1ring the
lines:
- : 60 Aileyloojahl
| Well nebber, nebber see him more,
| land don't want toy
Mother, dear mother.
No more, no more, nebber no more,
Mother, dear mother.
Arriving at his dwelling place, an
other adventure befell him.
He saw woman looking at the
shutters, and he confronted her.
It was his wife, Polly. They gazed
at each other in silence for little
while. Polly first broke the silence.
Il came to see,' she said. Il heard
you was dead, but you're pretty lively
for a dead un. Don't be scared-I amt
going to worry yer. 1t worn't for my
own sake l come, but for"-she broke
off suddenly and burst into loud laugh
-s'well, what do it matter whose for,
Ell? say, old man, I've heerd you'd
got lots o TIM
.I'm not in want, he said, shortly.
"Could spare matter of i've pound
if / was to arsk you for it!'
Il could if dared to-"
"Will yer?"
"No."
"You old skinfint," she said, "do you
think want it for nyself?"
IF it's not for you, who do yer want
the money for?" asked Thomas Dexter.
"If I was to tell YER" she answered,
tapping him roughly on the breast,
yer'd know as much as | know,
wouldn't yer? If I'm alive when yer
a-laying on yer deathbed, send for me,
old man, and I'll tell yer something as
will make yer sorry you didn't fork out
the flyer l asked yer for. Goodnight,
Tommy"
He made no effort to stop her, and
he saw, as he looked after her, what
he had half suspected, that she had
been drinking.
He attached no significance to what
she had said, and, strangely enough,
startling and unexpected as was her
appearance, he soon forgot her.
1t was the scene he had just wit
messed in the cellar of Paradise Build
ings which occupied and weighed upon
his mind.
He stood at the shop door for a long
time thinking of it, and then, urged by
an impulse, the reason of which he
could not have explained, he directed
his steps in the direction of Paradise
Buildings.
When he reached it he walked
straight to the part of the cellar inhab-
tied by Little Make-B Believe and her sis
ter.
They were alone; the rougher chis
dren were gone.
Saranne was asleep and Little Make
Believe was sitting on the floor beside
her sister, nursing her knees.
She looked up at his entrance and
would have risen, but he kept her in
her position by laying his hand light
| ly on her shoulder.
It was kindly touch and any alarm
Little Make-Believe may have felt was
dispelled.
! He knelt and looked at the fair head
pillowed in sleep on the hard boards.
He had seen such a face IN idealized
pictures of children and angels, but
never. until now, in real life.
"Was it for her you took the pie9"
he asked.
eyes, SIR"
Ibid you have no money?'s
Not a copper"
"Have you any now?'
"No, sir"
He took three bright shillings from
his pocket, one after another, and put
them in Little Nake-Believe's hand.
All the muscles of her face twitcned
conyulsiyely.
"Some little birds sent them to you"
said Thomas Dexter, "and am their
messenger"
When he was in the cold streets
again his hands were wet with tears
which had welled from her grateful
heart.
To be continued.
The Business Clergyman.
| A young man, some wears ago. paid