Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-16

upon the money-bag were very light, Tor Ine
widow was very economical, and made oor
lar 90 a great way. Now the family treasury
was entirely empty. There was literally mol
a penny in the house. ,,
Mrs Braslock went to bed in the small
hours of the morning, but not to sleep. Sne .ae
trembled with terror when she thought Una.
her children might actually suffer from hunger
in the next few days. She had always pala
cash for provisions and stores, and she did not
dream of such thing as credit, or that any ny
body would trust her. To her asking LOT LOT
credit was about the same as asking Tor. q gut
of the goods. .r
Bryan was SO tired that he slept in spite OIL
the blaclSness of the prospect ahead.
He did not wake till seven in the morning.
He found his mother in the front room when
dent enough to him that she had been cry
ing, and when he saw her tear-hlled eyes ne
felt like crying himself :,
There was absolutely nothing in the house
for breakfast Mrs. Braslock always went
over to the store at the corner and got what
she wanted for the day in the morning. ms
time she had not been out. What was tne
use of going when she had not cent TO pay
for anything?
Whats the matter. mother! Yon look az y
though you had not slept wink all night,
asked Bryan, crowding down the tears that
moistened his own eyes.
81 don't know what viii become OF us now,
my dear boy" sobbed the poor. widow, break
ing out into paroxysm OF grief. .,,
Don't cry, mother; we shall do very weii.
will find something to do today, said Bryan,
tenderly, as he took his mothers hand IN , nus
own, Il hope. you are not crying tor the Joss
of that money! =,
'1t was all that we had in the world, Bryan.
There is not a single thing in the house for
breakfast, and not cent to buy anything
with. / do not weep because the money Is
lost but because my poor children must go
hungry" groaned the unhappy mother. Lit
e. Il aaI<Nr
come to this-his children hungry"
II am not hungry, mother" protested the
son.
.'But you win be before noon, poor boy.
We must either beg or starve! sobbed the
poo! woman, with fresh outburst OF an
guish.
.fWe won't do either, mother. We are not
SO awfuly bad off as that. Don't cry any
more; that makes ne feel worse than to be
hungry for week, said Bryan, as he put on,
his hat %,
where are yea going, my sony?
t'To get something for breakfast, dinner and
supper" replied Bryan, assuming an air OF
cheerfulness that was not quite real.
But have you any money"
ssNot cent" answered the boy, struggling
his shoulders
'But you can't buy anything without mon
ey,o argued the mother.
'fYou see if / can't"
And Bryan hurried down the stairs, deter
IH1DeQ TO cdTfy OIL Q1S purpOSt tLtS ttu1C CsSh
IN spite of his mother. But she did not try
to detain him.
The story Of the robbery was known on the
street in the morning Bryan had told a
neighbor about it on his way home the night
before When te,; he Went h+ to the s corner store
Some had always been sure that DR.. Guy
peck was a rascal
The keeper of the store, when he finally
reached it, asked him a great many questions,
and Bryan answered them.
again, Bryan said the grocer, who also kept
meat market 81 always knew that doctor
was one of the greatest scoundrels that ever
went unhung | am sorry for your mother,
for three hundred dollars is great deal OF
money to lose"
tIt is great deal worse when it is all she
had We haven't a single cent in the house,
said Bryan, preparing the way to open the
business that had brought him to the store,
for he did not mean to do anything under
false pretenses.
''That makes it bad, /" reioined Mr.. Cleaver,
in tones Of real sympathy.
eve haven't thing in the house for break.
fast, to say nothing of dinner and supper"
continued Bryan. =,
aYour mother has always paid cash for all
she bought. She is a good, honest woman,
and | am willing to trust her for all she
wants" said the storekeeper, coming to the
point at once.
kind" replied the delighted son. Il believe
my mother would starve before she would ask
any one to trust her for proyisions"
81 am glad her son is not SO sensitive"
Bryan bought corned beef, potatoes. loaf
of bread and two pounds of coffee, which
ca came ' to lust two dollars. He knew there were
butter, sugar and small stores in the house.
Borrowing a basket, he carried his goods
home
His mother was astonished when he entered
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