The Cairo bulletin., 1907-01-29

I
lie did look like a kid caught in the
act, red like Il beet, but | never lei
on, and / straghtens mp as much a,
me back would let me, and ! answer.
with dignity:
"'lt's where | shines most Their
he laughs, natural-like, and me, with
out thinkin of the dirt and backing
sticks out me fist May you live Ions
and prosper says |, same as ! hearC
the guy in the play He took II too
just as if ! was the president.
Thank you, Bud, says he. rea
grateful
And the next day he brought me
the shoes-say--b they was cute
and small-the pair of them could set
on me one hand. ! got so as | knowed
the sort OF girl thar woman was-she
stepped firm and straight-none OF
yer rundown to heel, nor lop.sided as
most women walk | knowed as she
was always busy and took long walks
for they wore out quick but they
wore out equal all over.
off By MISUNDERSTANDING must have
been regular picnic, judgin' the state
of them shoes Monday mornin Yoa
bet the mud wasn't no city mud II
smelled of country roads, an wo5oy
there is a corkin' difference in mud
once You study IT, Well it wasn't long
| afore ! seen that they was halfsoled
! his shoes was, and then--there was a
patch. But ! always put in me best
| work, and never let on | seen, an Il
| polish could hide it no one else should
! know
What's plenty for one, gets
mighty close for two ! reckon And
| it's aetonishin' how much work u shoe
can stand when it must Then / no
ticed that the Boss began to come for
his shine at any old time. hours when
he should be to business. and then her
shoes dropped comm altogether at
last he passed the stand without stop.
ping. I'd say Shine, sir?' but he'd
shake his head and make believe he
was in an ALFRED hurry stood it
jest as long as ] could, then / made
bold TO speak
Coin to the club nowadays? says
|, as cool as a cucumber.
'No-hunting a job-if You must
know says he
Something got into me throat and
| couldn't speak. and when | got me
yoice--he was gone.
Poor devil, muttered the star Gus
toner at which Bud eyed him approx
ingly
! laid for him couple of days an
at last he came-he-he came, His
shoes was a sight, with dust and long
tramping, I'm thinkin' Say, mister
says |, I've been yer shine ever since
you came to the city-dont throw me
down now. and ! pretended to SWIVEL
Il knowed he was soft one-and
he stopped at that
When | want a shine. Of course
I'll come to you. Bud ne says.
You'll never want il more than
now. If you wants a job yer must
make bluff, and--yer shoes is a dis
grace after all ! done for EN-. Then
as he was about TO shoot his mouth.
See here, ! says, you are my Oldest
customer What's the matter with
you startin an account? Itd be like
so much in the bank
Wen there was a lot of araufyin'.
and in the end got him to come now
and again Then ] asked him for the
missus' shoes-and he told me she
wasn't very strong-she didn't walk
much now-an | knowed why he felt
extra bad.
Bring them over some time. an let
me fix them ready say land he
did
She'll need EN- soon now. Bud
he says, more heartened-Hke. old
ones will be easier than newest nj
first And he sat chatun while
shined them--the soles was mighty
thin-and there was a crack in the
upper part-but | blackened well into
the Kid so as it didn't show much and
him and me both felt pretty proud of
the job when it was done
Then he took a shine hisselG He
insisted on paving, so let him paw
for his'n-but hers went down to the
account
The next day she sent me a mr~.
sage to say her shoes looked bcauti.
rul."
Bud paused, ana became absorbed
N packing up his paraphernalla for .
he night
And they both got new shoes .
and lived happy ever after" the star
customer asked the more lightly that .
ne felt the weight Of something mex .
pressed.
They looked beautiful repeated
Bud slowly-"she said that-but she
never wore them again
The star customer felt D strange
contraction in his throat.
He didn't come for a week or So
BUD went on. and then he had new
hoes-but ! guess he hardly knowad
t You'd never take him for The
anne fellow.
After a bit he got his lob and
quared the account-that is as much
$ showed him Of f. This last year
e's picking mp a bit-and month
go he brought me the youngsters
hoes-he wouldn't let nobody else