The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-10-18

ShoreIy hope he won't Them white
! mice he brought me ON his last spref
/ chewed a hole in Berney's stocking.
/ Besides, l never did care much f.
birds. Good lands, what are you Sois
| 10 wash yer head fOr?''
! Joe was substituting basin of Va
| ter for small girl i'm the nearest
/ kitchen chair. ana a howl ensued
shut up. Lottie!" admonished Mrs
/ Rider ''you amt any too good 10
| set on the floor. It's GOOD thing this
/ is payday. Joe. for the rents due
and four OF the children's got their feet
ON the ground. You paid mp the gro
Gerry last week. didn't you?''
joe nodded d dripping head
We'll, I'll ies' git Yer money outcu
| yer coat while / think about il" she
went on as she rummaged in his pocket
and brought out nine dollars.
Leave mo Il quarter" demanded
| Joe EasDinE beneath his soapsuds.
/ An right" said Mrs. Ridder accom-
modatingiy; nov that Bob and Ike
! are eiCtin' fifty cents a day il amt
so hard 10 make out. III be Eittin' a
new dress first thing YOU know"
y seen one up at the corneri" said
Joe.
A new drcss?"
Nav. . dressmaker. she's done got
out her sign
What's her nance asked Mrs Rid
der. keen with interest
Mrs. r. Beaver Modesto" repeated
Joe from the sign that floaJed in letters
Of gold i'm his memory.
Y knOWed Il Mrs. Beaver onct. up
on Eleventh street. a big fat woman
that got i'm d fuss with the preacher
and smacked his jaws"
Did she have any children" asked
Joe
Seems like there was one. a pretty
little toW-headed girl
That's her announced Joe Conclus-
IValy- What was her Nance
"Lawsee. / don't know. never
I would "a reelected Mrs. Fpaver -cen-
ten she was such q tarnashtouS woman.
always a-tearln' up stumps and never
HAPPY lessen she was rippitin' 'bout
somethin'. What you want? 4 needle.
and thread to mend yer coat? WHY.
what struck yOu2 You Dgen wearfn'
IL that away for month. You bet
ter leave it be It'll 7 git time 10 fix
e
But joe had determined 10 work out
the salvation Of his own wardrobe.
Late IN the evening, after the family
had retired. he sat before the stove
with back bumped and knees drawn
up trying to coax q coarse thread
through "A small needle. Surely no rich
man need have any fear about enter
ms the kingdom of heaven since Joe
Rldder managed To set that particular
thread through the eye Of that par
tcular needIe'
But when a boy Is put at work
bench at y years Of age and does the
same thing day in and day out for
seven long years he may have lost
an OF the things that youth holds dear.
but one thing he IS apt to have learned.
a logged. plOdding, unduestiOning pa
thence that shoves silently along at the
appointed task until the work is done.
BY midnight all the rents were mend
ed and large new patch adorned each
elbow The patches. to be sure. We're
blue and the coat was black but the
stitches were set with mechanical reg
ularity. Joe Strengthened his aching
shoulders and held the garment at
arms length with a smile 1t was his
first votive offering at the shrine OF
love.
The effect Of Joe's efforts was
prompt and satisfactory. The next day
being Sunday he spent the major part
OF II IN passing and repassing the house
on the corner, only going home be-
tween times to remove the mud from
MS shoes and give an extra brush 10
his hair The girl meanwhile was de-
voting her day 10 sweeping off the
Iront pavement. a scant three feet OF
pathway from her steps to the wooden
gate. Every time Joe passed she look
ed up and smiled and every time she
smiled Joe suffered all the symptoms
of locomotive ataXia,
BY afternoon his emotional nature
had reached the saturation point.
Without any conscious volition on his
part his feet carried him to the gate
and refused 70 carry him further His
voice then decided 20 speak for itself
and in strange. hollow tones he heard
himself saying:
with me?'