The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-09-16


sue paid for her Innocence by pound.
ing her finger. When she uttered n
cute howl of pain and dropped the
hammer 70 the sidewalk within an
inch of a pedestrians head and then
stuffed the bruised digit into her mouth
TO suck away the pain the bachelor
fairly groaned in sympathy. After a
moment she disappeared. hut his heart
went with her. The idea came 10 him
TO run across the street Introduce him
self and pour out his sympathies. but
after cOmbing his mustache and put
ting on his hat he decided not to.
However. he set himself TO watch
for her reappearance, and, though 1t
was three long hours before he caught
sight Of her again with a white rag
around her finger, he did not feel that
lie had wasted his time. She looked
across Mt him, and he thought he saw
i longing for sympathy in her face
He therefore waved his hand. 1t was
in no sense an act of tlrtatlon on his
part His sympathies went with the
wave. 1t was the same as If he said.
Poor little orphan girl, but | pity
you" The girl drew back, and Smith
crs blew her kiss. Not the slightest
idea of flirting entered his mind. He
was simply conveying by signs what
he couldn't put into words and yell
across the street-"Ncver mind. little
girl. you'll be happy yet"
That afternoon the girl and the fin
ger and the rag walked out together.
SO did Smlthers and his sympathetic
heart. After being charmed with
view of the young lady's back they
passed her and were still more charm
cd with view of her face. That face
was etheral, tender, affectionate. 1t
had the longing look that comes to tine
face of girl left all alone In the
world and two weeks behind on her
rent TO hard hearted landlady. Smith
ers might have found excuse to raise
his hat and say something about the
weather, but peanut man pushed his
cart against his knees and sent him
spra wiling, and all romance was driven
out of his soul for the next three or
four minutes.
That same evening as Smithers sat
by his window smoking the same
brand and wondering how muchShe
would have to pay waiter in n res
taurant TO write an ode entitled "The
Sore Fingered AngelN the girl appeared
ut her easement. She sat down and
looked up at the starry heavens and
leaned her sore finger on the sill to
rest II. She didn't see SnAIhers at
first, but when he thought he detected
tears In her eyes and quiverlng of
her chin he thrust himself forward to
let her know that there was ut least
one human being in this world who
felt for her.
The same rag and the same finger
and the same girl walked out next
day. Smithers was ON the watch. and
he walked out too Nothing was fur.
ther from his thoughts than "mashlng"
or flirting. That was something he
had never done in his life After fol.
lowing the girl four or five blocks and
thinking up Just what words OF SYN
pathy to address her with he over
hauled her and raised his hat and
was about TO got off his little speech
when. big. lusty fellow without The
least romance In his soul took him
by the scruff Of the neck and ad.
dressed him for moment I'm words
OF fervid eloquCncc. while the girl
with the sore finger stood by with n
pleasant and eXpectant look on her
face. Her expectations were realized
that Is, Mr., Smithers was shaken till
his teeth bit his tongue. Then he was
made 10 perform strange antics with
his heels. while his legs would klnk up
and then straighen out again In Il won
derful way. Before the big man was
through with him his collar and tie
were torn Off, his coat ripped beyond
repair and his hair badly mussed up
He could not afterward swear that he
was also kicked and cuffed, but he
felt reasonably sure Of It. What hurt
him more than the kicks and cuffs, If
he got them, was the pleased and
cowplncent look on the girls face dur.
Ing the continuous performance and
''iN fN'AhH VI wv US. Aihh Nltl ne
Ind finished toying;
There, you weakened faced, lop
shouldered son Of a gum, II you ever
dare to look at my wife again I'll
break your neck like pipestemw
But Sm!thers looked again. The
"gili' had come closer and he saw
that she was woman of forty, with
freckles on her face and two moles on
her chin, Hnd that there was no look
Of longing in her face and no tears of
homesckness IN her eyes.
Doctor" said he as he entered the
Office of an occullst an hour later,
whats the matter with my burned
eyesT'
"Why. man." was the reply after an
examination, "you can't tell white
man from darky ten feet away!
It's the worst case Of near sightedness
ever saw" NJ. OUAD