The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-18

after another he laid aside, with a pug zled, distressed look deepening in his face.
 "Berney she ain't but IA an she gifts on to 'em," he said to himself; Hooks like I orter."
 Once more he seized the nearest book and with the courage of despair repeated the sentences again and again to him self.
 That you, Joe2' asked Mrs. Ridder from the next room an hour later. "I didn't know you'd come. Yer paw sent word by old man Jackson that he was at Hanks Exchange, way down on Market street, and fer you to come git him."
 Its 12 o'clock" remonstrated Joe.
 T know it." said Mrs. Ridder, yawn- ing, ''but I reckon you better go. The old man always gifts the rhematiz when he lays out all night, and that there rhema- tiz medicine cost 65 cents a bottle!'
 "All right" said Joe, with a resigna- ton born of experience. 'but don't you go and put no more of the kids in my bed. Jack and Gus kick the stuffin' out of me now"
 And with this parting Injunction he went wearily out into the night giving up his struggle with Minerva, only to be- gin the next round with Bacchus.
 The seeds of ambition, though sown late, grew steadily. and Joe became so de- slrous of proving worthy of the con- sideration of Mrs. Beaver that he took the boss at the shops partially into his confidence
 Its a hrst-rate idea, Joe, said the boss, a big capable fellow, who had worked his way up from the bottom "I could move you right along the line if you had a better education. I have a you can get more book sense into your head I will take you along"
 'Where kin I git it at?' asked Joe, somewhat dubious of his own power of achievement.
 Might schaal," said the boss. T know a man that teaches in the Settlement over on Burk street. I'll put you in there if you like"
 Now, the prospect of going to school to man who had been head of family for seven years, who had been the cham pion scrapper of the South End, who was in the midst of critical love affair, was trebly humiliating. But Joe was game, and while he determined to keep the mat ter as secret as possible, he agreed to the boss's proposition.
 You're mighty stingy with yourself these days!" said Mittie eBaver one night a month later when he stopped by on his way to school
 Joe grinned somewhat foolishly. 1T come every evenin'," he said.
 For bout ten minutes" said Mittie with toss of her voluminous pompadour, there's some wants moren ten minutes"
 Ben Schenk?" asked Joe, alert with jealousy
 q aint sayin'," went on Mttie. What do you do of nights. hang around the hallT'
 'Naw," said Joe, indignantly. "There ain't nobody can say they've sawn me around the hall sence I've went with youl"
 "Well. where do you go?''
 "Tm trainln'," said Joe evasively.
 q don't believe you like me as much as you used to-" said Mittie plaintlvely
 Joe looked at her dumbly. His one thought from the time he cooked his own early breakfast, down to the moment when he undressed in the cold and dropped into his place in bed between Gussie and Dick. was of her. The love
 
 bent hour after hour over the machine; it made all the problems and hard words and new ideas at night school come straight at last; it made the whole sordid, ugly day swing round the glorious ten minutes that they spent together in the twilight.
 "Yes, I like you all right" he said, twisting his big, grease-stained hands in embarrassment. You're the onliest girl I ever could keer about Besides, I couldn't go with no other girl if I wanted to, cause I don't know none.'
 It is small wonder that Ben Schenk's glib protestations, reinforced by Mrs. Beavers own zealous approval, should have in time outclassed the humble Joe. The Dl0W Tell Just WHen tHc seconu terHl of night school was over, and Joe was looking forward to long summer even ings of unlimited joy.
 He had got two tickets for river ex- cursion and was hurrying into the Beav CTS when he encountered stolid bull wark in the form of Mrs. Beaver, whose portly person seemed permanently wedged into the narrow aperture of the front door. She sat in silent majesty, her hands just succeeding in clasping each