The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1909-02-13
4
Fl A kindergarten Hold Up II
FL By MABEL SHIPPIE CLARKE Ia
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By MABEL SHIPPIE CLARKE
Copyright. by shortstory Pub. Coz

,rtstory Pub. Coz
the poor teacher shake with fright, he
replied to her question.
"Wot kin you do for me? A lot, I
miss. l come here to see you an de
little kids Trot 'em out Show me
dere PAGES" and Sam seated himself
| in the magisterial seat, with an as
sumption of being very much at his
ease
You mean that you would like to
see some of their games?"
| Yes. An have 'em sing" command
ed Sam.
Here was a way to quiet the chill
dren, who, in their accustomed rou-
tine, would forget the forbidding
aspect of their visitor. Making them
form circle, their mistress led their
thin, sweet voices in the song of the
carpenter and farmer, with gestures
illustrative of their occupations.
Sam looked on with an interest
amounting to absorption. Never had
he supposed that childhood contained
such interests, such pleasures, such
stores OF information. His mind went
back to his own early days, and he
dimly felt that it's excitements were
not to be compared to these delights.
He thought of his father and mother.
He had heard that his father had died
in Jail. He had spent two years in
the same Jail himself. He never looked
for his mothers grave-never even
asked its whereabouts. He thought of
Sal, and wondered. 1t was years since
any of them had come into his mem
DRY.
The blocks were being put away to
the music of a merry tune, when the
teachers voice reached him as from
distance. and her face was seen as
through a mist.
Would you like to see the children
march?'
She had placed them in line, with the
tallest boy at the head, and was pass
ing by him to go to the piano, when the
| tramp suddenly exclaimed:
"Stop!"-in a tone that made her
knees vibrate.
! = Where did yous git d4t?'' he said,
pointing dirty finger at silver coin
hanging firm her watch chain.
This? I've had it always" returned
the girl, holding up the dime with it's
y engraving on one side. Sam took it
4 between his thumb and finger, very
4 much to her discontinue, and read on
it, in well-cut letters:
and underneath, rudely scratched:
/ SAL.
There came to his remembrance like
flash the day when he had found
that coin engraved with his name
and with a hole drilled through it, in
the street, and how he had taken 1t
n home and had scratched on it with his
knife the baby's name, and had tied
it about her neck with piece Of pink
e string.
q who are your" he demanded, look.
S ing at her earnestly, and still holding
s. the coin
Sally Brandon
e Go on
l. Mrs. Humphrey Brandon's adopted
y daughter
Il Who's yer father"
The girl was almost crying.
Il don't know. I came from a home
t. in New York. Mrs. Brandon adopted
# me and had me trained to teach.'
l. Why'd she call you Sally?"
e They told her at the home that that
e was all of my name that the police
man who took me there told them, and
- they gave her this to keep for me
e 1t was round my neck when 1 was re-
It ceived"
l. Sam now was sure of her identity
She was Sal, the baby. He looked al
n her keenly, then sat down, saying
g bEefly:
e set de kids agoin'.'
a. While the merry march sounded
1t against his. deaf ears, Sam revolvee
the situation. Under ordinary circum
y stances, if he had found anyone whose
S LEG" he could pull" he would have
is pulled it without hesitation. Some
d thing of the sort he thought of now
e for he had no doubt but that he could
IS persuade her of his identity, ever
" though her baby mind had retained M
memory of the tenement-house days
lie At any rate he could brighten her ou
v. of money
a But, strangely enough, he did MOI
le want to, and this for the first time II
n his life when there was a chance o.
IS doodle"
o. He looked at her smooth hair hel
sweet face, her neat dress; he watched
lie her skill as the music ran out from
t. beneath her swift fingers: he remem
ID bered her control over the children
e. and her evident knowledge of her pro
ID fession. His thinking resolved itsel
n into a murmur inaudible to her.
Il guess she amt got no use fer {
in brudder like me; an" he added, will
Is grim humor, Il dunno's I could use
re sister like her."
RI So never a word said Sam on the
.e subject, and when the march was ovel
he he took his leave.
er Much obliged, teacher, fer yer per
to likeness. l wisht I'd a had a schoo
like dis when l was a brat, an I'm