The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-12-18
go on." I said, with an assuring

THE lay I'm on list now" he con-
tinued. dropping his voice and looking
cautiously around. "is a-hidln' my boz
and arrushin' in. suddent.like, where
they's crowd o nobs a.talkin' politics
er somepin. and a-jist startin' in. and
fore they know what's a-comin' I'm
a.dashin' up a nickel or q dime, and
a-tellin' 'em IL only had enough more
to make so cents could buy o blackin'
box. and wouldn't have to ast no boot
o my grandmother! And two minutes
chinhtni does II, don't you see, cause
they don't know nothin' bout blackin'
boxes; they're list as soft as you air.
They eot7an idy. maybe. that blackin'.
boxes comes all the way from Chiny,
with cokeynut whiskers packed round
EN-; and make 1t solid by a-sayin'
I'm on'y goin' to git secondhand box
Zee? But that amt the p'int-it's
the Mr.. Nickel already got. oh! it'll
paralyze 'em eve~' time! Sometimes
fellersll make u. rs cents er q dollar,
and tell me to git new box, and 60
into the business right That's a thing
that always rattles me. Now. II they'd
on'y growl little and look like they
was jist a.puttin' up cause the first
'one did. can stand It.; but when they
60 to pattin' me on the head. and
Ia-tellin' me that's right and mot to
be afeared O. work. and I'll come out
.all right and tellin' me TO git good
substantial boz while I'm a.gittin','
and a-ponyin' up handsome. there's
where I weaken-I do. hopest!" And
never 80 plainly as at that moment
! did see within his face and in his
eyes the light Of true nobility.
"Ycu see." he went on. in q tone Of
voice half courage. half apology, "I' got
q family on my hands. and L fist got
to git along somehow! could git along
on the square deal as long as mother
YVES alive-'cause she'd workout ever
sence she died-and that was winter
fore last-I've kind O. had to double
on the old thing all sorts O. ways. But
Sis don't know 1t. Sis. she thinks I'm
the squarest muldoon In the business"
end even side by side with the homely
utterance Q great sigh faltered from
his lips.
And who Is sis?" inquired with
new interest.
"Sis?" he repeated. knocking my foot
from the box. and leaning back, still
in the old position, his hat now lying
on the ground beside him, and his
| frowzy hair tossed backward from the
| full, broad brow-"Who's. Sis?" he re-
peated with an upward smile that al.
most dazzled me-"W'y, Sis ISIS
wy, Sis is the boss gIrl-and don't you
fergit IT,"
No need had he to tell me more than
this. knew who isis" was by the
light OF pride in the uplifted eyes:
knew who ISIS" was by the exultation
In the broken voice. and the half-de-
fiant tossing Of the frowzy head; I
knew who ISIS" was by the little,
naked hands thrown upward openly:
knew who isis" was by the tear that
dared to trichie through the dirt upon
her ragged brothers. face. And don't
you forget II!
that boy down there upon his
knees!-there In the cinders and the
! dirt-so far, far down beneath us that
we trample on his breast and grind our
heels into his very heart; o that boy
there, with his lifted eyes, and Gods
own glory shining in his face, has
taught me, With an eloquence beyond
] the trick Of mellow-soundine words
and metaphor. that love may find O
purer home beneath the rags Of pow.
erty and vice than In all the great
warm heart Of Charity.
hardly knew what impulse prompt
ed me. but as the boy rose to his feet
and held his hand out for the compen.
sation for his work. caught the little
dingy palm close. close within my
own. and Wrung 1t as I would have
wrung the hand OF some great con.
queror.
The little fellow stared ut me in
wonderment. and although HIS lips
were silent. cannot but believe that
had they parted with the utterance
within his heart my feelings had re.
ceived no higher recognition than the
old contemptuous phrase. "Oh, what
you givin' me?"
And SO you've got family on your
hands?" inquired. recovering an air
Of simple curiosity. and toying in my
pocket with come bits Of change. "How
much OF fsmily?"
"On'y three Of US now"
Only three Of you, eh? Yourself.
and sis, and-and--" 80
The old man." said the boy, uneas-
lily; and after pause, in which he
seetaed to swallow; an utterance more
bitter. he added. "'And he ain't no good
on aarthi" Ei
Cant work?".Y cuefied.
Won't work," !" said the boy. bitterly.
"Hetwoht work-he won't do nothin'
cay bulge! And haf to steer him
In over nikht, cause the coral xon,f