MRS BRIGGS' CLERK.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 51, 25 February 1881, Page 4

MRS BRIGGS' CLERK.

He was a tall, thin, starved looking boy. with a little jacket, $hp sleeves of which crept half way up to his arms, and a hat that was nothing but a brim, and when she saw j him hq was eating a crust out of the . gutter, v She was . only a poor old . woman who kept a little shop for j candy and trimmings, and poor enough herself, Heaven knew ; but, said she, he looked a little like what her Tom might be if he had grown up and been neglected, and she couldn't stand it. She called to him : " Come here, sonny," she said j and the boy came. Before she could speak again he said : " I didn'i dJ it. I'll lake my oath on anything I didn't do it. I ain't so mean." " Didn't do what?" said the pleasant old -woman. " Break your winder," said the boy, nodding his head toward a shattered p«ne. " Why I broke that myself, with my shutter last night," said the old "Woman. " I'm not strong enough to lift'era, that's the fact. I'm getting old." "If I'm round here when you shut up, I'll do it for you," said the boy., " I'd just as soon. What was that you wanted me for ?'' " I want to know what you was eating that dry crust out of the gutter for ?" was the reply. "Hungry," said he, " I've tried to get a job all day. I'm going to sleep in an area over there after it gets too dark for a policeman to see, and you can't have a good night's sleep, without some supper, if it is a little dirty." " I'll give you some that's cleaner," said the old woman. " 'That will be begging," said he. i " No," said she, " you can sweep the shop and the pavement, and put up the shutters for it." "Very well," said he. "Thankee then. If I sweep up first I'll feel better." Accordingly she brought him a broom, and he did the work well. Afterward he ate hia supper with a relish. That night he slept, not in the area, but under the old woman's counter. He had told her his story. His name was Dick; he was twelve years old, and his father, whom he had never seen sober, was iv prison for life. The antecedents were not elevating, but the boy seemed good. The next morning the old woman en-* gaged a clerk for a unall establishment. The terms were simple — his " living and a bed under the coun ter." When the neighbors heard of it they were shocked. A street boy, whom no one knew. Did Mrs Briggs really wish to be murdered in her bed? But Mrs Briggs felt quite safe. She had so much time now that she was going to take in sewing. Dick attended to the shop altogether. He kept it in tine order, and increased the business by intro • ducing candles and chewing gum. Pennies came in as they never came in before, since he had painted signs in red and blue ink to the effect that the real old molasses candy *vas to be had there, and that this was the i place for peanuts And in the evening after the shop was shut up, she began to take him into her confidence. Her great dream was to buy herself into a home for the aged. It j would cost her 100 dok She had saved three years, and had 15 dols. of it. But it cost so much to live, with tea twenty-five cents par quarter and loaves so small, and she had been sick, and there was the doctor and Mrs JoDes Maiia Jane to be paid for minding her and the shop. A fter this Dick took the greatest interest in the savings, and the winter months increased them as though he had brought a blessing. One night in spring she took the bag from under the pillow, and counted what it held. It was 30 dols. " And I'll begin to make kites tomorrow, Mrs briggs," said the boy, and you'll see the custom that it will bring. If a little shaver sees the kites, he'll spend all he has for 'em, and then he'll coax his mother for more to buy the stick date* and chewing gum. I know boys." " You're a clever boy yourself," said the old woman, and patted his hand. It was a plumppr hand than it had been when he picked the crusts from the gutter, and he wore clean, whole garments, though they were very coarse. " How wrong the neighbours were," she said. " That boy is the comforc of my life." So she went to bed with the treamire under her pillow and slept. Far on in the night she awakened. The room was utterly dark,there was not a ray of light—but she heard a step OB thft floor. = " What is that ?" she wicd. There was no answer, but she felt that someone was leaning ovei the b?d, then a hand clasped her threat and held" her down, and dragged out the bag of moneys then she was released. Half suffocated, she fora moment found herself motionless and bewildered, qoosciouS only of a draught of air from the optaitt door, aad some oonf used Wises.. ' . Then ih» iprang to the door and

hurried into the shop. I " Dick ! Dick ! " she cried ; «• Dick, • Dick ! In4p ! wake up ! I'm robbed !" Bin theie was no answer; tho dooi into the street was wide open, and by i the moonlight that poured through it ! she saw aa she peered under the eouu- ! ter that Dick's bod was empty. Tho boy was goue. Gone! goue! Oh! that wus worsa , to Granny liriggs than even the loss of the money ; for she trusted him and he had deceived her. She had loved him and he had abused her love. The neighbors were right; she was a fool to trust a strange street boy, and had been served rightly when he ( robbed her. When the dawn had bioke the wise neighbors came into Granny's shop ! to find her crying and rocking to and fro ; and they told her they had told her so, and sh« only shook her head. Life had lost its interest for her. Her " occupation was gone," but not wiih her savings. Money was but money, after all ; he had come to be the only thing she loved, and Dick had robbed her. It was 10 o'clock. Granny sat moaning by the kitchen hearth . Good natured Mis Jones from the stairs was "seeing to things" and trying to cheer her, when suddenly there cam --a a rap on the door and a policeman looked' in. " Mrs Briggs?" be said. " Here she is," said Mrs Jones. " Yes, I'm that wretched critter," said Mrs Briggs. " Some one wants to see you at headquarters," s-.iid the officer. ' " There's a boy there, and some money." " Dick !" criad .Mrs Briggs. " Oh, I cant bear.to look at him." But Mrs Jones had already tied on her bounecand wrapped her in a shawl and taken her on her arm. " The wretch !" she suid. " I'm so gad he's caught ; you'll get your money back." And she led Mrs Briggs along — poor Mrs Briggs, who cried all the i way and cared nothing for the money. And soon they were at their destina- j tion. Then, not before, the policeman turned to the woman. "It's pretty bad," he said. " They'll take him to the hospital in an hour. I suppose you arc prepared for that. He's nearly beaten to death, you know." " Did you beat him, you cruel wretch?" said Mrs Briggs. "I wouldn't have had it done for half the money. Let him go with it if it's any comfort to him." "I heat him?" said the man. " Well women have the stupidest heads, "Why, if I hadn't got up when I did, he'd have been dead. He held the bag of money tight, and the thief was pummelling him with a loaded stick ; and the pluck he had for a little shaver — I tell you I never saw the like." " ' "You shan't cake Granny's money from her,' says he, and fought like a little tiger. If it's your money, old lady, he's given his life for it, for all I know." "Oh, Dick! Dick! I knew you were good. I must have been crazy to doubt you." And then she wrung her hands and cried : " Oh, Dick, for just a paltry bit of money." And so she knelt beside the still, pale face upon the pillow, and kissed it, and called it tender names. And Dick, never guessing her suspicions of him, whispered : "I was so afraid he'd get off with it if he killed me, Granny, and you in such high hopes all night." He did not know what was meant by begging him to forgive her. It would have killed him if he had, for he was very near to death. But Dick did not die. He got well at last and came back to the little shop ; and though Granny Briggs had her savings, she never went to the old ladies' home ; for long before she died Dick was one of the most prosperous merchants in the city, and his handsome home was hers and she was very happy in it.