Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 January 1913 — STORIES from the BIG CITIES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

STORIES from the BIG CITIES

Fellow Passenger Grew Curious; Boy Made Dime

NEW YORK.—The small urchin climbed up the car steps and wormed himself into a seat beside the Busybody.. The basket he was carrying the youngster fixed carefully between his feet, with several anxious glances in the process. ' ~ “What have you in that basket, my boy?” asked the neighbor, bending over confidentially. “I noticed how careful you were of it It must be something quite valuable, isn’t it?” “Ye’re hep, old sport. It’s somethin’ that’s worth a whole heap.” “Well, won’t you tell me what it is?” “Not on yer life! Think I want to get pinched?” This was too much Xor the Busybody. His curiosity, heretofore merely casual, grew suddenly pointed, and he bit. “Well, sonny, I’ve a notion that if I gave you a nickel you’d tell me what you had in that basket.” “Make it a dime and I’ll do it!”' whispered the boy. “Only ye’ve got to promise not to give me away to de cop.”

“Why, of course, nf promise." The boy the coin. "Well, sport, dey’s a baby in dere. I hooked ’im, an’ put *im inside when dey wasn’t nobody lookin’. Now 11l get » reward tor returnin’ ’im.” "Why, you young villain! Do you mean to say you have a baby in that basket? Lying in that thing will kill 1L Where did you get It?” “ob, I picked it up in front o’ one o’ dem big stores. It was all alone, w» I jus' took it I guess it won’t be missed, an’ I wanted one, anyway.” “Not be missed! See here, yon young blackguard! Do you mean to say that its mother had deserted It?” “Sure! Its mudder wasn’t nowhere around.” “How old is itr “Oh, a few months, I guess. Big enough to squeal—so I tied a rag round its mouf.” "Well, lift up the cover and let mo see how it looks.” "Hoi’ on, o’ top. You promised not to give me away.” “Yes, but I didn’t expect—-” and her lifted the cover and glanced at what was underneath. Sitting u(. on an old cloth was an insignificant looking yellow puppy. . . “ : .- The boy jumped up and grinned. “Well, here’B where I get off. Thanks for de dime. An’ say, I’ll tell ye one ten times as good as that for a quarter. 8o long!”