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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1875)
September. THE WEST SHORE. 5 JERRY, THE MISER. BY B. P. It wm a cooler's shop, breaking the row of small private houses in a shabby suburban street. Near the door on this particular afternoon, were -two females, the one elderly, the other graceful and young ; both in the deepest mourning. In front of it were two street Arabs, as ragged :s mirthful; before it stood the oddeit being ira aginable a little old man, about four feet nigh, 'with a not over clean face, iron-gray hair, on which Tested a worn skin oap, shaggy brows, rather bow 'legs, and a dirty leather apron. In irate tones, he was addressing the boy. " Off with you, you young rascals I If you come flaying Tour hopscotch and Sally-eum-ups before any window again, I'll flay you afire." Before the muscular flat the boys fled, hurling bock derision. " Well done, Jerry old Jerry, the miser 1 Yah I" The cobbler for be hardly merited the more emphatic title of shotiuk.or paid ut howl, but glancing sharply up from his bent brows at the two women, asked, " and what may you want ?" We we see," began the younger, loeking tim idly toward the square card in the win dow, " you bare apartments to let." "No. I've rooms rooms. I don't know nothing ot ' apartments ;' I ain't up to them nor the rooms aiu't neither. Do you want to see 'em ?" "We did wish." " All right ; come along ! and the little man swung round on his heel. Following the cobbler through the shop, he led them upstairs to the rooms. There were two, communicating by a door with each other, they wore poorly furnished, but clean. As the women looked at them, the cobbler stared at them silently. "Well," "he asked, "what do you think of them P" " They will do very woll," answered the widow. "It's only the price !" " Six shillings a-week in advance." " Abgut ret'oroucea " began the widow. "Don't want any you pay in nd vanco ; and as, whenever you lonve the house, it must be through the shop, you cou't well take the furniture without my knowiug. Is it settled V " If you please ; here is the first week's rent." The cobbler's lodgers nnwAil quiet They did not interfere with Clare looked at the table; upon it was a new loaf, butter, eggs and a neat packet of tea. "Oh, Mr. Crayshaw " she began. "axe you going to refuse me?' he snapped. MWt I have tea." "How oould I refuse" she began, when he in terrupted by "Then don't loose time. See to the kettle. I'll boll the eggs. Well, the two bustled about, the cobbler cer tainly the briskest, until finally, they were seat ed at a Tery comfortable tea. During the meal Mrs. Weston deemed it right to inform their new friend something of their history. In her husband's lifetime they had been well to do. At his death they yet could have lived com fortably, had not Mr. John Burge suddenly bought heavy claims on the dead man's property. "I never oould quite understand what it was I only know he must have been paid." said the wid ow dolorously. " But we hadn't some papers we ought to have had to prove it. So he took from us every penny, and left us as you now see." " A confounded villian!" exclaimed Jerry, crack lug his egg with the bowl of a spouu, as tf it bad been Mr. John Burge'a bald head he had got under " Then Ml our friends desorted uj " Except one," broke in Olarewlth heightened color, which was not unnoticed by the cobbler " But one as yet," added the widow, " He Is a gentleman, Mr. Crayshaw, who who was once a great friend of my daughter's. He was in Australia at the time of our trouble, and though we wrote to tell him, we have not heard a syllable since. You know the world Mr. Crayshaw. ' " I do, ma'am," answered Jerry, emphatically;. and know that it'e a sight better than people would try to make it." " Ah!" cried Clare, gratefully, her face radiant, as involuntarily she extended her hand; " you think he may be true. " He'd be the greatest villain under the suu If he were not, my dear," said the man, cheerily; adding to himself, " Poor child poor child 1 she then has to learn that levers' vows are easier broken than shoestrings, and thought about as little." After protesting that it was cheaper for him as a miser, to supply Mrs. Waston's fire, than burn one of his owu, ho frequently passod his evenings with thonii He also procured Clare seme shoe-binding to do, which, though hard ami ditllmilt work, was something. At the end of the wok, he was grimacing at a boy, through the boots in the window, when Clare came to pay the rent "Take it away," he said; "let it stand over " Oh, we oould not think of that, I" began the girl. "We were going to ask it you would not mind a portion ot it being left for next week " Take it awayl" reiterated Jerry, getting 'into lury; " I won t touch a farthing! I like being a cred itortor I can charge iuterest." " Bless your generous heart, whioh no onumlna roughiioss can hide!" exclaimed Clare, gratefullv. aa she hurried from the shop, " "Poor thing-poor thing!1' he murmured; she's yet to learn that vows are brokon easier than shoe strings, and " He was interrupted by tho shop door openlnc Looking up, ho found before him, a tall, well dressed man, with a bronned face and thick beard and moustaohe, Jerry started. " Tardon my Intruding," said the stronger; " but oan you give mo the address of Mrs. Woston aud her daughter; I heard they wore living sotuowhen -in this streot." " No!" said Jerry. , What do you want ot 'emf " They are friends of mine." "HwMN like you don't ofton, I should think, have friends in this neighborhood." " In the laud I come from, friend, the rank if not tho guinea's stamp. But I'll seek oUewhere." " Stay a moiuuut; I'll inquire," their landlord, and ho, apparently, did not interfere with them. Uis rent was paid to the day. They rarely spoke, save exchanging the ordinary morning and evening salutations when tho daughter weut through tho Bhop. Tho mother never left the house. But Jerry, liko most cobblers, was a man of observation and he made such comments as tho follow ing. "Sho'e a beauty, sho is; but' awful white and sad. It's my opinion it's hard times with themupstnirs." One evening, a few weeks after Mrs. Weston and her daughter rented the cobbler's apartments, the latter entered the shop later than usual. The yellow lump was uariugdismally, and Jerry, a boot on his knee, was hard at work. Aiter the usual customary iKftrht--1 tion, the girl was pawing on, when the .-cobbler's voice arrested her. "I say, your mother's ill, ain't she-P" ne asked, nursing bis knee with both arms. " Yes, Mr. Grayshaw, I am sorry to ay she ihM been for tomo while ailing. She-she-" and the young voico trem bled with tears" U very weak." " Then you must givo her lots to eat responded Jerry, startup out of the window, "the best thing for weak pco plo is a nico roast fowl and a bottle of wine. Why dont you give it to heri" "I wish I were able, or even to pro vide her less expensive dainties; but but" and the tears fell fust "I can. not." "Is that you Clnref" inquired the widow's feeble voice. "Yos mother." "Come to mo my child." Clare pressed her whito hands to her bosom, madean effort and passed in to tho bed room. But hor mother's tirst words beat down all her uoblo-soulud, heroic self-repression. "Clare, dear, have you had better suc cess to-day." "No mother," she sobbed, hysteric ally. "It'e the same old story; I can get nothing. What shall wo do 1 leol heart broken," "Ah, mo ah me! to look around'at this placo, and remember tbo pleasant home which once was ours! Now we are alono with not a single friend in the world." "Not one! Oh, yes, mother, believe me, one! cried tho girl, quickly. H Oilbert will be true-trust me he will." The widow, touched by the plead ins countenance, wm afoot t when, interrupting herself, she said ' 4Clare, I hear some one in the parlor. See who it is dear." ' The girl obeyed, and started at the weird scene ihe beheld. Seated before the grate on a three-legged stool, was the cobbler, yet in leather apron and cap. On his knees were a bellows, which he was work ing with consummate skill, evidently master of the art, sending the ooals into bright blazes that threw flashes of lund color over the quaint figure and the room. Upon hearing Clare, he turned almost with a snarl. .nrHoT "P" 0011 !" with inch a lire as thisf" he growled. "Never was hat W as mad as you, I m certain. Now look at that, Jn't it a picture. Clare did look and saw that not only was the JjJ. but that they wen not from her "HU quite f hearing," she manged to say, "but Wyour,."11'- 'U rcb" "That shows your ignorance," reeponded Jerry, "tan t yon see by calculation that it's cheaper to jeep up one good fire than two amall ones' 8o I going to set by yours. Also clubbing two per one U together it cheaper than taking it alone. It make onlv one for v- gwwivj, oW 1 a. t auer.T want to ban my W aft,, Vi 1 .,i,,i-u,l.id!iLiJ,4j,l,tl;ii,li;,,ii -'' ' . 1 - ' A I - - (Sec I'agc 4.) I THE ESCAPE OF DAVID-Hv Glstavk Doke, Jerry, carefully closed the door behind him, sat down on the stairs and enjoyed a mute chuckle, fearfully apoplectic in character. On the landing ho repeated it, with much move ment of the legs. Then he entered his lodger's parlor. Dropping into a chair placed ready for him near the fire, rubbing hit knees, his' face one beamiug smile, be cried, " Does any one believe In tniuii1 I don't! Dons any one bhieve in Australian gold-diggers? I don'tl Does any one beleive in lovers keeping their vows? Lor1 bless yon, I don't not a syllable!" Then turning abruptly to- the astonished women, he proceeded. "Look here, I'll give you a riddle. Supposing a certain Australian should come; suppose he should come to me; supposing he should come into this room; how would a certain party behave? Would she laugh. Would she faint" "Oh, mother!" cried Clare, starting up; "I know what be means. It is Gilbert." "Yea, she I right!" exclaimed Jerry, with a caper. "It's OUbert Gilbert" Flying to the door, almost precipitating hiauatf over the balutrado, be shouted. "You Australum, come up! You nugget of fi delity, come hnre!n There v m a Imtig of the dror, a Hnn, rapid tread on thtt stairs, ami the bearded stranger shot put Jerrv into tho room. Cire my poor pwtr Clam!" he cried. "bVlhert!" she ejaculated, rushiug into his arms. '! he cobbler, after another carr, iliwn-etly riw tlTfd to the shop, where he let olf his superfluous i dtemmit by a chtrge at the bovs in t!m otn ft. Gilbert Furmi'le, rich Amtrulimi cat tin otmer, proved indeed a nugget of fidelity. There was, a grand weilling. to which .lorry was Invited, but hu simwred that lie wits too wiu a man to mnko biliiwlf uncomfortable. Initnnd h sent the brido a pretty ifold hraoelet aa a woddlng gift a precent anVuonntely treasumil by f'te. Yean after, tho voting wife, in her homo a the antipodes, received' the fallowing oiuiraclerutio let ter - "Mr Dtua, "Whil" writing this, I am smaa off. Wit n u get It, 1 shidl have lt (t bo Utu u to any kmJ Bleaf you I I am a kinleea atd man, and yen fu, a miser but I aru uot going to give my u ., j to VOIL Writ Would XI. QUO ha to i.ur A .!.-li- diggerr A drop in the ocean. Besides you can do without it. No; its going to a hospital for chit, dreu, to which 1 have long U-en mi unknown sub scriber. (Jok1 bye! ISIoxa you Mcm you , Your old friend, "Jtiaar, Cobu.kb akd Miikm." 4 The letter, too, was treasure!; and in the heart of tliw Win til, cheerful home, in the wealthy land, "Mr)-, tlm Mi;r," waj ever held in cheerful memory. A ew of Tiir. West Huobr sent to friends ebrott.l will give them a better idea about Ihe Pacific-North west than any other publication on tha Coat. nw b.artwnt (rip to New Yurk, Mr. J. K. Otll ixiii jli! oti nt the largest and moat manir)oent 'ucti- itf Ittwikx and Ktationery ever bmiiKlit to ti.i' -ii itml hnvlnit selfcl'-d everrthiiiK per iiriiv, i- ii iilt led U otter special tnducemt'itU, Th; Wisconsin farmer who left a candle Liir linirin the barn so at to scare t Me vet awav h;ix no bam to watch now. r