Lisa's Reward.
By Maudo Walker.
I
Lira couldn't remember when she
was taken to live with old Madame
Blanchard. Sometimes In her droania
she beheld a Hwcot-facod woman,
whose eyes were blue and tender. Lisa
felt quite suro It was her mother, who
had died when she waB a baby. But
what little Bho know of that dear
mothor waa learned from a Uttlo girl
who lived In the samo big, dirty tono-ment-houso
with her. This little girl,
Pearl Anderson, was tho child of a
Swcdo tailor, who, with his wife, did
piecework for a great wholesale cloth
ing houflo. Tho Andersons lived across
the hall from old Madame Blanchard,
and Pearl often whispered the fact to
Lisa that "her papa and mamma did
not like tho madamo, saying b1i? was
not honest."
As the Blanchards and tho Ander
sons had lived for five years in this
tenement, tho families had good op
portunity to know a great deal about
each other's affairs. Llttlo Pearl orten
told LlBa during their Btolen minutes
of play In the dark hall that she had
heard her mamma toll one night long
ago, when old Madamo Blanchard had
como In. with a two-year-old baby girl,
saying It was her dead son's orphan,
and that she was going to raise It.
Pearl would also confide to Lisa that
her mamma laid the baby was not a
Blanchard, hut a fair little thing with
goldea hair, very unlike the old hag
who posed as her grandmother. And
Pearl would then say: "An' you're the
same little baby girl. Lisa. The bad
ole woman Is not your gran'ma at all.
She's a wicked woman."
that's coming tho tall one, with the
shiner on his head," the old hag whla
porod hoarsely, pushing Liza forward.
"Please, sir, give me a penny to buy
somo bread," said Lisa, in a pitiful llt
tlo voice, full of coming tears, while
hor face was covered with a blush of
shame. Tho "flno gentleman" paused,
looked tho child over and took a coin
from his pocket, which ho droppod into
tho cold Uttlo palm extended to re
ceive It.
Tho instant the gentleman had pass
ed on with the crowd old Madame
Blanchard camo from the dark door
way where alio had hidden herself and
Jerked the money from tho child's
hand. "A quarter," sho said, gloat
ingly, slipping the coin into her pock
et. "Ah, it takes mo to spot tho giv
ers and you to get it, my pretty little
daughter. Now, thero comes a gay
young couple. Quick! UuTfnan! Seo
them that's laughing and tho girl with
tho white furs on? Quick!" And again
Madamo Blanchard withdrew within
tho shadow of tho doorway, pushing
Lisa forward.
"Please, sir, give me a penny "
But the young couple did not hear
tho plaintive child's voice at their el
bow nor see tho pitiful face that lookod
up at them. Before Lisa's request for
alms wa3 finished they had passed on
with tho crowd, Inughing and gay,
knowing nothing but their own happi
ness.
"You Uttlo imp," cried Madame
Blanchard, Jerking Lisa by tho shoul
der. "Why didn't you run along be
side them nnd pluck at the lady's
skirt? You lazy, worthless thing!"
"Beg of that gentleman that's coming," tho old hng whispered
Lisa believed every word that Pearl
told her, Tor tho Andersons, though
woefully poor, were good, Industrious
and honest folk, doing what they
could to educate and rear their llttlo
daughter Pearl In tho right way. Be
sides thiB proof of tho story, old
Madame Blanchard's cruel treatmont
of Liza mado the child feel that thero
was no blood link between them. How
could an own grandmother treat her
so?
Lisa was a veritable little beast of
burden, carrying coal in a bucket up
two flights of stairs and the ashes it
made, down In tho same way. Sho
washed tho dishes and holped to pre
pare the meals for tho old woman, be
sides waiting on hor at all hours of
tho night if sho Bhould bo called from
hor pallet bed in tho corner to do so.
But now, in her seventh year, her
grandmother had begun a certain
course with her which made tho child
rocoll in horror. Each evening sho.
Was taken by the old woman to one of
the busiest stroets of the city and told
to beg in pleading and tearful voice for
money of pedestrians. At first Lisa,
ashamed to play the beggar, held back,
and the old woman, catching her arm,
pinched It till the child cried out with
pain. "Beg of that fine gentleman
Tho next and the next nights were
tho same. As soon as It was dark out
went Madame Blanchard and her poor,
Buffering llttlo child-slave to beg. Dur
ing the days the old woman lay about
her room eating, drinking and sleep
ing, while Lisa did what work there
was to do. Onco the old woman had
called Lisa to hor knees aud in a
threatening voicq had warned her to
keep secrecy. "If I find that you havo
breathed a single word to anyono of
how we live or where we go In tho ev
enings I'll boat you till you drop help
less In your tracks and shut you In
tho cellar with the rats for company.
Do you mind?"
And so poor llttlo Lisa had been
afraid to say a word of her most un
happy Ufo to Pearl or Pearl's kind
hearted parents, who sometimes invit
ed Lisa In to havo a bit of tea with
thorn when old Madamo Blanchard was
away for an hour or so.
One evening old Madamo Blanchard
was ill, and, as it was raining she de
cided to send Lisa out to beg alone,
cautioning her to bo careful in select
ing her prey. "Choose only thorn as is
dressed well and seims happy," sho
said. "Now go, and beg till you've
got a dollar. Don't you dare to como
home with less. Tho moro you got tho
bettor you will sleep tonight aad eat
tomorrow. Do you mind?"
Lisa went to the corner where aha
usually stood, for nearby was a dark
and deep doorway, where old Madame
Blanchard could secrete herself as Lisa
begged. As the, rain was coming down
steadily and Lisa was thinly clad,
with only an old oapo about her head
and shoulders, she Bhlvered with tho
cold and dampness. Few people except
tho poor laboring class ware on tho
street tonight and vainly did Lisa ex-
ond hor trembling hand for alms. A
few took pity on the woc-begone little
creature and now and then a penny
was dropped into her outstrotched
palm. But when a great clock near
the corner struck nine, Lisa, cold and
exhausted, counted her money and
found sho had Just 10 cents. Ninety
cents to get yet! Lisa shuddered, for
she know It would be Impossible to beg
that much on a night like this. In
deed, It was very seldom that she got
more than 50 cents of an evening, and
rarely so much as a dollar. What
should she do? She was cold, hungry
and sick. ..The people on the street
were getting fewer and fewer, all go
ng to their homes as fast as they
could. Pretty soon she would be alone
except for the big policeman whom
she was taught to hide from by run
ning round the corner and an occas-
onal pedestrian. If she went home
without the sum required by old Mad
amo Blanchard she would bo beat
en unmercifully. Then there was the
cold cellar, whore the tenants kept
their coal and old rags, a cellar over
run with rats. In there sho would
have to go, too, if she failed to take
home a dollar.
Sobs shook Lisa's poor, shivering
little frame as sho crept into the door
way to get shelter from the downpour.
Sho was too young to know what to
do. Running away from old Madam
Blanchard had never occurred to her.
Sho obeyed the old hag, who passed
as her grandmother to the letter.
Once Boated In the deepest and dark
est corner of the doorway, Lisa closed
her eyes from weariness. Frequent
coughing fits overcame her, and sho
smothered the sound with her hands
for fear the policeman, coming on his
beat, might hear her and "run her in,"
as old Madame Blanchard had always
told her he would do in the event of
his catching her begging.
After a llttlo whllo sho felt more
comfortable, huddled there in tho cor
ner, which began to feel warm. Her
fits of coughing ceased and she felt
qulto happy. As Bho was smiling to
herself, having forgotten old Madame
Blanchard, she was conscious of some
one near hor. Looking up she beheld a
beautiful woman with a sweet face full
of tenderest love bending over her.
Then warm arms embraced her and
she found her golden head plllow'od on
a warm breast. Looking Into tho beau
tiful woman's eyes hor heart fluttered,
for they were tho gentle blue eyes she
always saw whenever sho dreamed of
her mother.
"Are you my mother?" Lisa whis
pered. "Yes, dear,' camo the loving an
swer. "I've come to tako you away
from that wicked old woman to a beau
tiful homo, where wo shall forever be
together, you and I. Now, my Uttle
one. rest on my breast and sleep, sleep,
for wo shall soon start on our Jour
ney. When you awake you will bo at
home, whero all is happiness, Rest,
my baby, rest."
Tho mother voice was whispered soft
and soothingly into Lisa's ears. With
her own llttlo arms, blue with the
bruises from old Madamo Blanchard's
beatings, around tho dear mother's
neck, her cheek nestled against tho
dear mother's breast, Lisa fell asleep.
When she awoko it was in Paradise.
The slave-child of old Madamo
Blanchard was freed at last. She had
come into her reward.
HERO MEETS HERO.
THE CAT.
"I'm a fire-spitting Tom Cat;
So dont you come near me!
Don't think that I'm afraid of you,
Or that I'll climb a tree.
"I've seen a great, great many dojjs
(To which you're just a candle
As compared to the great sun),
And each one I could handle.
"I'm known as that Great Fighting
Tom,
So, I will say, take care
And do not come too close to me
Or beware! beware! beware!"
THE DOG.
"You poor and frightened silly cat!
You'd better climb a tree,
Or 1 will let my temper loose
And then a sight you'll be.
"There's not a cat in all this town
Who doos'nt fearTny bark.
And when they know that I'm around
They keep themselves quite dark.
"I'm called the Big Cat Killer,
And there's blood within my eye.
So, if you'd live to catch a mouse,
Me you'd better not come nigh."
Maud Walker.
POLLY AND TOM.
NON8EN8E RHYMK.
Once there was a Uttle boylet
Who had got a brand new toylet.
But it was so mean and poor
Boylot threw It on the floor,
Saying, 'You I will destroylet!"
Polly eight and Tommy ten,
Sister and brother, they
Go to school the whole week through,
Excepting Saturday. v
On Saturday they help .mamma
About tho house, you know.
Tommy sweeps the steps and waIRs,
While Polly kneads the dough.
But soon as it Is afternoon
And the dinner work is done
They go to visit some young friends
And have the mostest fun!
They play and play till almost dark,
Then home they go to tea,
With toys in their little arms
As happy as can be.
A Riddle.
Riddle como riddle, como ree: .
What, is it that is covered with, eyee,
But which, can nover see?
(A street full of, people).
Tho largest and heaviest single block
of granito over sent into Canada from
the United States has just been ship
ped from a Barre, Vormont, quarry to
Cote des Nelges, P. Q., a suburb of
Montreal. Tho stone is three and a
quarter fset square and thirty-two feet
long, and weighs thirty-two tons. It
was consigned to J. Brunot, tho sculp
tor, by whom it will bo fashioned into
a memorial monument to be erected
in honor of the lato Raymond Profon
taine, who was Canadian minister of
marine and fisheries.
Would Be Too Much.
Justice Brewer of the United States
Supreme court comes from Kansas.
After he married tho present charm
ing Mrs. Brewer they went for a vis
it to his old home. In Washington a
justice of the Supreme court is al
ways spoken of as "Mr. Justice" and
that waa tho title Mrs Brewer had al
ways heard. When they reached this
city on their way home tho "Mr."
was dropped and the Jurist was re
ferred to as Justice Brewer. At
Omaha Borne old friends called him
"David J." and when they crossed tho
Kanas line somo former neighbors re
ferred to him as "Dave." "Lot's go
home," suggested Mrs. Brewer.
"Why?" asked the justice. "Because,
dear,' Mrs. Brewer replied. "I am
afraid If we go any farther they will
bo calling you Davie."
Saved by a Song.
A boy was amusing himself by
watohing tho birds that were flying
around him. At length a beautiful
bobolink perohed oa a rough bough of
nn apple tree near by.
The boy picked up a stone, and got
ready to throw it at the bird. Tho
bird's throat swolled, and forth camel
the song: "A-llnk, a-llnk, a-link, bob-!
ollnk, bobolink, a-no-sweot, a-no-sweet
I know it, I know it, a-link, a-link;
don't throw it, throw It, throw it."
,And the boy did not throw the
stono, but dropped it on the ground.
"Why didn't you stone him, my
boy? You might have killed him and
carried him home."
The little fellow looked up and re
plied, "Couldn't 'cos he sang so."
Putk.
