Amarilly of Clothes-line Alley

"Why, what possible use could he have for a surplice?"

"He's akeepin' company with a young gal--Lily Rose--and she wanted his

likeness tooken sorter fancy-like, so he wuz took in the surplus, and he

got himself framed in a gilt and shell frame, and she hez it ahangin'

over her bed. I didn't want no pay from him, cause he give us his money

when yours and Miss King's was gone, but he says as how it might bring

him luck in gittin' her, so I took a quarter of a dollar.

"'July 29. Mister Vergil Washington. Reckter Colered Church. 1 doller.

Pade.' Some one stole his'n off en the clo'es-line, and he only hed one.

"'July 31. Widder Hubbleston, 56 Wilkins St. 1 Doller. Pade.' She got

merried by an Episcopal minister, and he furgot his surplus, and that

was all she hed hired him fer, so she rented our'n fer him, and Mr.

Jimmels, her new husband, took it outen the minister's pay. Somethin'

allers goes wrong to her weddin's."

"Does she have them often?" interrupted John gravely.

"Quite frequent." "'Aug. 3, Mister Vedder, Ticket Seller to the

Theayter. 1 doller. Pade.' He wore it to a sheet and piller case party.

I didn't want fer to take nuthin' from him, cause he give us money when

we hed the fever, but he wouldn't hev it that way.

"'Aug. 5. Pete Noyes. Gum.' He's the boy what sells gum to the theayter.

He was agoin' to a party whar you hev to be the name of a book. He wore

the surplus so his name was the Little Minister. We took it out in gum--

spruce and pepsin. Iry swallered his'n every time, and Miss Hudgers was

afeard he'd be stuck together inside.

"'Aug. 9-23. Vawdevil Theayter. 5 dollers. Pade.' They put it on fer a

sketch.

"'Aug. 25. Mister Cotter. 25 cents. Pade.' He's a brakeman friend of the

Boarder. He wore it to a maskyrade.

"'Aug. 27. Poleece. 35 cents. Pade.'"

"Police!" ejaculated John faintly.

"Some one swiped it offen our clo'es-line, and when the police ketched

the thief, we was subpenyed, or ma was. She got thirty-five cents, and

all on us 'cept Iry went to hear her."

"'Aug, 29. Bishop Thurber. 5 dollers. Pade.'"

"Bishop Thurber!" the name was repeated with the force of an expletive.

"Seems to mind that more'n he did the police," thought Amarilly.

"It's quite a story," she explained, "and though it was orful at the

beginnin' it come out all right, jest as the plays all do. I jest

thought, I shouldn't hev put that down in the account, cause we give

back the five, so we didn't make nuthin' in a way. We wuz dead broke. I

suppose," she ruminated, "you don't know jest how orful it is to be

that."