THE DUDE AS A NEWSBOY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1201, 6 March 1885, Page 3

THE DUDE AS A NEWSBOY.

As the usual crowd was surging along Broadway one morning recently an elegantly attired youth in a silk hat, a silver-crooked cane, and lavender kids mounted several steps from which a newsboy was selling his goods, and picking up a paper • carelessly handed him a 2Jol. bill. “ Haven’t any change,” said the newsboy. “ You just stay here and tend to things till 1 come back.” As .the boy darted away Ihe dude seemed to realise his position, and he called out: “Boy, aw! boy-1 Why, what do you mean? Come back—l say—aw!" But the newsboy had disappeared, and the dude was left fuming and fretting upon the steps. For a little time-the passers by picked up their papers and dropped their pennies in the box, while the dude stood looking innocently up and down the street as if he were waiting for the coming of a very dear friend: f ind ! y a near-sighted old gentleman came puffing along, and taking up a copy of the Ti’mes began palling out his glasses, while he held a dime out with his other hand. The dude took no notice, and the old gentleman twitched him by the coat and said querulonsly : “ Change, boy ! Why don’t you give me my change. Come, hurry up 1 ” The dude turned in agony, gritted his teeth, hesitated, and suddenly stooping, quickly got some pennies from the box, and giving them to the old gentlemen, began walking the steps and looking down the street, not for some friend, but for that boy, and his lips were moving, but not in prayer. “Hey, boss.” sail an old negro, pointing to an illustrated, “what am dis?” The unfortunate youth turned a glance on his questioner so haughty and threatening that the old darkey turned hastily away. Time passed, the dude stormed, and the people looked wonderingly at him in his rage, but he could not leave that 2dol. Then an old lady in a big black bonnet and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses waddled slowly up to the stand and took up a copy of the Christian Herald. “ Who runs this stand?” she asked in a high shrill voice, as her head was bent over her purse. The unfortunate dude looked around in agony. “ Who runs this stand, 1 say ? ” repeated the old lady. “ Well, I don’t see why folks don’t tend their own business and not keep other folks waiting in the co'd.” “ But, madam, I’m not ——” “ Don’t tell me 1 I never see such a place as this town. Polks here are the most unaccommodatin’, they want folks to buy, but there it ends. Well, why don’t you take this money and ■ ive mo the change?” “Madam,” said the youth, loudly and impressively, “ 1 tell you I am not the proprietor of this establishment, Oh, here you are, are you 1” he added suddenly in a tone of soulful satisfaction, as the newsboy hunied up to him with his mouth full of sandwich ; “ give me ray change,” he said, savagely. “ Surry to keep you waiting’,” said the boy coolly ; “ I seed you tendin’ things, and you did it so nice tha”. I tho’t I’d take a little smack of something to eat ” But the dude was striding down the street and people were making way for him in his rage as though he were a madman. And the old lady who had been gazing from one to another, ejaculated, “Well, 1 declare.”