Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-02-09
THE HIDDEN HAND.
EMMA D. E. n. soUTHwoRTH,
Author of ''The Bride of Evening The Deserted
Wife" ETC., ETC., etc.

THE HIDDEN HAND.
ri EMMA D, E. n. souTHwoRrH,
Author of "The Bride of an Evening "The Deserted
Wife, ETC., ETC., ETC.
lContinuedl
Have you got through 2 asked the man at
the door, rapping impatiently.
s''No, no, said /, as directed.
"He resumed his tramping up and down,
and went back to my patient. She beckon-
ed me to come close, and whispered
"'Save my child the living one l mean
hide her oh, hide her from him! When he
demands the babe, give him the poor little
dead one-he cannot hurt that And he will
not know there was another. Oh hide and
save my child
"Master, was used to queer doings, but
this was a little the queerest. But if was to
conceal that second child in order to save it,
it was necessary to stop its mouth, for it was
squalling like wild cat. So took vial of
paragoric from my pocket and gave it drop,
and it went off to sleep like an angel. wrap
ped it up warm and lay it along with my
shawl and bonnet, in a dark corner. Just
then the man raped again.
"'Come in, MASTER said ].
"No bring me the babe he said
81 took up the dead infant Its mother
kissed its brow and dropped tears upon its
little cold face; and l carried it to the man out
side
" is it asleep 2 the william asked me-
Yes, master, said /, as / put it, well wrap
ped up, in his arms, very sound asleep
$50 much the BETTER" said the knave,
walking away.
81 bolted the door and went back to my
patient. With her free hand she seized mine
and pressed it to her lips, and then held up her
left hand, pointed to the wedding ring upon
her third finger.
"'Draw it off and keep it, she said; con-
ceal the child under your shawl and take her
with you when you go; save her and your
fortune shall be made
81 declare, master, hadn't time to think,
before heard one Of them wretches rap at the
door.
"'Come! get ready to CO. he said.
"She also beekoned me. hastened to her.
With eager whispers and imploring gestures
she prayed me to take her ring and save her
child.
But you, said I-'who is to attend you g
do not know nor care Save her =
THE rapping continued. ran to the cor
ner where | had left my things. put on my
bonnet, made sort of sling around my neck
of the silk handkerchief, opened the large part
of it like hammock and laid the little sleep
ing babe there. Then l folded my big shawl
0LOuuu my DIcdSb dIlu IiODOuy any Tile WISER
The rapping was very impatient.
I" Il am coming, said /.
Remember whispered the poor girl.
Il WILL said ], and went and opened the
door. There stood t'other william with his
head covered with black Grape dreamt of
nothing but blackheaded demons for six months
afterward.
Are you ready 2 says he.
"sYes, your worship, says l.
"'Come along, then
Sand binding another silk handkerchief
round my eyes, he lead me along.
"Instead Of my mule, carriage stood near
the horse block.
"'Get in says he, holding the pistl to my
ears by way Of an argument.
IL / got in, He iualfp ed up upon The drivers
sfsgf aiTt & drove like the wind II anotner
direction from which we come, in course, for
there was no carriage road there. The car
rage whirled along at such a rate it made me
quite giddy. AT last it stopped again. The
man in the mask got down and opened the
door,
"sWhere are you taking me g saysI
F." BE quiet says he, 'or-,' and with that
he put the pistil to my cheek, ordered me to
get out, take the bandage from my eyes, and
walk before him. l did so, and saw dimly
that we were in part of the country that /
was never at before We were in dark road
through a thick forest On the left side of the
road, in clearing, stood an old house; dim
light was burning in lower window.
Go on in there said the william, putting
the pistil to the back of my head. AS the door
stood ajar went in to narrow, dark passage,
the man all the while at my back. He opened
door on the left side, and made me go into
dark room. just then the unfortunate child,
that had been moving restlessly, began to wall
Well it might, poor starved thing
whats that z" says the miscreant, under
his breath and stopping short
"Itaint nothing, SIR says l. and 'hush-h-h'
to the baby. But the poor little wretch raised
squall.
"'What is the meaning of this q says he.
Where did that child come from Why the
demon don't you speak 2 and with that he
seized me again by the scruff of the neck and
shook me.
cob, MASTER for the love of heaven DON'T
says l. this is only poor, unfortnet infant as
its parents wadted to get outen the way, and
hired me to take care on. And have had it
wrapped up under my shawl all the time 'cept
when ! was in your house, when / put it to
sleep in the corner.
"'Humph and you had that child concealed
under your shawl when first stopped you in
the woods 2 .. IN.
LII COuIse, MaSLer, says L.
"tWhose is it 2
master, says /, sts-it's dead secret ?
for haddent another lie ready.
He broke out into a rude, scornful laugh,
and seemed not half to believe me, and yet not
to care about questioning me too closely. He
made me sit down then in the dark, and went
out and turned the key on me. l wet my fin
ger with the paragoric and put it to the baby's
lips to quiet its pains of hunger Then heard
a whispering in the next room. Now my eye
sight never was good, but to make up for it
believe had the sharpest ears that ever was,
and don't think anybody could have heard
that whispering but me-. i saw little glim-
mer of light through the chinks that showed
me where the door was, and SO creeped up to
it and put my ear to the key-hole. Still they
whispered so low that no ears could o'heard
them but my sharp ones. They was talking
about selling some woman and child. Ishould
'av been Uneasy if they hadn't called the wo-
man Kate. My villain offered 'em for fifty
dollars, but tother william wouldn't give cent.
He told my villain, as he called Captain, that
he'd take 'em off his hands and no more. And
then they threatened each other, and went
out O. my hearin', And in the mornin' the
new villain came and took me and the child of
IN shay and drove down a long way to the
beach, and hailed vessel on the river and
took US aboard and sold us to the captain right
More my eyes, and then went ashore, and we
was carried on out to sea, though ! cried, and
sPialneo, and spostulated all the time n
=, NOW SIT, come strange providence, which
tne very thoughts OF 1t might convert hea-
then! We had been at sea about five DAVIS
han Il fsaI at. =