Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1871-06-08
She had felt her heart beat as it ha

not for years, as his CHEEKY voice rans
out, but she stiAed the feeling with
sigh.
aNo good can come to me bu
DEATH" she sighed, but just thel
stood still, filled with vague, indeh
nite horror.
1 She had txrned a corner, and wa
in the shadow of the blind wall Of {
church. just before her stood two
men, whispering to each other.
"He has money about him; I saw
him changing some in the Three
Woolpacks."
"He's lost his way, There, the
wrong way, by luck-just where wei
have him BEST"
| And then, close against the wal
they hurried on. Lily followed them
Beyond the light of the corner lamp
she saw the seafaring man trudgins
through the mud. The next instant
there was a cry, and three dark forms
struggled together on the ground
/ Lily was d timid woman by nature
she never knew, what inspired hel
with courage that night; but some.
thing did.
She rushed forward without a mo-
ment's hesitation, and did without
thought, the best thing thinking could
have told her to do.
"The policemen are coming" she
cried" the poicemen-save your
selves"
The words were not out of her
mouth when one rufian dashed away
from his victim and rushed up the
street, and the other, with what
seemed a parting blow, followed his
example.
The seafaring man lay prostrate
where they left him. Lily, bending
over, him, saw blood trickling from
his temple. She bound it quickly up
with her handkerchief, and tried her
best to raise him. Not policeman
was in sight, no other help came, but
in a few moments the man lifted his
head, and with Lily's help staggered
to his feet.
"You are a blessed woman, who
ever you are" What made you
brave enough to do that? They'd
have killed me, not doubt, and lit
tie Jennie would have cried her eyes
out. You see it was two to one and
regular ambush. Well, heaven
bless you. Is that your handker-
chief? Tell me who you are. It's
laIy's voice and a lady's hand.
Tell me, won't you" :
I'm only poor woman" said
Lily. eff I've done you any good,
I'm thankful. Are you strong. Are
you strong again2 You can walk, I
see. You ought to have gone the
other way. Good-by."
But STOP" he cried "I-"
But Lily hurried on.
Not until she was in her own dark
room did she know that she had lost
the money the pawn-broker had given
her.
She crept into her poor bed, and
tried to drown her hunger IN sleep,
but the relief came tardily. She had
been terribly excited by the scene in
which she had taken part, and,
moreover, the face and voice of the
handsome sailor haunted her.
Jenny, who was Jenny? His wife,
doubtless, his young wife, who wait
ed somewhere for his coming. Oh,
happy woman, to be so dear to any
one; and lonely Lily Vane shed more
of those hot tears that had mingled
with the rain drops outside the pawn
brokers' shop.
People do not starve so easily as
they think they will, and, moreover,
at the latest hour of the long hungry
day, the neighboring tailor's good
natured wife sent piece of cake and
glass of something hot to the "lone-
some little body in the next room, "
and Lily Vane lived and found some
further means of earning bread, and
dragged on her lonely life somehow
until the winter ice was gone and
spring revisited the earth.
1t was in May-she never forgot
the month-that she went sadly into
an office, where places were found for
teachers, and teachers for places, and,
hopeless of any great good coming to
her, put some questions to the pro-
prietor. Music =? Yes, and no doubt
She understood it very we'll. But
there were so many teachers. How
ever, would she give her name and
her address? If anything offered he
would send her word.
"My name is Lily Vane," said
Lily.
/
"How do you spell it?-Vain or
Vane ?"
And then lady whom she had
never seen-a plump, pretty little
woman, with black curls and blacker
eyes-ran forward from a seat near
the stove, and, with a smile at Lily,
spelt it for her.
Right?" she asked.
Lily astonished, assented; she could
do 40 more, for the name was not so
very odd, after all.
81 And if you are Lily Vane," said
the lady, and if you will come to
me, there "a permanet place for you.
and two good little pupils. who will
love you dearly Oh, don't say no
I've been looking for you for months
and I'm so glad I've found you p
Some Of my old pupils, 1 sup
pose?" faltered Lily.
But at that the lady shook hel
| head"
"No matter how Iknow you, she
said, aoRly come"
And Lily was glad enough to take
the sugar-plum fate had dropped into
her mouth, without mora questions
4 l.