, 1873-01-26

|
any rest. without oven pausing for an instant to
| draw breath, such q very lean dog should Keep
on going 30 long. Tottenham Court road this
WAS about eighteen months ago) used to be a
way running amidst tangled network Of sorry
streets, the population OF which, from dusk
until the hour whom tho pubic-houses close,
used to spread hungry and idle amongst the
| countless booths which had then not yet
assn ss sonr snsps a aEa and n9a GassS a
| ing meat wero sold BY yelling costermongers.
| On the night in question, when went thero in
pursuit oil the dog, foresaw that I should be
led to one of those eickly nests Of fever, where
set up in permanence and was not wrong.
Tho dog, running faster than ever now, ~ II
he felt mors afraid for his basket amongst these
raSenous crowds than ho had done at the West
End, bolted suddonly up narro:v sido street.
whore there was no =oom fora cab to pass. I
paid tho driver, and jumped out: It was q
filthy street, but that was 9 secondary matter.
Whore the dog went would 60 ; aud thus
lodged after him, first down . crooked alley,
thon through q foul court, and lastly up pas;
my way along damp wall, and STUN
blad upon tho first step Of staircase.
Being smoker, however, I had some vesuyians
about mo: I struck one, lit piece Of twisted
obtained deserted the dog making his way up
creaky fight of wooden steps, battered in places
md Eotting from mould. He barked when ho
saw the light, and growled uneasily. But soft
ened my voice, and cried out. Good dog! good
his instinct told him that I was not an enemy,
for ba turned round to snin my trousers, and
when struck second vesuvian ho consented to
my accompanying him without doing anything
else but continue his shifting. Wo went up thEeo
stories in this way, until We reached the garret
floor. There were two doors face to face,
and one OF thom had q latch with
piece Of string tied to it. The string dangled
With loop at it's end to within few inches OF
the ground. The dog raised one OF his fore
paws, pressed 1t on the loop, and by this means
There was rushlight burning in tho neck Of
q ginger beer bottle. There was Al empty
tattered clothes we're hanging on the back Of d
broken chair, and some bits Of plaster, fallen
from cracked ceiling, were eucumbering the
floor. On the splintered deal table WAS plate
with solitary bone on it, and next to it q cup
Of these things to mattress laid in corner OF
the room. The light WAS rendered 80 Pickering
BY the gusts Of wind that swept through the
,window,-to which bits OF newspaper bad
could not at first distinguish very clearly where
was, and what saw. I could only hear tho
adecHonate winnings Of the dog, and vaguely
zee him leapinB upon some one against whom
he WAS rubbing his head, and whose face he was
voice. VOICE. tno1hut "tsu . voice 90 husky md broken
thnt it resemb1ed whisper-repeat feeblY.
"Good dog-good jim !" and then I saw hand
unite the basket, and heard the sound Of money
f Good jim GOOD jim J" went on the cracked
voica and Il heran counting 0One. two. Oh
good Jim good Jim hero's shilling One
5 Two
and"- But hero followed terrific Shrek.
"Whos that ?" cried the man, covering up the
money with his sheet; and he looked at me, i7-
id and haggard with the ague Of fever.
"Don't Be frightened" =" aaid !" I am come
to DO you no harm. am friend. have fol-
lowed your dog home, and desire to help you
If you are in need" ..~.'.-
he seemed to be man about 50, tor his hair
was not all gray but the ghastly hollowness Of
his cheeks, the emaeiated condition OF his body,
ing eyes, made him older than man Of 80, for
told, that he Ind already one foot within his
grave
sure him but he continued to hide his money.
II am poor man, sir, he gasped,-"a very
poor man. I hare nothing but what my dog
earns me, and that's nothing. He goes out to
idle; and il he picks up few penceH Chere the
man had at Of hectic coughing)--"d he picks
up few pence, sir, it's all 10 do pick up.''
7 felt my heart ache, for I had guessed the
truth.
ssHa's mt an if7Ie dog ut safd HHns ha not
earned you more than three shillings to-day 2"
tested the miser, trembling. ATS threepence,
-threepence, cir. Look and see.''
And he held up three copper coins from out Of
his covering .....,
You are very IL, my man, said. approach
a9s ing his mattress. "fou must let me send you
"oh, sir! no, no; Live no money to give