South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1874-05-15
TIE .AnGel
On the Rickety Staircase.
BY PAUL Golden.

Old cradle that queaked AMI suueaked
with every motion, as if it were about to
fall in pieces.
what do you say? Do you mean to tell
mo that you arc not afraid of me p answer
ed PR7 Err PIKE, as he suddenly roso up
from under pile Of bodclothes tha. cover
ed an old belstead aud, raising his shaggy
eyebrows, boked out Of heavy, dull eyes
at the woman, who had hidden away Ia her
pocket tbs small sum Of Two sbilings.
'H1ven't you a word to say 70 me, HAN.
NAH PIKE? persisted the mao.
The less say to you the better I'LL b.
tor me; and the longer you lay whero y7a
are the better it'll be for me aud the chill.
dren,' replied HANNAH, ia discouraged
tone.
Now, whine, woman whinc, will you
No matter. Ii let you know who's TIC
raster of this house.
This house, mu tered HANNAH. Two
dingy rooms, with the Old, greasy paper
half torn Of the walls. lis just f. for such
master as you. And look at KITTY aud
TEDDY shiveriOg over that green wood fre,
and this poor, fJ1lIrn baby, lying in i,s
cradle and staring at me- as if | had any
thing for it. Yes. PETER PIKE, [ Should
think you were the master of thls house.
lts good match for you, no mis- axe, Pr.
TER PIKE
NO moro Of your inpudance, woman
You think n about half drunk yet because
lie here in bod bit when ct out to
show you who's master, you'll 81, a differ.
cnt tune. Give me that two shiiiiags nov
before get up and try my hand Oh you
You won't get the two sh,lings l shall
keep it for bread
Bread, bread repeated PETER PIKE.
liquors better thau bread, ans. that's what
I'm going to have. Give mo the money,
woman
Good G,d " said HANNAH, il an under
tone. He'll get it away FROM me, Tn
frail, and then whore shall we got the next
loaf of bread. And if Rory COMES home
70 night without q cent, a. ne often does,
@bat will become of US ? P,or boy ! he'd
work hard al day TO got liriio morey, for
US
VIA, are you dreaming about p called
Gu PETER PIKE, Isasa- .he old bed stead on
which ne once more raised himself.
'ATe you going TO give ne that money p
ne asked, in screaming voice.
No, not penny of l.; and if you touch
me I'll hlvo you locked up. know where
to e. to complain Of you.
You shan't LaYc mammals money, cried
ou' KITTY.
'Shau't, shan't,' a14cp the li,lo boy
TEDDY, Oh as high n key rs be could reach.
~ isier . master growIcd PETER PIKE
I'll show these young ones and their moth
er who's mister
Ihirsting for another glass, aud deter
mined to get the money to pay for i, he
caped out of bed. Bat he money had
suddenly found is way cut Of tho pocket
where it had been hidden, md into kitty :
hand, and KITTY bad as suddenly disap-
Pearcd, Mtalcncd by bis failure, the fu
rious man kicked TEDDY into one corner Of
the room, and his mother in another; and
pInuging his hand in the cradle, seized tie
baby and rushed TO tho door exchiming
There c5 your baby, woman, down tie
rickety staircase
Faint from the kick sho had received and
horror struck by bat bad ,cen done. HAN.
NAH sat croucbiag in The corner aud mok-
ing no effort TO stir. Dead, dead +. she
said to herself, and, in a moment, making
40 effort to rise, she repeated Dead doad.
h2' must 90 to Der. Ol, God, I once
had a good homo. I'd neye,, never seen
that man. had no baby 10 be murdered.
How can ], how can / p Bur must 90
and take up my dead child. Oh, Pzrre.
PETER where is he? Gone for another
drink No there he now, buried 10 n
gain in the bcdcl5'hcs'
Not a sound on tho Staircase added
HANNAH. Dead, dead "
Aud sh- crop' along as we'll as She could
to The door tuf she bod hardly reached +,
wIc1 jt opened, and sbo saw Der baby's
th,n, pa'o face pressed 90 check a7 fresh
AMI bright os q June rose.
Don't be frightened don't be frighlsn
cd said tho young girl. For IL was
young g'J. Of sixteen Who held HANNAu
PINE's baby 10 her arms 'You thought
your baby was dead didn't you? Ba,
she's rot hurt 40 an. / vas bali way up
iho stairs, aud | caught her
Good God exclaimed IANNAH PIKE
'lou are tbe first angel that has ever been
cn that ricbafy s,aircosc.'
4 am not an angel said The young girl
but j vas coming up these Stare, and oh
] am so glad | was 10 time 10 save yonr
baby. How saved Dor I hardly Know
l didn't think could but ] put out my
arms aud caught bcr.'
'Noi dead, DOT dead = said HANNAu. as
che pressed che child 20 her heart. Il lhot
] was almost glad 20 say dead, dead; for +
was thinking, just for minute, that she
had better be dead
Whom HANNAH bad almost smo,hered
The baby with kisses, and called TEDDY 10
come and hiss bis iiUlc sister NoNY. .s
be named her she turned an inqnripe look