The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1876-02-24

| as far as Russell Square. i am going 10
1 Bedford Row. Suppose you were to faint
in the street and some wicked people
were to get hold of you, and you SC
prettyT
The world was too young to her foi
this obvious stroke to set her on hel
guard, and at that moment her attention
was diverted by the noise of the crowd
coming close behind them. In the midst
were the silent men bearing the dark
dread object. 1t recalled her terror, and
she nearly swooned away.
Look here" said the young man, 81
see what you want. You must have
some brandy. Here is public" And
he dragged her into the side bar of a
| public-house, and put her on the seat
against the wainscot.
Two brandy -andwaters hotl he said.
"and be quick, please. The young lady
is unwell"
The bar-maid, with her whitening
painted cheeks and garish dress, looked
over the bright handles of the beer
pumps and tall bottles and the ranged
pswters at the pretty face of the girl on
the seat with a meaning leer. Then she
winked at the young man. He under
stood her directly, and his face crimson
ed The devilish idea this woman-let
us admit naturally in the circumstances
and with her experience-had suggested
to the young man had really not before
crossed his mind He was no greenhorn,
no Christian, no moralist, no born gentle
mamie was, in fact, lawyers clerk,
who ought at that time to have been hur-
rying to his employers offices in Bedford
Row with the bundle of letters and pa
pers that made his side pocket bulge so
. h. l.
roue.
Mind your own business, miss" he
said to 1.-THE bar-maid. "a woman has
just fallen out of a window close by, and
this young lady nearly tainted
"0hl | see, said the other, handing
over two glasses of hot stuff. One and
fourpence, please. A woman out of win
dow, Mrs. Stingo," she shouted through a
small aperture behind her to some one
in a back-room. Another inquest for US,
i shouldn't wonder"
Thank God f. cried a woman voice
Other people who had witnessed the
catastrophe and found it too much for
their feelings now began to pour into the
outer bar, and called off the attention of
the bar-maid from the young couple. The
young man drank his toddy like one
who took kindly to it. The girl slipped
it slowly. 1t soon began to revive her.
HeI blood grew warm, her eyes brighten
ed, her cheeks flushed. She looked more
boldly in her companions face, and her
tongue, unloosed, spoke more readily and
cordially to him. On his part he was
not unaffected by the spirit His glances
at her face became more frequent and
direct, and once or twice, in speaking.
he placed his hand on her shoulder in a
familiar way. Alas she seemed not
to notice it, Seeing she had not
half finished her glass, he ordered sec
ond to be prepared for himself. He was
forgetting his papers and his master.
Her parcel was lying unregarded by her
side At length, as they each looked at
the bottoms of their empty tumblers,
they spoke of going
Thank you" she said, with brighten
ing eyes. THAT has made me fael ever
so much better. Good-by."
She put out her hand and smiled.
"Good-by9' he said. Are you going
to desert me so soon How ungrateful
you are Let me walk part of the way
with you"
Her face looked rather silly. When
they got outside, the street seemed to
reel about her. The sounds struck upon
her ear with confusing loudness; her
eyes saw dimly and strangely in the dull
darkness. And her steps-her steps were
stumbling and uncertain She grasped
his arm tightly.
"HalloP he cried. You've taken too
much"
"Yes. 1 never took so much before. l
feel i'll. can scarcely stand"
1t was then that the Devil entered into
the heart of Joseph Cray. and whispered
to him that this young girl was now in
his hands to do with her as he would.
And the mind of Joseph Cray. after those
two glasses of hot grog, was feeble to re-
pei the insidious hints of the Evil One.
The girl clung to his arm and spoke
thickly in his ear:
"You-you're so good. ! like you so
much. 1t is so kind of you to help me"
Look here" he said, laughing. do
YOU know you can't stand2 You're not
fit to walk about the street now. / must
take you somewhere whore you can rest
till you get better. Here, Ill call cab,
and take you to my place"
"Oh, you're so good-so good; the
poor girl cried, putting her arm around
his neck, while the maudlin tears ran
down her face.
JOSEPH Cray held her a moment, and
hesitated. She was nearly insensible.
The struggle within him was short. That
which twenty minutes since he could have
bravely withstood he cas- away the power
to resist. He called a cab and lifted her
in. She lay there now unconscious.
"To Pentonville," said Joseph Cray, as
he shut the door; and from that moment
he was lost man.
And, my fair reader, virtuous and pure
and gentle, from that day your sister
Lucy Merton-herself fair and pure and
sweet and gentle-from that day on for
ever was to know virtue and honor nc
more.