The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-01-11

of space, and hungrily asked for the CO.
luton to some terrible mystery that was
driving him mad. Little by little Sophy'a
straining eyes discerned upon the cot In
dead or asleep. The white lids were
down upon the sunken eyes, and it was
perfectly still. And upon the bed in the
other corner was little misshapen figure
of Il child or woman. The face was
pale and shrunken, and bore fatal re-
semblance to the miserable one upon the
cot. All these figures were motionless,
the one upon the bed, the one upon the
cot, and the man by the table.
1t was relief to Sophy when suddenly
the man moved. He glanced furtively
from one side to the other, from the cot
to the bed, from one pale emaciated face
to the other, and his left hand began to
grOpe in the old table drawer. Sophy
could see that his right hand was help
less, splintered up out of the way; but
this left hand that CROPPED in the drawer
somehow made Sophy's blood run cold.
She couldn't tell why, but it seemed to
her that there was something sinister about
| it, and the temporary relief she had found
| in the first movement of the man was now
absorbed in the fear that he was going to
do something dreadful. When that left
hand lifted something out of the drawer
that shone sharply through the grimy
window-pane, Sophy felt, she hoped, that
it was all a terrible nightmare brought on
by that little supper around the corner,
and it was Of no use to try to scream but
she gasped out, Papa papa!'' And Mr..
May, who had crept about the second
story front-room on tip-toe, that he might
not arouse Mrs. May, and had put ON his
dressing-gown and lighted cigar, and
adjusted the shade over the gas SO that it
shielded the closed eyes of his wife, but
reflected brightly upon his evening paper
Mr.. May had just put his slippercd feet
on the top of chair, and commenced an
article on the financial outlook, when he
heard that shrill, terrified call of his
precious only daughter.
In two seconds he was there by her
side, looking out of the second story
Darkroom window into that gloomy,
terrible room beyond.
"Why, good Godr' said Mr.. May,
dropping his cigar, "it's Higgins!
didn't dream he had got to this; why
why"
Papa! papa!' cried Sophy, putting
her hands over her eyes, she's going to
ITO shave himself, Sophy," broke in
Mr.. May. "Lots of people do at this
time of the night; it's quite common
thing. Here, help me get off this internal
sleeve, Sophy. IN 60 around there at
dressing gown.
Quick! quick, papa! you'll be too
late. Oh, thank God, somebody has come
in over there! He's saved, papa, thank
Godl'
And Mr.. May, with his dressing gown
hanging to his left arm, turned to the
window again. why, bless my soul!"
he cried, " that's Robinson-Jack Robin
son! You know Robinson, Sophy?"
Yes, papa" said Sophy; and faint
color crept into her pal!id cheek, which
deepened and glowed as she watched
Jack walk over to the wrctched man and
fling his arm about his shoulder, and take
that wicked left hand of his in genial
grasp, and then walk over to the bed, and
lift that poor little body in his strong
arms, and bring it to the knees of Hig-
gins, and then sit close down by them
both, and take something out of his vest
pocket. Mr.. May thought it was money.
Of course.
Reckless young scalawag!" said Mr..
May; but in the sccrctary's face could be
read bri ght things for Jack. SOphy
thought it was money, too; but it wasn't.
They could plainly see him take some
thing out of little case and hold it up
before the light, and, stretching across
Higgins, catch the little thin hand of his
daughter, and put upon one of the long
slim fingers ring.
Then Higgins bent his head. and sObbcd
over that little hand all his wrath and Bit
terness away. And Jacks head also bent
before that shower of penitential tears
Mr.. May choked and blew his nose, not
withstanding his desire not to arouse Mrs.
May; and as for SOphy, she neither wept
nor bent her head, but as she looked over
there at Jack, a tender look of resolve
dcepened in her face, and as it was the only
thing it wanted to make it entirely beau
tiful, it was thousand pities it should
he half hidden upon the dressing. gown
that still chung to Mr.. Mays left shoulder.
He's given that poor little dear a
ring, papa. Wasn't that sweet and beau
tiful!''
But, Sophy, the absurlity of it-a
ring, when they want bread! They want
bread, and Jack gives them stone.
Think of it!''
"No matter, papa. They'll have
bread, all they want. You'll give them
bread, papa, right away. But it's only
Jack that could ever have thought of such
a sweet, beautiful thing as giving that
poor little dear ring"
The next evening every blind at the
back of Mr.. Mays house was secured
and closed in such way that no possible
view could be obtained of that row of
back tenements.
To do Mr.. May justice, he had made a
tour of the place Oh Christmas morning
with Jack, and saw that none of the in
mates were without the present necessi-
ties of life. AS for any permanent relief,
that was out of the question, of course,
but Higgins was well provided for. Mr.
May and Jack raped up some Israelitcs
who had no especial aversion to selling
goods on that day, and managed to get
a carpet for Higgins floor, provisions for
his closet, and blankets for his beds
Jack didn't get through lacking down the
carpet and putting up the shades till late
in the evening. Then he took bite of
cold turkey and cup of tea with Hig-
gins and little Belle, read the Christmas
Carol to the rheumatic boy in his very
best style, and went home to dress for
Sophy's Christmas party.
AS he put on his Piccadilly collar with
his nose close to the looking glass, Jack
couldn't but own that as far as manly
beauty went, Smith and Jones distanced
him completely-also for style. The
Piccadilly would add q new grace to
Jones, or give a delicate finish to the
toilet of Smith; but as for Jack, his
neck was too short and his head too
round to invest collar with any con-
ceivable charm. He sighed, and began
to whistle melancholy refrain, and, as
he went out into the wintry night, he
thought to himself:
"Be she fairer than the day,
Or the fOwery meads In Nay,
If she be not SO to me-
v hat care how fair she be:''
But he did care, nevertheless. And
when he got to the house of the secre-
tary, and found his beautiful daughter
a. n1~z