Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-07-18
/: THURSDAY EVENING. JULY IS, 1878.

their effort was not successful.
Lille Gray is blonde, with very
irregular features and a singularly
sharp stare. She said her father
had been an officer in the British
navy, but died few years ago off
the New Zealand coast. Her mo.
ther emigrated to Toronto soon
afterward, and earns her living as a
dressmaker.
Minnie Dixon is the most attrac-
tive looking of the three. She said
that her father is dead, and her
mother stewardess on a steamboat
that plies between Toronto and
Niagara.
Theresa Rafferty, is short even for
a girl of 13, bat what she lacks in
length she has acquired in breadth.
Her father, she said, is a laborer,
and her work is worth enough to be
a help to the family. She looked
rather contemptuously at Lille and
Minnie when they had recourse to
their pocket handkerchief "She's
had Mysteries all the morning" she
said, pointing to Lille, "and she's
crying for company" said she of
Minnie.
eyes, and l have them awful
sometimes" said Lille half apollo
getically.
"Do you know You are going to
be sent home tomorrow" the re-
porter asked.
"0hr' came simultaneously from
three throats, and three faces
frightened yisibly. Then Minnie
speaking mp inquired, "Say, Mister,
is that SO? Who's coming for us?o
"Do you want to go home?" the
reporter queried.
Indeed l do" all three replied
in concert. When asked what they
left home for, the two younger
girls repeated the story about Lii
lies pictures in New York as re-
cited in her letters from the variety
singer.
"What is the name of the actress,
Minnie" the reporter asked.
Lille blushed and turned hel
face shamefacedly towards the flool
at first, but when pressed for al
answer she said, "That was no
true, sir. / never had any sucl
| letter."
The other girls looked at her il
unaffected amazement, and the
after Minnie had recovered he
speech, she looked hard at Lille an,
, said, "What a story that was to tel
us. Amt you ashamed?" The
she broke down and cried again.
The eldest girl, however, ,Isoon re
covered her self-possession, an,
replied to further queries with he
habitual carelessness. She said tha
she had got her ideas of life out @
the Boys and Girls Weekly whicI
she read every week. Severa
months ago she took the first priz
in a singing competition. Some
times when strolling players shove
in Toronto she went to see then
and she knew that she could sin
; better than any of them. Sh
knew that her mother would nc
: give her assent to her leaving HON
and she did not ask for it. he
mother made her work though, an
that tired her so that she made u
her mind to run away to Ne
, York. The main trouble was
! get money enough to get there
; Every time that the few pennie
!, given her by her mother aOcumul;
= ted she saw something that sh
;. must buy, and so she came to TAX
q the other two girls into her conf
: dence. Whenever they could ru
away from home for few hour
they got together and fed each ott
/, er's fancies full of the sights an
! ease of life in New York. Sti
they never could save none
!, enough to buy the tickets.
SHOW did you get the money? ?
i the reporter asked.
!. "She stole it from her uncle,
e Theresa said, pointing to Minnie
] And Minnie hung her head an
e said that SHE did. She knew thi
r her uncle kept money in his trunl
One day she told Lille of it an
a Lille said they must get it and g
4 to New York with it, That w
q easily fixed, Minpie's mother roul
e aply spend every other night
y Toronto. So on Wednesday nigl
4 when Mrs. Dixon was in Niagar,
: Lille and Theresa stole away frol
t home and came to her house. The
J. opened her unele'S trunk aud foun
0 forty dollars. They went to IL
It depot without any baggage, eve
a without q change Of underclothip
!, or a shawl or cloak, lille bougt
!, the tickets for New York, Th
d ticket.seller made no inquiry, br
t took their money and handed thel
v their tickets just as if they ha
r been grown people. They were NJ
e questioned by any person while Q
n Il