American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-06-01

of this strange young woman than that
of any one he knew.
He went out of the store with the
gloves in his hand, and walked rapidly
in the direction of one of the ferries, |
but had gone but block or two when,
upon sign at the door of a bakery, he
read that coffee and tea could be had
within for cents cup. He went in
and sat down at one of the marble
along, not at all cheated into the idea,it
was thing he would have done upon
any other occasion. He looked upon
confectioneries and cakes of all kinds
as connections of the afrite of indiges-
ton; a marble table was an abomina-
ton of his sight and touch, sending as
it did cold glare to his eye and a chill
to his stomach, and tea he never tasted
when he could get glass of beer; but
this must be the place where that little
woman had said she could get cup of
tea, and Peter could not put aside for
the life of him this sudden but absorb
ing interest in that little woman's health.
Sure enough, in she came, with a fall
tering step and so strangely bewildered
manner that patron of the establish
ment at the same table with Peter blink
cd knowingly at one of the walters, and
whispered something which the servitor
Indignantly denied.
Nothing of the kind, SIR" he said.
"She never takes drop, sir; she's an
honest young woman, but hasn't been
well of late.''
Peter felt an Inclination to reach out
his arm and knock the slanderer to the
floor; but at that moment somebody
else fell on the floor land Peter was soon
leaning over her, loosening her bonnet
strings, bathing her forehead with
water, and tanning her with newspa
per he had pulled from his pocket.
As there seemed to be considerable
difficulty in restoring her to conscious
ness, the new penitent slanderer ran off
for doctor, and when the doctor Or
| dered her to be taken home at once and
put to bed or he would not answer for
the consequences, he ran off, at Peters
suggestion, for carriage. The car
rage being ready, but the young girl
still unconscious, nobody knowing
where she lived, and Peter unwilling to
leave her, this expiator ran off to the
store where Patty was employed, and
tried to find out her name and address.
Every one knew she was Patty Burr,
and a dear, kind, good, obliging girl,
and that she lived somewhere in Blank
Street, just at what number they
couldn't tell. There were good many
houses and people in Blank Street-it
was densely populated-and the young
man went back from his abortive errand
to the bakery, where they awaited him
in great Impotence.
"She'n have to be taken to the hos
pital," said the doctor.
But Peter said, g NO." and lifting her
into the carriage, he gave the driver his
address; then he wrote it upon plain
card for the doctor and for the young
man who had at first been so obnoxious
to him.
"My name is Shangles," said this
young man. eff / can be of any
service, please let me know. I'll look
through Blank Street again.
g It's hardly necessary" said Peter,
for it was plain to be seen this poor
young creature was upon the verge of
some dangerous fever, and not IN a con-
dition to be hustled about from one
place to another. Peter knew he could
count upon the motherly heart of his
landlady, who was a country-woman of
( his own, and in whose house he had
lodged since he had been in Ameri-
ca, and anyway, Peters heart was set
upon the poor young woman's welfare
and comfort. He was always in earnest
in any thing he undertook, and Peter
was never SO much in earnest in his life
as in this sudden interest in the fate of
poor Patty Burr.
The landlady's heart melted to her at
once.
"I,Q do what can for you, Mr.. Rob-
inson, said good Mrs. McGlosky; /" but
let us hope it's not an infectious fever
that'n drive all the folks from the
house,
The better to insure quiet and place
apart, they put Patty into one of the
! garnet rooms; but it was as comforta-
BILE in its way as any in the house, and
had coy home-look, with its dimity
curtains and patchwork quilt, and pic
ture of Prince Charlie on one of the
slanting walls.
The doctor declared the fever free
from infection, but none the less danger
GUS on that account, so that the board
ers could give full vent to their pity and
concern without qualm for their own
safety. Mrs. McGlosky was a master
hand at beef tea, broths and gruels OF
various kinds, and had a magical knack
in shaking up pillows, and was the more
liberal with her own time and toll as
these were her sole expenditure in Pat
TVS behalf. The hard cash came from
Peters pocket SO readily and plentifully
that when Patty was getting better, and
Mrs. McGlosky found heart to smile, her
comely face took many wrinkle OF
merriment, and she shook her head
knowingly over this sudden recklessness
of generosity on the part of the hereto
fore canny and prudent Scot.
In truth, Patty's sickness made big
hole in Peters hoard; but he found one
treasure increase rs another depleted,
! and never having known the nature of