The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-11-12
THE DAILY STAR.
CAPTAIN TOM.

Nothing to eat-nothine, absolutely
RothiAg. Not Il morsel of bread, not
cup Of milk. nor Ii bone, nor a potatol
Not penny to buy anything with, and
not thing to sell that any one would
buy!
Yet London is not desert of any
kind, and in the very heart of London
lived Lily Vane.
She had been singer, with a good
mezzo-soprano voice, and so had earned
her living; but she had never been
pretty and had never made furore any
where. Still she had had lover, and a
true one, and they would have been
married one bright, midsummer day, but
on it's eve he died-dropped at her feet
just as he had taken her hand in his to
say adieu. Something the matter with
his heart, the doctors said.
And now Lily Vane lived alone, as
she had for years. She was poor, she
was plain, and she was no longer young.
Her little savings had been boarded in a
bank which proved to be only a swim
dler's trap for honest peoples money. 1t
was gone, every penny of it; and Lily
had had fever and been near deaths
door, and so had lost her pupils.
And now the autumn had passed, win
ter was at hand, and she was starving.
She was patient woman; suffering
mad made her so. She was proud too,
in her quiet way. 1t seemed easier to
lie than to beg; and between herself and
heggary lay just one thing-the plain
gold ring upon her finger--her mothers
wedding ring-that she could not sell;
nut she could pawn it. So, as the clock
struck twelve, she wrapped herself up in
shawl and hood, and slipped out.
The old man sat smoking beside the
fire; no other customers were there. The
business was soon dispatched, and the
few shillings counted into Lily's tremb-
inc hand, and she was turning away
when the door burst open and jovial
rgce was thrust IN, and loud voice, the
voice of seafaring man, used to shout
ing orders above the roar of wave and
dash of wind, cried: .r
"tfalloa, messmate! am | right for the
Keneington road2 Eve lost my bearing
,omehow, and don't know which way to
steer"
"Tbe first turning to the right, and
hen straight on said the pawnbroker,
alpl the man, with "Thank ye," plunged
,ut into the dark again. A rllddy man,
,all and broad of breast, with glancing
iet-hlack eyes, and hair that clustered in
mass of ringlets about his temples. A
smile, too, that was all goodness. No
false glitter in it, but pure gold.
Lily, in the glimpse that she caught of
alma, saw, or thought she saw, that he had
a kind heart, and also that he resembled
ier own lost lover. A thrill went through
'iet half of Joy, hall'of sorrow, and she
iollowed him out Of the dismal shop with
slow steps, and began to retrace her way
20 her own wretched den as best she
nioht.
She had turned corner, and was in
he shadow of blind wall of church.
lust before her stood two men, whisper
.ng to each other.
''lle has money about him; saw him
hanging some in the Three Woolpacks,"
,aid one.
He's lost his way. There, the wrong
way, by luck-just where we'll have him
best"
And then, close against the WALL they
hurried OH. Lily followed them Be-
yond, in the light of the corner lamp, she
,aw the seafarlng man trudeing through
he mud. The next instant there was a
cry, and three dark forms struggled TO-
.,etIler on the ground. Lily was timd
venlan by nature; she never knew what
inspired her with courage that night; but
,omething did.
She rushed forward without a mo-
ldpnt's hesitation, and did without
thought the best thing thinking could
nave told her to do.
The pclicemen are coming!" she
cried. 8 The policemen-save your
,efyes"
The words were not out of her mouth
sitcn one ruffian dashed away from his
victim aud rushed up the street, and the
ofher. with what seemed parting blow,
followed his example.
The seafaring man lay prostrate where
hey left him. Lily, bending over him,
,aw blood trickling from his temple. She
hound it quickly up with her haudker-
rdief, and tried her best to raise him.
"You are a blessed woman, whoever
YOU are" he said, rising by her aid.
What made you brave enough to do
hat? They'd have killed me, not q
doubt, and little jennie would have
eried her eyes out. You see it was two
10 one and q regular ambush. Well,
heaven bless you. Is that your hand
lcrchief? Tell he who you are. It's a
Iady's voice and lady's hand. Tell me,
won't you?"
Pm only poor woman" said Lily.
If Eve done you any good, I'm thank
tul. Are you strong againe. You can
walk, / see. You ought to have gone the
other way. Good-by."
But stop" he cried; d
But lily hurried on.
Not until she was in her own room did
she know that she had lost the money the
pawnbroker had given her.
......4 ..~+. ha, yNanr hoJ and -, ,oI