Connecticut western news., 1879-09-24

And oh that villain; that scoundrel !" she exelaim >l, shaking her fist in the direction of the saloon, whence issued the sounds of barb and of coarse, drunken voices. "He beat mo so that I can scarcely stand, and tore all my clothes to patches. Look 1"
 She tore with ono hand at the misera- ble rags which covered her body and @ piece of them remained in her. grasp, discovering 8 neck and shoulders ef beautiful form an1 marble wilderness. In this gesture there was such 8 hop J. less misery, such an utter indifference to all woma nly shame, that it went straight to my heart.
 "Ten me-" said, after Intellectually trying to raise her to her feet, "who are youG"
 She looked st me with 8 broad, vacant stare of her dark eyes for moment and then broke out into a mad, convulsive laugh.
 "Who am 1" she repeated inces- sanity. "Ha ha har P
 The laugh turned into sobbing ; she again laid her face down on the pave ment and wept and moaned disconso- lately. The noise had at last attracted the attention of one of the "best ones in the world who happened to be stroll ing through tho streets. Slowly, with majestic tread the portly form ap- preached to where I was standing and demanded in severe tone
 Whats the row here ?"
 "This woman," reioined, "seems to have been badly treated in that saloon yonder."
 ooh, at Old Nick's l" remarked the official with knowing smile. "No wonder. It is mad gang down there. But what's this womanP Let me see. "
 He lifted her by the shoulders and looked into her face. The girl screech- ed louder than ever, made desperate attempt at rising to her feet, but fell back again, motionless.
 "It IS Maggie" observed the police man in cold tone. "She is at it again, poor girl"
 "Who is she ?" I asked.
 "I don't know, sir, and neither does anybody know anything about her, l presume. She is just Maggie, and nothing more, and mad, awful kind of girl she is to be sure. Just as you see her now, so have I picked her up nearly every night these two weeks since she has returned from the island. She will have to go again, that's all Come now, Maggie" the eff, con- tinued, shaking the girl by the shoulder, "brace up that's good girl, come p
 But she remained motioniess, breath ing hard and apparently senseless. "Well, well," muttered the police man, "I shall have to carry her again. ' He stopped down and lifted the girl in his arms like child.
 els she not too heavy for you ?" asked.
 The man smiled.
 "Good gracious, sir, she is as light as child, and IS to that she is hardly more than child see how young the poor thing looks."
 Observing that I had before me one of those rare representatives of theil species who have not yet exchanged
 hearts for clubs, resolved to accom- , pany him to the station-house. While walking I tried to extract from him al the information I could about tn.
 strange being be carried in his arms and who before we had reached oul destination had gone to sleep like child with her head on his broat 7 shoulder.
 All I could learn WAS that Maggie hat lived for more than year in this pre- 5 cinct, and since two months in ding, back room of "Old Nick's" "hotel. aa Whence she came or what her real nam ' WAS, nobody knew.
 "The boys hereabouts call her Cros l. Maggie" remarked the oficer, "ol \ account of this mark she has got on he cheek. Look here l"
 He stopped beneath gas-lamp an .- showed me on the girls left cheek small, dark mole in form of eros q which, though hardly more than speck, was yet very conspicuous on tn s spotless white skin.
 6 "And has she begun long ago to lea 1T this life ?" I asked. "How can sh d bear it? Sue looks so delicate" n "Well, sir," the policeman rejoinet o "for month past guess she has live e on hardly anything but whisky. 'i have always seen her in this state.' . . We had by this time reached th .a station-house. In the light of it's gree ~ lanterns I bade the officer good nigh
 and recommended him to deal gent, @ with his poor prisoner. .s "That's all right!' he observed in
 cheerful tone. "She is quite an O. h. acquaintance with our people here."
 returned to my hotel and went or bed, but was unable to fall asleep. w 70 it the heat or the thunderstorm whit o+ was fast approaching through u
 stiaing, heavy atmosphere of night T I know not, but I tossed about in n ,,t bed and again and again the face of tn
 girl, that beautiful, mud-bespatter, n- face of an innocent child, appear r. =. before me in the dark. It haunted I
 like ghost, and pursued me even in nd my dreams when at daybreak I at la ,If fell into fitful slumber. on l got up later than usual and foul ,e. in the breakfast-room but a few of t all gentlemen whom I habitually met at t v- same table. l noticed, however, t b. presence of 0 new guest who had arriv