The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-02-09

reply; she OWNED that the heart under that
rich robe was one Of stone.
AS she passed down stairs she heard a low
voice. 1t proceeded from one of the rooms
about her.
And he is twenty-one to-day7" it said.
"Yes; it is three years since his mysteri-
Gus disappearance, with sneering laugh.
The voices were stealthy. A door closed
and shut them in.
Alice passed down into the street
She walked fast, treading, unthink;ngly,
upon the bulls eye and went home. When
she flung herself down to weep. she suddenly
felt the crumpled paper in her hand.
What should she do? She lay thinking
long time. She considered the strangeness
of the request, the possibility that it was not
meant for her, the idea that it was hoax or
written by some matchmaker it was
mans handwriting.
But the girls heart was warm and true.
The possibility that some one was in trouble
and she might help them, was the thought
that had the most weight. With no one to
counsel or object, she obeyed it.
She went to the store and spent 81 of her
precious money for matches. She received
large package, containing thousands ofthe
lIcifers.
The city clocks were striking as she
reached the bulls eye.
The street was silent, the pavement de-
serted. AS she bent down some one tapped
upon the bulls eve. She slipped sheet
of matches into the crevice. 1t dis
appeared. She waited a few moments;
the hand tapped for more; she supplied
them.
AS she waited again a pedestrian APP
preached. She arose and stepped back into
the shadows until he had passed; 9TH
erwise, she did not fear. The street was
quiet, and the stars twinkling in the clear
sky.
Hour after hour she supplied matches, at
intervals of quarter hours. Occasionally the
rap came for an earlier demand. But she
could not see the hand. She only imagined
it to be mans.
1t was long past midnight. The city
clocks were striking the hour of when.
her matches became exhausted. She
had not been sufficiently supplied, she
thought.
Quite at loss what she ought to do
she rose from her cramped position, stand
ing IN doubt, when voice said:
.'Come with mep
She started with terror, for man stood
beside her; but the next words treasured
her: at was whom you gave the matches
to; do not be afraid, take my arm and walk
fast; am not safe here" e>a - t;ssa.s
Alice could see only tall form and a
pale face, the features of which she could
not distinguish; but the voice, though hur-
RED, was gently modulsted, and the stranger
took her hand with grasp that was not I'M
pleasant.
az l. A.. h.,Nf
good nights work for you, little girl" he
said.
"What did you want the matches for2'
asked Alice, trembling.
He had drawn her hand within his own,
and she walked rapidly beside him.
at was the only way In which l could
get fire." he answered. The heat melted
the cement which enclosed the bulls eye in
the wall of my prison, and escaped through
the cavity. It'was larger than the one in
the pavement. have been a prisoner in
my own house for three years"
AS they left the vicinity of the Tracy
dwelling he walked slower.
81 was quite helpless" he added; II knew
no one to appeal to whom 1 could trust.
But listening and waiting, as man only
listens and waits for freedom, grew familiar
bulls-eye and up the steps, and week ago.
when l heard your voice to the beggar-boy,
l resolved to trust YOU 1 knew your tread
tne instant that it touched the curbstone, and
l slipped the paper up the crevice. You
saw it Immediately. The hour till you came
passed heavily; you were my only hope.
You are brave, good child. Now, where
is your homer Can | go there for a little
rast bafora davliObt7p
at is poor place" said Alice, 'but you
are welcome"
Daylight was dawning when she revealed
her poverty stricken little room to him. He
flung himself into a chair and dropped his
face on his folded arms upon the table.
Alice fancied that he was praying, and
moved about noiselessly, preparing little
breakfast. She did not realize that this
man was young and handsome, and it was
not, perhaps, propriety to have him there.
She was only Jealous, in her pity, to serve
him, seeing, by daylight, how i'll he looked.
But By noon there were strange dOings in
the little sewing girls room. She had been
sent for a lawyer, the most renowned and
popular one in the city, and he came with
two other gentlemen, so grand that little
Alice was quite awe-stricken. Finally Mr..
Lionel Tracy-that was the name of the
hero-went away with them and she was
left alone with her poverty and her wonder.
Only she was not quite so helpless and dis.
tressed as she had been, for one of the gen.
tlemen had smiled upon her, and left a few
piece Of gold on her table.
But the marvel was all over with her. and
the gold was spent. and poverty and labor
and care had come back, when, one day,
there was knock at the door, and the land
lady's little girl said that carriage was
standing for her, and man in waiting said
that she had been sent for
What could she do but obey the sum-
mons7 wondering what fairy work it was
that luxurious ride-until she began to see
through it, for the carriage stopped at the
Tracy mansion.
There had been great public excitement
the papers had been charged with the deyel-
Opment of the infamous plot in high life,
whereby the true heir of great fortune
had been drugged, while i'll, and concealed,
and a story trumped up about his myster-
ious disappearance; but Alice, in her soil
tude, had known nothing about it. Her
pennies went for bread instead of news
But when she stepped upon the threshold,
Lionel Tracy, the restored master, met her
with tender courtesy that took away all
her fear, and made her feel like little
Queen in the midst of the splendor
"Have the rest all gone away2" she asked,
seeing no one but new servants and
pleasant woman, who was the housekeeper.
Eyes; L am quite alone, and shall be I'M