The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1881-09-17
From the Quiver.l
MIR. JAY.
AN ENGLISH STORY.

"Small and neat-very; age uncer-
tain; spectacles, thin-faded hair, faded
overcoat to match, and an alpaca UNI
bella. He may be good, Will, but he
is one of the most communicating per-
sons / have seen for some time"
odd you ever see an original-looking
clerk ?" queried Will, rehectively, from
his sofa by the fire. at seems moral
necessity that they should all be fash
Toned after the same pattern.
els he a clerk?" L asked, turning
round from the window.
$50 Ford told me this afternoon.
Jay, his name is; he's the cashier at
Grimsby's."
The said cashier had just come up the
street, and let himself in at the next
house. A woodward on one side, and
a long, low store shed on the other sepa-
rated the two houses, that and ours,
from the rest of the street. The other
had been empty for months past, but a
week ago the bill had been taken down
from the narrow, dusty window; some
old-fashioned furniture had arrived in q
cart, under the charge of q grim-faced,
deaf old woman, and lastly the tenant
himself appeared upon the scene, and
from the open laths of the Venetian we
anxiously surveyed him, and straight
way came to the aforesaid conclusion.
VIII was an invalid-there was some
thing wrong with his spine, and often
for weeks together he never left his
sofa. There were only the two of us
now; and necessarily spending the
greater part of our lives shut into our
tiny house, we had fallen into habit of
watching and specializing upon the
stray threads of buster lives that some
times drifted past the quiet corner
where our banks had stranded. This
was one. We had built up tall castles
round the coming unknown, and it was
rather q descent to find such an in
significant, commonplace parsonage for
the occupant.
For two or three months. his com1ngs
and gOlngS was a matter of careless In
difference to us. There was not a shad-
ow of a peculiarly about him to waken
any interest. Principally at twenty
minutes to nine every morning he let
himself out OF the front door punct-
ually at twenty minutes past six every
evening he let himself in. Every Sun,
day morning he went to church, and In
the afternoon read a big brown volume
that might have been either q family
Bible or a Shakespeare, and after 8
heightened discussion the first week
upon his possible reasons for wearing
such a remarkable dark darb over-coat
we left our little neighbours movements
unnoticed and uncriticised.
At length, in the middle of one bleak
October night, we inaugurated an &C
quaintance with him. Will was seized
with one of his worst attacks the doc.
tors house was nearly mile away, and
our maid was a stranger and knew moth
ing of the place; there was no time t.
lose, and IN utter perple1lty L slipped
out of the front door and knocked loudly
on the next. 1t was opened, after wha
seemed terrible long interval, by little
Mr.. Jay himself, with candle in his
hand he looked slightly amazed at the
sight Of me.
'Isn't it Miss Bryce % he asked "n
! anything the matter?
/ :" 1t is nv brother-he is so i'll, and
haven't anyone to send tor the doctor
would you mind"
"Of course [ WILL" he interposed
and ] remembered after how prompt,
/ the response came; where does b
hve?"
[ told him, and hurried back. Tn
/ doctor came he had helped us through
many previous illnesses, and shortl,
after the paroxysm passed, and Wi
quietly dropped to sleep.
He was not able to come down tn
next day at all, and we took our tea up
stairs together in the evening. In thu
midst of these came gentle knock a
! The font door, and a message wa
brought up that Mr.. Jay would like t
see me for a minute.
1.-The first call of the series" com
mented VIII. "Mind, you thank hin
for me for fetching Ford. y
Mr. Jay was standing on the hug i
the half-ighted sltting-room, and l de
hvered Wills message IN due terms.
wound 1t up rather abruptly, tindin:
that my eloquence was not making tn
impression l expected.
"Miss Bryce, he began eagerly, tn
moment I stopped, Il wanted to as
You something. Do you think | coul
take proper care OF a young baby a? It's
girl.
| looked at him in considerable astoI
ishment I'll don't know exactly-hay
You got one -
81 found one last night az | cam
back from the doctors; it's at the polio
station now. The mother was in a I
in the street, and she died this morn
ing"
Don't they know where she lived
Has she no friends?" l asked dubiousl,
"No; went round tonight. London
a large place, and t hey can't find an,
thing about her. ne returned: "and Il
baby will be sent to the workhouse, u
{ less / take il.
e Babies need great deal of ate
ton" | sagely observed. "Do ve
really want it p
There was minutes silence before !
! answered.