The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1881-02-18
ed and shut them in.


her hand.
What should she doa She lay thinking
a long time. She considered the strange
ness of the request, the possibility that it
was not meant for her, the idea that it
was hoax or written by some madman
for 1t was n 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 OF object, she
obeyed it.
She went to the store and spent 81 Of
her precious money for matches She re-
ceived large package. containing thous.
auds of the little lucifcrs
The city clock was striking 0 as she
reached the bulls eye.
The street was silent the pavement de-
serted. And she bent down. some one
tapped upon the bulls eye She slipped
sheet of matches into the crevce. 1t
disappeared She waited n few moments;
the hand tapped for more: she supplied
| them.
AS she waited again pedestrian ap-
preached She rose and slipped back in
to the shadows until he had passed, 9th
erwise she did not fear. The street was
quiet, and she could see the stars twink
ling in the clear sky.
Hour after hour she supplied matches,
at intervals of quarter hours Occasion.
ally the rap came for an earlier demand.
But she could not see the hand. She
only imagined il to be q mans.
1t was long past midnight. The city
clocks were near striking 2, 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, standing
in doubt when II voice said:
! Come with me !
She started in terror for man stood
beside her; but the next words reassured
| her:
1T is ] whom you gave the matches
to- do not be afraid, but take my arm
and walk fast am not safe here.
Alice could only see tall form and Q
pale face, the features of which she
could not distinguish; but the voice
though hurried, was gently modulated
and the stranger took her hand with {
grasp that was not unpleasant.
You must be tired but this has beer
a good nights work for you, little girl,
| he said
What did you want the matches for?
| aska1 Alice trpmhlinU
He had drawn her hand within hi
own, and she walked rapidly besid,
him.
1T was the only way in which coul(
get fires he answered. The heat meltet
the cement which enclosed the bull'
eye in the wall of my prison, and l es
capped through the cavity 1t was large
than the one in the pavement l hav'
been prisoner in my own house 10
three years.
AS they left the vicinity of the Trac!
dwelling he walked slower.
i was quite helpless he added.
knew of no one to appeal to whom
could But listening and waiting, as ;
man only listenes and waits for freedom
l grew familiar with your step as it pass
ed so often over the bulls eye and W
the steps, and week ago when l hearc
your voice to the beggar boy, resolved
to trust you. knew your tread the in
slant that you touched the curbstone, ,anc
slipped the paper up the crevice. Yo'
saw it Immediately, The hour till yol
came passed heavily you were my onl.
hope. You are brave, good child
Now, where is your home ? Can / g
there for little rest before daylight
1T is poor place, said Alice 'but yol
are welcome.
Daylight was dawnng when she re
vealed her poverty stricken little room Il
him. lie flung himself into chair ant
dropped his face ON his folded arms Ol
the table Alice faucied that he wa
praying, and moved about noiselessly
preparing little breakfast. She did no
realize that this man was young ant
handsome, and it was not, perhaps, pro
priety to have him there She was Onl,
Jealous in her pity to serve him, seeing
by daylight how i'll he looked
But by noon there were strange do
ings in the little sewing girls room. Sh'
had been sent for lawyer, the most re
nowned and popular one in the city, ant
he came with two other gentlemen, 81
grand that little Alice was quite awe
stricken. Finally Mr.. Lionel Tracy
that MAS the name of the hero--wen
away with them, and she was left alon,
with her poverty and her wonder. Onl,
she was not quite so helpless and destress
ed as she had been, for one of the gen
tlemen had smiled upon her, and left
few pieces of gold upon her table.
But the marvel was all over with hei
and the gold was spent, and povert,
and labor and care had come back, whe
one day there was knock at the door
and the landlady's little girl said that
carriage was standing for her, and
man in waiting said that she had bee
sent for.
What could she do but obey the sun
mons? wandering what fairy work it wa
that luxurious ride-until she began t
see through, for the carriage stopped &
tiie Tracy mansion.
There has been great public excit,
ment--the papers had been charged wit
the development of the Infamous pie
in high life, whereby the true heir of
great fortune had been .drugged, viii
| i'll, and concealed, and story trumpe
up about his mysterious Disappearance
but Alice, in her solitude had know
nothing about it. Her pennies went f'
bread instead of news. But when 81
stepped upon the threshold, Lionel Ira,
the restored master, met her with te
der courtesy and took away all her fe
and made her feel like little queen
the midst of the splendor.
Have the rest all gone away 81
asked, seeing no one but new seryan
and pleasant woman, who was Il
housekeeper.
Yes; l am quite alone, and shall )
: unless you will come and live with IN
said Lionel Tracy.
; DO you want u sewing girli ask
| Alice inuOcently