The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1883-10-17

away to commerce 4 new life IN a
,uddv under the caves of a house that
boosted of a barn, of a parlur strung
with cheap art in tarni he'd
frames, cheap carpets, cheap chairs and
a time-blurred glass over the mantel-
yes, but it meant Oriental ele-
gance to the pleasure-cheated girl, and
SO for a month or more she sold g.oves
and matched ribbons with a. self-ap-
proving smile.
In the meantime something had
happened.
it is not often that Fate drives to
the door of impoverished beauty be-
hind two cloud-gray horses with long
drab tails; but romantic things DO
happen sometimes. even outside OF
storv-books, and so, when DR.. Jones
stepped out of his polished gig n
evening, stepped in the shabhy-genteel
house to feel a sick lodger's pulse, and
stepping out again stepped right into
the brilliant focus Of two Irish blue
eyes shining in the doorway. Fate
stepped in herself and managed the
rest after themoSt approved Of modern
fashions that begins withthe orthodox
introduction and winds up with a
ring.
Then remorselul memory startled
the girls conscience. and nerved her
to a dutiful visit home. and the way
hal seemed so long nor the place
so shameless as on that summer even
ing, after r~cvcling in the responsibility
of a life uptown.
Grandfather Mulancy was suffering
from the effects Of an understanding
between the two corners: the children
were laid up-or down. rather, on
llabhy pa!lets-with the mumps, and
in the middle of it all-thn miserable
poverty and dirt-therc sat Mother
Nulaney, with Baby Tim strctchedli like
a burning coal across her tire lap.
"Shpake low, mavourneen,' Will
pered the poor creature, wiping the
tears from her face with Il forlornneSS
that went to Kitty's heart-dnl staid
there. "Oh, but its tn faver that's
scorchin' his wee %arruIiS, Do yelook
at th.m-an' he always as fat as a
mole; sure it's erwin he's been atther
vez: that bad, the docthor said Id best
sind yer a message. but m"inde | yrz
promised to come, an yez dead broke
Inc heart along wild yer own wor l.
there, hist now, Tim, larlint; do yez
le slapin, not to know she's home at
last to stay?'
don't wake him, mother" she
cried, hastily and remOrsefully as well;
land it will be quite impossible for
me to stay to night; indeel-I-' she
could not plead 50 triIiing an excuse
as an expected visit from the hero her
mother had never heard Of; so. empty
ing quite half of the silver coins from
her purse into her hand, went on, hur-
riedly: But | will come tomorrow,
indeel; and here, mother, you will
need this for the DO tor
"Shurc, it's the comfort ycz are
when yez do come, maVuurne'n n: hut
the docthor. st. l'atrici's blesSin he
wild him, he won't take a red clint from
the likes of ne, a poor wildly woman
with her arrums full O throuble. but
I'll kape it for the miNthur the childcr
do b. takin' all around; wirra. to look
at thin, with bumps as big as petatie>;
an how DAFT the baby will be when he
finds you've been and left him."
"But | will come tomorrow, in
deed she insis. ed, as sherOse from her
knees beside the unconscious child,
"and sec, I'll put this bright new
penny in his hand to keep him com
pany until l come; and, mother"
She tried to fashion some plea for
deserving them all. but it stuck cross
wise in her throat: SO, kissing her
mothers quivering lips, and allowing
the odds and ends to worship her to
their hea is content for five delightful
minutes, went home quietly ut last,
carving a sore conscience with her to
her cuIdy under the caves. Yes, it
was cruel to leave her mother in her
hour OF need; it was worse than cruel
to stay away from baby Tim; but what
if she should catch that DIR alfulfever,
and it should feel upon her beautylike
a worm that eats up the blush of a
rose!
No, Miss Mulaney could not afford
to bankrupt her future, even for baby
Tim!
If only she could keep him out of
her mind. She hated ugly children,
and Tim's small, wan face, capped with
whitish hair, was not lovable to think
Of; but there it laid, between her and
the trees, between her and the shop
windows, between her and the glass,
while she dressed for the evening
even between her lover and herself, as
they chatted in the twilight Of The
dingy parlor she had chosen to make
her home.
She had never been so fond Of the
child, she told herself, as she sat there
but what would he think of them
all, from Grandfather Mulaney down
he with his pride and grand man
ners-all the weakness in the girls
heart rebelled at the confession of her
part and parcel in Stun Alley and the
Old life. She could not tell hiul, and
she would not.
And then a woman's shabby outline
darkened tile doCrway-a woman with
snbs in her voice and Il naked brogue
on her tongue and the woman was
Mother Mulaney,
"Docthor! It's me little bye that's
dyin' an me a thraipSin to yer Office
when the gurrel av ycz STINT me here.
the howly Patrick, I've found
yez"
At the first word the girl crouched
lch nd the avalanche Of soilel lace
that tumbled over the window, and
remained there till both voices were
lost in the sounds OF the night. Dying,
and she had 1t her mother go without
a word, The twilight hlackened, and
Kitty Mulaney, crouch"d behind the
curtain, tOugAt as hard a battle us he
fights who wins a fortune for his
pains. Every unkind word she had
given the enid cut and Stung her
as only rcmorse knows how to cut and
sting. and now he might be dying even.
The fear of that carried her out of
the house. down til. streets. through
courts and ovrr crossings, till it
brought er, painting. at last to Stun
Alley and the home that. God helping
her. she never again would leave.
AMI when she saw it lying there, a
tiny white thing, with a bright, n W
penny between the fingers that lay like
white lloss ms on its heart. perhaps
Baby Mulaney, looking down upon her
from an unknown somewhere, called
upon his Master to witness that he
had not died in vain.
And the d, ctor? Why, what could
he do hut forgive her weakness in the
name of-Baby Mulaney ..-Lssiie'S H.
lusf7utcd.