New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-29

Claire went close up to his side II he had not
seen the white distress IN her face before, ne muss
she said. IL could go there. The cars would take
me-" She put her hand on the rough wood OF the
box The touch was so light that it resembled
house and watt near him.. till he is buredr'
Mrs. Twining at once began to weep: Orrather.
she spoke in wailing tone that indicated tears,
even If no tears really either gathered or fell
Claire. you mustn't think of going. Nc, you
mustn't Things are bad enough, as 1t Is. Now;
promise me that you won't take any such notion!
DO PROMISED
Claire paid no heed to this outburst. She was
looking with eager fxity at the man. She had al
ready reused his sympathy she telt certain OF u
won't all be buried till about two o'clock" he said:
Therell be five or six bodies to-day. i guess. II
you start from here in about an hour MISS you can
Phi see to it you do" The speaker here turned and
winked one mild eve at his companion. The latter
was staring rather lifelessly at Claire. lie had
long, pale. tired-ooking face
All right" he muttered, alphabetically, as If he
had not at all comprehended but was willing to
take matters on trust .
IN see TO i that he amt got in til you come"
Field amt far from the County Buildings. as they
call em, s'pOse you know how to get to Flat
bush 7" He scratched his sandy shock of hair for an
| instant, and told her Just what cars to take.
Claire put faith in him. Something made her do
stairs, placed inside the dark wagon
and driven away, she went to her
own room and made small neat
few enough and She left all Of these except what
seemed to her of vital necessity. don't want to
look like tramp she told herself, with a, dark
some pleasantly. Il shall not, either. shall only
be poor, shabby girl. with bundle
When she emerged from her room her mother met
her in the hall. Claire wore her bonnet. Mrs
Twning gave a frightened whimper as she saw this
and the parcel.
"Oh. Claire. she said, you amt really going to
the-the grave I"
"Ycs, am she said Her tones were so frigld
and melancholy that they caused papable
start in her who heard them.
ION, CLAIRE" moaned her mother, " IL you go
can't 1 can't see him buned that way. OF course
y0H can, If You wantW
a. do want" said Claire, as though between her
| teeth.
But you'll come back you'll come home again ~
As she was passing her mother, there in the hall,
Claire turned and faced her, " shall never come
home again. she said, scarcely raising her voice
above whisper. You remember what l told
you"
Mrs. Twinng was no longer merely frightened
she was terrified. "ClaIreW che burst forth, " l
amt done right, perhaps But don't be headstrong
now. don't If you'd spoke to me ycsterday-if
you'd even spoke to me this morning. L might, =. .
well might, after all, have given the money. But
Yes It is too late now" Claire interrupted, and
somehow with the effect of a shaft. shot noislessy
After that she hurried straight down stairs,
passed. along the lower hall, and made rapid exit
from the house.
boring windows while the body was being borne
away. Clare. who endured what was thus far the
supreme humiliation of her life wondered whether
an yoDe was watching now, but she kept her eyes
dropped toward the pavement Ms she moved along
and never once looked TO left or right. She do
splsed these possible watchers, and yet Hhe remem
bered what her dead had been-how kindly. how
pure how noble and II was to her sense an mi amy
that his gnomiuious burial should be ina le theme
lie is TO be put in Potter's Field she told her
own aching, bursting heart while she still hurried
along. "Yes, he! And he was so good, so fine, SO
much a gentleman Ho is 20 be put in Potters
FIeldi But will see the last sod placed over
him. That man tciU kesp his word. ] shall
stand by poor Father, his :only mourner. He will
be GLAD n lie knows What slight thing IL Is TO
do Tor bin, after ali the love he gave mel But IL
is all can do. All. and yet so lIttle"
Flatbush. After leaving them she had quite long
walk through the gray, foggy atmosphere OF
region which the sweetest mood OF spring or sum
mer finds no spell 20 beautify IL was now as ma,
eous and lonesome that hateful tract just beyond
GreuupOlnt. The immense gloomy structures OF
the almshouses doomed beside the path she TOOK.
Tho conductor the car had told her Just how
70 reach the panper graveyard II lay at some dls,
tance from the grim buildings that she was oOnged
10 pass, and within whose walls were prlsOhed tno
SIN. the sickness and the madness vi great CITY.
NOthing could be mors common. more negleclIul
more wretchedly melancholy than the place she al
length gained. 10 was scarcely an acre IN extent /;
lt did not contain single tree or shrub; II was
nclosed by fence Of coarse, careless boarding.
Its graves were 80 thick that YOU could scarcely
pass between them. In each grave had Oeen iald
four bodies, and excepting pathetic halt-uoIrn
or so of simple wooden crosses there were no signs
to tell who slept here, except rough. low STAKES
each bearing four numbers Never was the oblivion
of aoath ore sternly typifei was its dark
mockery more dolefully accentuatedl
little grouD of men stood bear an open grave
rs Claire reached the gate. She saw them, ana
recognized one Of them, wnO advanced toward her
She felt herself grow slightly faint as she perceived
box placed Just at the rim OF the earthy cavity.
Was | In time !" she asked OIL tho man, ~ theS
walked together inside the enclosure -
yes" he said with very kind voice. iou
Just in time. Mss All the others IS turhou VI
except him. ! saved him on purpose"
VIII.
This same afternoon, about two hours later
Claire was in New-York She had crossed thither'
spurred by an idea porn of her desperation. IL was
forlorn hope: 1t was like the straw clntched by
the sinking hand and yet ii formed comforting
preventive against complete despair. She haa re-
membcred her old friend ut Mrs. Arcularluss
school tho plump checked and yellow-haired
Sophia Bergemanu. She had determined 10 seek
her out and ask her aid in obtaining work Years
had elapsed since Claire and sophia had metz out II
the buxom young creature had preserved even half
of her old amablo friendship there was excellent
chance of cordial welcome and kindly assistance
Il oply hope that she still lives in lIoboken,
Claire Thought, while taking the journey across
town. Suppose the FAMILY ha'oleit 'n'i' ""PP
cannot find Sophia Suppose that she Is married
and has gone to live elsewhere-in Europe
perhaps. Suppose that she Is dead"
More than once before she had reached the GEN.
raj part of the city, Claire felt herself grow weak
with dread. Night would soon approach one nau
money enough to get Judgement hnt IN her lghor,
ance and her loneliness how could she secure u
Her mothers face, clothed with the old moching
smile repeatedly rose before her fancy. one seeneu
20 sac ,bs hard bitter mouth frame certain SEN
tences ooh. you'll come back" Il seemed to say
you've got to- You can't go gaihvahtlng Ioun l'h
Ncw-York after dark. amt AFRAID Oh' youh
come back TO Greenpoint, sWaW ,
will never go back Claire said TO her own
thoughts, answering this phantasmaI sort Oh taun.
No. not If walk the streets Io. sor food S MOI