New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-22
NETWORK DAILY TRIBUNE SUNDAY

the last landing of the stairs. BY the time they
persons who desired to air their bravery now that
safety seemed certain, were returning to their
cns IN bSas 0sr qsSd socumb
There's heap more scared nor hurt. S'pose
we git upstairs agini Heyf What dyer
| Claire shook her head. "No, / want to. find
JOSIE" she answered. don't care to go back.
think she will no, either"
:. All right" said Slocumb; jus take nv hook,
an we'll git out o. here an watch fur Jim an her
where they're mos likely to be-"
| He extended an arm to Claire as he spoke, and
hallway, in which the terrified multitude had al
ready become much more tractabe. But Claire
utey refused to SEQ the offered She had be-
gun TO tremble; that the cause for fright had
passed, she was made to realize with how strong
wrench she had screwed her nerves to the sticking
point. touch of giddIness came upon her; then
knot IN her throat, and fought transienty,
bu5 with silent success agaiDsta novel sensation that
only slight self-surrender might have encouraged
into turbid hysteria. Still she preserved her re,
Slocumbs arm. She bad made up her mind that he
was vulgar and worthless creature, and moreover
she had distressing instinct that he had thus stayed
at her side because of some newborn personal en-
ticement.
He saw plainly her rebuff though she did not put
II IN any salient way. choosing to let hlm suppose
1t nero unconscious omission. But he preferred
not TO let IL pass unnoticed.
"Oho" he said, with surly force while still
keeping his arm crooked and showing 1t 40 prom
inently toward her that no further subterfugs was
possible; 80 " amt gon' to ketch on, hey
Wat; the roason' We can git long better Come
No. said Claire, driven to bay, II am very
"Oh! You'll 60 it alone. All right"
it by any means right His hard brown face
had clouded with sulky disapprobation.
little glimpse of teeth had stolen out under
his crisp, short mustache, with effect not
unlike what We see when an angry dog snarls. lie
felt offended, and this meant that be should either
sting with his tongue smite with his fists. But in
the present fresh glance at Claire whose pro-
file was turned to him. made his spleen swiftly per-
ish. Her cheek had got deep TINT of rose he saw
the liquid sparkle of one dark-blue eye, and the
dense ripping hair chestnut threaded with gold,
flowing above one faint -vened temple.
AiR't she stunnerv he thought. After that he
hallway leading directly to the street. The panic
had quite subsl led. Knots OF people were standing
here aud there. loudly discussing their late alarms.
Some of the women looked and acted as If they
midway between mirth and tears. Most OF the
men seemed grave; few were laughing,
t SSt Centre of tue broad passage wag pessed
hne OF people whom the shock
had left too dispiried for further sojourn in the
house.
Claire with her adherent, was among these lat
ter. In quest of JOSIE she scanned every face
within her field of VISION. She bad already caught
sight of more than Injured unfortunate. further
back, where the rush on tho lower floor bad been
most disastrous. and just before she and SIocumb
had gained their present open quarters. On TINS
itself she had quite lost desire to wait through the
rest of the play Ii was now her liked design To re-
gain Josie and urge the plan OF an immediate
return to Greenpont. Her sense OF having met her
fathers known wishes with overt disrespect hau
become an assaiant self-reproach. The very harsh
ness of the event which had so rudely broken In
upon her enjoyment seemed to have borrowed Its
dlsrelish from the rebuke that she had known was
waiting all along 10 shame her. Providence foi
the Ime, had gone with her father; IL had allotted
him. it had been telling her, IN stern terms of per-
sona threat, bow fragrant was her maj dlsl0yaty
She searched for Josie. but found her nowhere
visible She had soon reached the limit OF the
large passage. A gate now confronted her, Whefe q
man waited, ready TO give those who sought egress
a strip of cardboard lnsurins their readnission
Clare took this guarantee OF further diversion
unconscouslv Tho man had stood at his post
through all the Juror that had just ended lie was
a sort of new Horatius al the bridge, though pos
sibly with less sublime motive, his wage beng
permanent annuity, aud his position one Oh easy
proximity to Broadway.
felt the breeze from the street blow on her heatec
face before she well aware Just what vantage
of exit she had secured. Sun she nad not seen
Josie. And she began 10 realize that there
was very strong chance of not seeing Josie. Irne,
the glrl might have returned with Dir.
MacNab to their former seats Ia the sec
ond gallery of the theatre. BIT Clare reluctance
10 place herself again within the walls Of the build
ing had by this time grown fierce distaste. Mean
while Slocumb had maintained an unreenting near
ness to her. She know thls perfectly we'll III pos
sible a more mcaRre means than the extreme corner
of eacn eve had told her of 1T for 50 great was her
repngnance that she had thus far grudged him even
the knowledge of receiving the most minute regard
But no W she was forced TO turn and look at hiin
DO Won think Josie can have gone back into the
theatre I" she asked. not being herself aware Just
what frost and distance she had put INTO voice ana
"Dnnno" said Socumb. Guess she amt.
though Guess her an him's out there IN the
crowd The crowd TO which be referred was
already dense, and every moment Increasing.
II flooded the ilag-stones and IA portion oil thc
riddle street. Three or four, policemen were
stirring 1t to the needfu sense OF decorum, no less
by au application than menace of their clubs
81 au afraid should never find her there, Clairo
said, hOpelessly. v,,
better come inside agin. The scare II be over IN
minnit. The piece ~ GO on lore long certain sure
{" don't care for the piece" replied CLAIRE, with
n little toss of the head more anxious th an impe-
rious. " don't want to see the rest OF l want
10 find Josie and have her take mo home at once"
" All right jus step inside an wait tnr EN- D0tn
Claire looked straight at the speaker She md
not row Of the droop in each tulifrnged M OF her
beautiful ewes. 1t was an unconscious token Oh her
suppose that they should not return she sand.
All ighl." replied Slocumb brutaily impervi-
GUS RI take yer horne. II they don
Thank You" faltrrcd Clare. ms view Oh the
question gave her a new shock II was like hearing
that the ferryboats between New-fork and Gdeen,
pc had stopped running i1r Inc ng go make
voice and men indltlerrntly calm Il VIII wait
here "a little while, aud then II don't ind Josie
will O., home alone: -, .
of sympathetic interrogation that was deiestable
10 ber "Wby, how tar Is 1t y
"Oh. not very far" she replied, turning her back |
on him and feeling that IN another moment she |
might treat his offensive persistence with the Dlunt
rigor it deserved. c,...,.y |
81 thought you was Twin over to Greenpolnt
said Slocumb, shifting with tough pertlnacity |
round 10 her side. go ,,
What a man of cleaner life and thought would |
simply have praised as sweet and chaste abont her,
fired IN this corrupt oaf his one gross substitute
for sentiment. She could no more
anpeal 10 him by her hneness of line.
coorng or movement than the teld-hower
when cropped by the brute month whose appe-
tito its very grace and perfume may perhaps whet
Claire OWNED this. Pure things know impure |
onss all through the large scheme OF nature. lhere
are nicer grades oil intelllgence Oh course, as no
move along the upward scale of such antagonisms.
The milk will not cloud TILL We dilute 1t with the
l.. -. IL