The Dawson journal., 1885-03-19
A TOUCHING INCIDENT.
A Story That May Find Sympathetic
Readers in Many Towns.

A pathetic scene, says the New
York Sun, occurred a few nights
ago at a notorious uptown resort
1t was a little girl pleading with
her father.
won't you come home now
father, please?" she said. Her
voice was low and childish, and
the sweet upturned face was pale
and quivering with some hardly
suppressed emotion-but the man
toward whom the appeal and ago.
ny were directed took little notice
Of either.
"Why do you bother meP" he
said, impatiently. "Go home. I'll
come when Tn ready" and, re-
gaining with an effort his uncer-
tain balance, he left her.
The girl looked after him visit
fully, then, as his form was lost
to her view in the crowded room,
with a deep despairing sigh she
turned and left the place. Out
eide the electric lights streamed
full upon her slender figure as
she hesitated a moment before de-
scending the step. One or two
policemen lettering near eyed her
curiously, and some men hurry
irg in gave her quick, question
ing glance, but no one molested
or spoke to her, and slowly she
went out from the glare and daz-
zle into the dark street beyond.
The night was cold and stormy.
An icy sleet was falling, driven in
every direction by the capricious
and fitful wind gusts, and the few
pedestrians who were abroad hur-
ried on their way anxious to gain
shelter. The girl alone appeared
unconscious of the discomforts Of
the weather. The rain beat upon
her, the fierce wind met her with
a force against which she stagger-
ed, but she did not heed them.
With doubtful purpose she walk
ed slowly on, turning back once
or twice to look again at the place
whence she had just come, until
as the clock from a neighboring
tower indicated to her how late
the hour was she stopped alto
gether.
$50 late" she murmured. ooh!
I cannot go home without him."
and now she turned swiftly and
retraced her steps. She paused
for q moment on the threshold;
evidently she feared her own res
olution. The doors yielded in
stantly to her touch, and once
more she looked over the scene
whose light and warmth and COM
fort were as little to her as the
rain and wind outside. Her
searching glance soon found out
her father. Fer the moment he
was standing alone, and his daugh-
ter felt that she had one more
chance. Rapidly she gained his
side
"Father, dear father" she be-
gan, speaking low, but passionate
ly. "I cannot leave you here. I
cannot face mamma without you;
she has waited SO many nights for
your Homecoming, and the hours
are SO dreary without you. OH!
father" the child went on, gather
ing up all her energies, as she saw
that her listener was half needing
her words, break away from this
wretched place, come back to your
home and mamma and me; we
love you so dearly we cannot live
without you, and, oh! it is all SO
different now from what it used
to be-" The childish voice was
breaking. "Such a little time
ago we we're all SO happy" Here
q sob almost choked her. She
slipped ker clit ging fingers into
the unresisting hand of the man
who staggered at her side. "Come
back to as, father; come home
with me now" and the tears, no
longer within her power to re-
strain, cOursed down her pale