The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-06-03
TILE DEAD DARLING.
THE STRANGE POSSESSION OF !.
WANDERER IN MODERN BABYLON.
scene in Police Court-How the Heart
of Reckless Girl Grew Tender
Why She Kept the Photo
graph Album.

LSt. Louis Sunday Savings
WAS the woman alone, sergeantn
Entirely alone
And had no baggage of any kindl7
Nothing at all, sir, except this" ana the
sergeant drew from his peck It a little photo
graph album, cheap affair of gilt paper
and tlnSel, soiled and much worn.
Chief Harrigan took the album in his hand
and looked up into the face of the girl who
stood quito composeily by the side of the
officer who had arrested her
Were you acquainted with the character
OF the houses you were visiting this morn
mgr
Perfectly
"Why did you visit themgo
y wanted TO get place to live"
"Did you find onel'
mo. had no clothes that we're nice. and
no baggage, and they didn't seem to want to
take me.
What do you expect to do nowl'
The girl thought moment and then re-
piled unconcernedly: "Well, / suppose if |
amt put in Jail I'll look for house lust as |
did this morning-only, I'll go further down
town. where they don't have to have jewelry
and silks to get ill.,"
80 you are alone in this city, with no
property but this" said the chief opening
the album and reading from fly-leaf the
NAME "Alice NJ, B-ville Ills"
EYES,
"And if We don't lock you up you propose
to go into house of bad reputationP
"Yes." rather defiantIy.)
The chief slowly turned over the pages of
the little album ana the little girl watched
him curiously. She was not bad looking
, girl, though by no means handsome. Her
face showed, Enthusiastically, exposure to the
weather, and her hands botokenad hard
work, and outdoor work at that She had
regular features and dark eyes, not mex
pressive; but her face lacked light, as il it
had been in the shadow Of some sorrow or cru
| city, or both. As she watched the chief a
feeling of passive rocSlesSnesS seemed TO ex-
press itself upon it. She acted as if the case
in hand was the case of some other person,
and as if she was only spectator to what
was or might be done.
"Why did you leave home" asked the
chief at length.
"Poor- Work heavy Father beats me, "
she replied, laconically; and, pulling up the
sleeve Of the cheap garment she wore, she
showed the marks Of heavy lashingS appa-
gntly from cowhide.
as this your father" asked the chief,
pointing to the first picture in the album.
The girl looked at it careessly and nodded
her head. IL was the picture of decent
seeming man, with a heavy black beard and
looking like an ordinary farmer dressed fOrs
visit to town.
"You ran away from him?'
The girl nodded again.
"Who is this!' asked the chief, turning 6
leaf in the album and pointing to the picture
Of a comely woman OF middle age
My mother"
| you wanted TO run away from her too.
Eyes" said the girl in steady voice, and
looking very calmly into the face of the Off
cial "She only cared for Dick Dick wa
my brother older than l. She Just caret
for him and sent him to school, then fathe
would make me do the work outside tn,
house, and would beat me if wanted to s
in and rest"
Her voice, as she spoke, betrayed neithe
anger nor resentment She spoke as if sh
WIRE stating facts regarding some other per
son.
"And who is this!' asked the chief, point
ing to the picture opposite that of tn
woman.
THAT is Dick He is always at school,
she said, still indifTerently.
81 don't see why you shoald have brough
this album along with you, at ALL said tn
official, turning another page The gil
made no reply.
"And who is this" he continued, lookin
at the picture of q little girl about II veal
old.
For the first time the prisoners voic
trembled slightly. She stepped up near til
chair where the chief sat and looked dow
at the picture. The hardness had gone OF
of her voice when she said: Bessie, my 81
ter"
"And this" he continued kindly, lookin
at the picture opposite.
There was no hnswer
'Who is this little body?7 lie asked agail
looking at the baby face in the picture.
Still no answer.
The chief looked IN into the plain featur
of che country girl. Her eyes were swim
ming with tears
"Can't you tell me who she is, he CONT
ued, his voice growing wonderfully gent
for him.
THAT is--that NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. II
darling, God bless her" and sobbing as
her heart would break she fell ON her knee
Let her cry" said the old sergeant
may save her, and God knows we can't"
"Was she your sister!' asked the chief
few moments
"Oh, can't you telll Don't you kno'
Don't You SEE! She was my darling, al
she died with her arms around my neck"
- The girl buried her face in her hands, al
n her sobs grew more violent
y The chief knew now why she kept the i
tie album, when all else had been taE'
from her.
As he sent her in his own conveyance
that retreat where unfortunate women u
, kindly and gently cared Tor, he was thnkii
q that perhaps in the love of her mother hea
II for her dead babe there was something tn
made her too good for the streets, tn