The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-03-04

tdiIldEtH III lllt IOdu-Whl. III llt ulfec-
tion her superior had taken some min
utes previously.
She would not tell Margot; that
point she had accorded instantaneous
decision; so now with guilty glee she
popped the bright little thrcepcnny bit
into her mouth, for thus only might she
successfully eVade MargOt's vigilance.
Never, never before In the whole brief
space OF her eleven summers, had Greta
found herself the proud pOssessor of a
silver coin. and strangely enough her
impulse now was To cling to it. guard
II, save II from the rapacious clutches
of her elder. rather than yield IL up to
be transmitted into bread-albeit so far
there seemed every prospect of both
Greta and Alargot remaining supper
less.
Yes, the child was famished and, OIL
how cold. She knew not whittier they
journeyed-scarce. indeed. whence they
came; she recognized only 10y some
half-brutish instinct that she must jog
on close to the wOnan's heels; why,
she never paused To ponder, perhaps
because she had so logged unques-
tionably for three whole long years.
"IIulloa nool What's aftherY' Mar
got had turned suddenly round with an
eye of menace and hand in readiness
to deal the habitual blow, but finding
Greta close beside her 1.-THE child hay
ing indeed but Just gained that vantage
ground, neither at a standstill nor gaz-
ing in at shop-window. rs she had
perhaps anticipated, the salutary cuff
was reserved for some future occasion,
the exertiOn thus husbanded expanding
itself in prolonged groan.
Hey Use SPENT the woman
moaned, rather to herself, II seemed,
than the Callous crowd, the frosty
night. or the Needless child beside her.
"lIeer, Greeta. lend n hand. Moo them
Sharp, an push wi all yer might, a
lazy loon as yer are, o. I'll know the
reason wha Lord luv usln she con-
cluded with weary sigh, as she bent
her own back to the burthen, and the
joint efforts of the pair once more set
the numbering wheels in motion; this
'ere's boot tn last flicker. reckon Use
spcnt-l'se fairly spent Iii! merry
Chrissermas for sum, ma doOt," she
added. with unconscious irony, rs n
barrow. grooming beneath its freight
of evergreens and gay flags and baubles,
came in momentary contact with her
elbow. the while the sturdy boy in
charge, with ruddy cheeks and glowing
llNN's oll'hA'h lhNAAAf W WV lfAo1'Ap-h
The compliments ~ tn saysOn, Mer-
RE Christmas, Won't You buy, buy,
buyp"
Then on, on again without further
let or hindrance, down the Strand, past
Clearinghouse. out through some bye
streets into Waterloo place, thence in
due course to Picadilly-circus, where
for one moment only Margot paused; to
regain breath perhaps. for she was
breathing stertOrously now, and she
pressed one hand heavily to heI
side.
Good Loord-Good Loordln she
groaned, gazing strangely at the sea OF
faces which hurried past on every side
regardless of her pain:
"Wheer's ganginy Greta ventured
ferthe first time to break silence inter.
ros atively at this juncture, glancing up
askance into the woman's face.
But there was no response; so the
child sucked her threepenny bit the
harder, amusing herself by pressing hel
tongue through "a certain round hole il
one corner, and thus in some measure
succeed in forgetting she was weary
hungry, numb with cold, as were surely
many thousand others that same nigh
in the wealthiest city In the world.
|, Thus hath ii been, and ever shall be
till Time lays down his hour-glass, fo
the poor shall never cease out of tn,
land. Yet, none the less, the rich an,
| prosperous must eat, drink, and max,
merry whensOever opportunity pre-
sents.
On again, rounding the corner now a
last, up Piccadilly, past Burlington
House. and down ConstitutiOn-hill il
due course. The broadway here i
comparatively deserted, the busy, bust
ling crowd Is elsewhere; only "a fey
carriages and hansom-cabs spin hithe
and thither over the slippery wood
paving, their bright lamps glistenin
through the night like colossal glow
worms or iire-ilies; the leailess trees be
hind the gaunt palings of the Gree
Park frowning menacingly on tn
scene, as they stretch forth thei
snow-laden branches, like grisly arm
in benediction DER needless world.
Margot once more comes to fuI
stop, "Oh, my Loordln escaping he
ashen lips; then, without other pre-
monitory sign or symptom, she stun
bles, staggers, sways, and falls-fall
downward on the piano in huddle
heap, SO that t'were hard to say, at
passing glance, whether she is merel
crouching over her instrument prepara
tory to making night hideous once agai
with its harsh, discordant wall, @
whether the human clock has stoppe
at last. never to be set in motto
more.
And Greta, too. stands still, somC
what to rearward, however, and leanin
luxuriously up against a friendly pillar
post, whilst she placidly awaits the IL
sue Of events. She is very tired nov
poor little soul, and oh, so hungr,
The cold night air seems to ha,
numbed her childish brain; she is CO..
scious Just now only of hunger and (
tigue, well-nigh oblivious even of Il
fact that she still holds the silver co
fast between her teeth.
Someone has stopped, anxiously I
garding MargOt. Someone who, no
advancing, lays hand upon the wor
ans arm.
Yet she moves not "Well, VIII
matterY' modify the child reflect
Three times already unavailingly 81
has asked: "Wheer ganging2" Thr
times a grunt has been Marquis Sc
reply. But now-ah. two other fgur
bend over the recumbent form, al
then, at length-yes, surely. a stalwa
policeman to the rescue. Oh. the fla
of his dreaded bull's-eye
Then, scarce knowing why or whei
fore, in no wise pauslng to reflect, b
yielding simply to some instinct
, elf-preservation, the child, after o
brief agonized glance round, turns a
swiftly flies down the broad frost
pavement with fleet and nimble fe
some haZy notion in her mind that tn
may she best escape 9TH peeler;" tn
| only insnapt anaU in hpr naln, hanpa