Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1885-06-25
from the Chicago Ledgerl
WILD nan !,
Tle OutCast'S Secret!
A GREAT CHICAGO STORY.
By WELDON y. COBB,
Author Of SAT Her Mercy" "The Love d
Her Life" THE Manacled Hand, THE
Telegraph Detective" The Stolen ~
Bridegroom" Etc, Etc.
CHAPTER /. y
A MESSENGER FROM ABROAD.


A soft, silent summers night in the great
city Of Chicago, with dead moon looking
down mournful and mystic from q yellow
veil of haze-a night for love and medita-
ton, for wooing hearts and reflective minds.
Over the tiles haunting pity glimmered
from the star-radiance of the heavens, while
with slumbering, ghostly movement the
night breeze swayed the trees and foliage
of garden and street until their whispering
cadence seemed to awe to silence all insect
life. Afar sounded the low, monotonous
hum of rumbling vehicles, but here in a
lonely portion Of the great metropolis all
was still.
1t was street in the southern portion Of
the city, deserted by its denizens for want
of attractiyeness. abandoned by discrimi-
mating promenaders for more select thor
oughfares.
Disorder crossed its uneven breadth.
while the broken walks told of the neglect
poverty impels and destitution encourages.
There was long row of unpretentious
cottages, most of them unpainted, while be-
hind them, choked into every available
space, were huts still less inviting. barns
and sheds, comprising vast field Of tin
der-boxes, ready to be swept away by the
first vagrant fame. constituting the houses
Of those who here found cheap living, and,
alas too often cheap death.
Honest Yes, from the unkept hut with
two-foot door-yard to the more preten-
tious cottage of the frugal and ambitious
mechanic each poor place bore that dear
name for some unfortunate. If the homely
furrowed face of the meanly dressed ma
tron bespoke ignorance, poverty, broken
ambition behind it all, a human heart knew
all the bitterness, all the despair experienced
by my lady of the costliest robe. Unruly
boys, unmanageable children, squalor,
drunkenness, and profanity were elements
In the composition Of the place, yet the
careless oath of the vagrant had no more
significance than that of my gentleman of
the club; the dazed, stupid drunkard only
gave way more readily to inferior intoxi-
cants than the kid -gloved denizens Of the
stylish supper-rooms nearer the fashion
able center Of the city
Love dwelt here as fervent. as pure. as
in the mansions Of the rich. Sentiment.
friendship, hatred, all the passions and
emotions of the human heart, were as senti-
ent with life under the homespun garb Of
poverty as beneath the satin raiment of the
belle Of society. Aching hearts and hope
full ones, the dramatic, the sentimental, and
the tragic, all found an abiding place amid
the grim haunts of the tyrant want
And within the four walls Of one cottage.
at least, the most attractive of those within
the confines Of the place, were present that
beautiful July night all the elements, in as
strange and exciting a scene as the writer's
pen has ever portrayed.
1t was the home OF Reuben Leslie, me-
chanic, the humble domicile which Edith
Leslie had known as home during the last
few weeks Of her life. 1t was Edith, too,
who, standing within The shadow of the
doorway, revealed face in which
contending emotions were apparent.
The perfect features, the large,
luminous eyes, clear as blue-be and,
like the flower, tinged with the
exquisite velvet softness which suggested
the faintest idea of tears, the neatly attired
form stood out, q revelation of the rarest
beauty in the ruder frame work of the
doorway. Amid the tnrong or girls the
neighborhood afforded the quiet beauty of
the humble seamstress, the flashing WAYS
of the score or more who made precarious
living on the stage of third-rate theater,
her. face, interesting and attractive, would
have been powerful magnet to the most
casual observer; her quiet dignity Of man
ner and luminous, earnest eyes would have
won the praise, She is the queen Of them
ALL"
Her hands had trained the creeping ten
drills which her elbow swept; her care and
thrift had given the charm of homeliness IL
not Of possible comfort to the poorly fur
nished apartments of the house. If she
dreamed now Of grander life, if her young
heart yearned for the swish of silken gar
ments. the bright glare Of the ballroom, the
rapid changes and excitement OF fashion,
able life, she put all her hopes aside, and
the dreamer rudely awakened at the call of
duty as a low sweet voice spoke from
within:
Edith"
She started and hastily left the doorway,
traversing the hall and entering little
room where q lamp burned dimly. A form,
white robed and silent, lay upon the bed.
A thin, wan, emaciated hand out from the
scoverlet was mute appeal to come nearer.
You called me, mother"
Yes, Edith; sit down.
WEAKNESS and weakness spoke in the
faint voice, but its plaintiTe tones ex-
pressed something more anxiety.
| The girls eyes grew tender as she gazed
at the old, patient face. and caressed the
thin, cold hand, and then leaned over and
kissed the colorless lips.
You are good to me. Edith
Do not Bay that, mother, the girl re-
Piled. When think Of your past suffer-
ing, your kindness and love for me, my lit
tie labors in your behalf appear but a tri-
fling recompense IN my eyes.
A low moan escaped the woman's lips,
| repressed and choked to sob, as she said,
hastily;
Your love Is my only solace, Edith. When.
think how until month since We hardly
knew each other, and that for ten years you
had been away from home. il seems 80