The Opelousas courier., 1885-09-19

ready to deliver in the morning"
Talk, talk, talk! Whir, whir, wrir!
Dollie folded and basted, working
with rapid, mechanical precision. hear
ing the noise of voices and machines,
feeling the dull, heavy beating of her
own heart and the throbs of pain in
her weary head, but speaking no word
of repining. excusing her pallid face
by the plea of headache.
1t was after IL o'clock when the last
stitch was Sc. in the hurried work and
the girls ran down the long flights of
stairs to plod home through adrizzling
rain. following the late snow-storm.
AS Dollie passed down the staircase
she saw in the contingencies her re-
creant lover, busy over some account
books.
But for the heavy news she had
heard that morning she would have
felt sure that this sudden spasm of in
dustry was to furnish an excuse for
escorting her home at the unusually
late hour.
But, if so, Dollie felt it was but an
added insult to his dishonorable con-
duct, and she hurried on, hoping he
had not heard her step.
She had gone some few streets from
the shop, when passing a church, she
slipped upon a treacherous piece of ice
and twisted her ankle.
The sudden pain made her faint for
a moment, and she sat down upon the
stonework supporting the ratings to
recover herself. Beside her, not q
stones throw away, a dark, narrow
alleyway rang along the high brick
wall of the churchyard, and the girls
heart sank with a chill of terror as
she heard a mans voice in the alley
say:
Didn't you herr a step. Bill?"
"a woman. She's turned off some
where. He amt come yet" was the
answer.
Hes late, tonight" said the first
voice, in a gruff undertone.
"Yeu are sure he's taking the dia-
monds home?"
"Sure a death. I was at IS
when he gave the order. Send them
to my shop ats O'clock says he, and
I will take them home with me- And
he gave the address of cambridge &
Son.
"But are you sure he will pass
here?"
OF course he will. He lives in the
next street. He'll come"
Suppose he shows fight?"
"You hold him and I'll soon stop his
fight"
Every word fell on Dollies ears clear
and distinct in the silence of the
night.
They would rob him, these dreadful
men, if nobody warned him. They
would spring out upon him as he
passed, and strike him down before he
knew there was danger.
He must not come alone, unprepared.
False lover, false friend as she felt he
was. she could not go on her way and
leave him to death.
When she stood up the pain of her
ankle was almost uncomfortable; but she
chung to the railing and so limped
along one street. The other seemed
interminable.
Often she crawled through the wet
slush of the streets; often on one foot
hoped painfully along, till the shop
was reached at last, and the light in
the counting house still burned.
The side door for the working girls
was still unfastened, and Dollie en-
tered there, reaching the counting
house, soaking wet, white and tremb
ling, to confront both Edgar Balm
bridge and his father.
Unheeding their EXPLANATIONS of
dismay and surprise, she told her
story with white lips but a steady
voice.
waiting for me p cried Edgar Balm
1.-The scoundrelsr'
"You bought diamonds at IS
to-day" asked his father.
"a parure for Miss Wilson, sir. /
wish to present them, with your per-
mission, on Thursday. All, look at
that poor girl"
For overcome by pain, fatigue and
mental torture, poor Dollie had stag
gered towards the door and tainted
upon the floor.
A hasty call summoned the porter,
and in a few minutes the porter's wife
appeared, rubbing her eyes, but full of
womanly for the comfort of
the girl.
A cab was procured, and clothed in
dry garments, furnished by the good
hearted woman. and escorted by the
porter, Dollie was driven home.
The naxt morning walking nr0yad !