Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1886-03-06


warns her blue, cold fingers by the
register.
A lady in rich attire views her
distrustfully, and gathering up her
parcels walks to another part of the
room. The. child watches her cur
iously with her large, dark, sunken
eyes, and defiant tear rolls down
the thin, sallow cheeks. With a
swift, nervous movement she wipes
it away with a handful of her dark
hair, which hangs in tangled mass
es over her back and shoulders, Civ
ing her a strange, uncanny appear
ancc.
A SMALL, silk purse lying on the
floor catches her eyes, and the
CLEAN Of the gold and silver within
is tempting. She picks 1t up, and,
walks to,the lady, who had eviden.
tly dropped it when she changed
her seat at the time, the little va.
grant came near the register. She
looks up at the girls approach, and,
seeing the purse in her hands, arises
hastily and snatches it from her.
"My purse" she says, shortly, but
adds, as if somewhat ashamed of
herself: ''Thank you," and turns
to gentleman approaching her and
bids him smiling good evening.
The girl fingers in their vicinity a
moment and timidly lays her hand
on the lady's arm. She turns i'm
patiently, and says with a shiver of
disgust: "Go away, you .wretched
little beggar." One of the depot
policemen hears the remark, and
roughly orders the girl to leave the
premises.
She hurries away, and after run
ming some blocks turns down a side
street. She looked at the sky now
clear and blue aud studded with in
Vulnerable stars. HYoua are cruel, nshe
says, shaking her head reproachful-
ly, and as she hears footsteps advan-
cling, she turns abruptly and runs.
A young woman, walking just in
front of the terrified child, makes
misstep, and is precipitated into a
snow drift, at the edge of the side
walk.
The girl extends her hands to as.
sist the other 20 rise.
Thank you, child" says Il pleas
ant voice. " Why, you have no
gloves on! How cold your hands
are! A small bunch oficicles. Here,
run away and buy yourself pair Of
mittens if you have none," and she
slips a coin into the chill's hand, and
continues on her way.
The little homeless one stops under
the first lamp-post to examine her
treasure. "A half doIlarr' she ex-
claims, and the weary little heart
gives a great bound ofjoy. She again
runs, and this time her speed is
checked in a grocery store, where
she invests all but cents of the so
in tea, bread and sugar. On regain
ing the street she halls car, and
curling herself up in the corner on
bench looks with wide, waking,
thoughtful eyes on the frozen win
dow opposite.
"This is as far as we 60" announ-
ces the conductor, after a long, tedi-
GUS ride, and the little figure again
struggles in the snow, hugging the
small parcels close to her breast.
Nothing but snow! Great white
fields of snow, though the city behind
and the heavens above are cleaning
with thousands OF lights.
Stiller and colder the night grows,
but still that dark dot moves along
through the white vast stiffness of
the night.
The large, dark eyes atlength spy
an apparently long sought for light
ahead. She soon reaches the struc-
ture from which it CLEANS, and open
ing the door without key, she en-
ters and seeks her way up dark
fight of stairs. The great bright
eyes ofrats peeping out their holes
do not frlghten her. " Go away you,"
she says, chidingly, as if surprised
at their boldness in confronting her.
Rapping lightly at door at the
head of the stairs, or more properly
speaking, ladder, she gains admit.
lance.
"l've got something to eat, papa,o
she says, cheerfully, holding her
hands to small stove emitting con
siderable warmth.
Something to eat.n he repeats,
eagerly, and grasps the cold hands
in his own and CHATS them gently.
81 have been waiting for you, my
Pearl, and I was fearful that the
winds had dug your grave and the
snow filled it. But you have come
back, my PEARL" and the white.
long hair of the old man mingles