The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-21

of his wife that she and lilly had been obliged
to fast all day for want Of either food, money or
credit, Infatuated him still more, and. of course
-for these gentry always proceed logically-he
gave her a sound beating.
'Tll do for yon and that brat, too!n he shouted,
referring to little Title Walker.
He came very near keeping his word. for once,
so far as his wife was concerned. The beating
the scoundrel gave her was severer than usual
and when he had satisfied himself that he had
knocked her into insensibility, he stretched him
self before the stove and fell asleep.
Ii you, my dear sir, or madam, have little
girl OF about ten years, imagine that child
bright and handsome naturally, with large
wondering eyes, and her little hands and feet,
and her peachy cheeks and her loving, trusting
sympathetic heart-imagine that child, If you
can, sitting bolt upright in bed, faint with hun
ger, agonized with terror, listening to the blows
of villain like this George Harley, showering
upon his wife, listening to his vile OathS and
blood-curding threats!
Little Title Walker listened and listened
Then she prayed to God to soften this rascals
heart-she actually called him Dear Uncle"
and meant it, too-in her prayers. Then listen
ing and listening STILL and hearing no further
noise, she drew the scan. bedeioth over her
head and tried to forget her hunger and her fear
in sleep.
But sleep would not come to poor little Tillie
Walkers eyes. The irmer she closed them-as
children do not recognize the fact that the effort
to keep them closed very tight must necessarily
keep them awake-the more she thought
thought, thought
What was the reason of this sudden stillness2
Had Uncle George gone out againY Had Oh!
a Thousand suggestions passed through this
childish mind, sharpened and made moro than
naturally alert by suffering.
Then there seemed to come a whisper to her:
Utilize, go down."
She turned from one side to the other and tried
hard to 60 to sleep. But all the time something
seemed to whisper to her:
''Tillie, 60 down.!
The whisper became unbearable.
Hastily drawing on her stockings, she descend
ed cautiously to the single room below. One scared
glance around it suficed to show her that where
Mrs. Harley had lain there was little pool OF
blood. The woman had evidently gone out, leav-
ing her scoundrel husband to bake in front of
the fire.
Horrifed at the thought of being in the house
alone with him, Tiilie on the impulse of the mo-
ment, ran to the door and made for the road The
market wagon of flames Weinberg, Grocer, y
was just starting for the city Tillie was favor
lite with all the tradesmen whereabouts. not be-
cause she was good customer, but because they
all pitied her. She had but to ask aud her re-
quest to 60 to town with j. Wernber grocer, was
granted. and as the wagon jolted leisurely along
with the bright lamp swinging on the pole be-
tween the horses, she fell asleep on sack OF po-
tatoes.
u. weinberg, grocer uld uOb uoIico thdb ht10
Tilie Walker was travelling in her stocklnged
feet, nor did the child think of it until their
journeys end was reached Then, summoning
up all ner courage, she said: Il go this way,
Mr.. Weinberg and sweetly thanked him and
wished him good morning"
1t was at the very busiest hour OF the day for
Washington market people that little Tille was
set down there. and the marketmen are so used
to seeing hordes of childrenof both sexes hover
ing around wagons and picking up stray vegeta-
bles that her presence there excited no particular
attention. She got away from the vicinity of
James Weinberg, grocer. as quickly as possible,
however, and for the first time In her small life
ound herself in the great city of New York
1t would be worse than useless to follow the
chlds course throughout that fearful day. She
whent hither and thiSher without the smallest
knowledge of the locality she was in. Eaten up
with hunger frightened at almost everything
she saw, fearful of the big policeman, and still
more fearful of the rude street boys, she wan
dered helpless and in pan footsore, hopeless,
wet and dragged. all day long. without meeting
one kind soul who might take pity on her.
Time and again she made up her mind to speak to
a police officer and time and again, as she saw
his huge STATURE his bright shield, and his heavy
club, her heart sunk within her and she could
not No food had passed her lips; she had not a
single penny to buy any. And now, worst of
all. night came on.
lettering into Sixth avenue at about o'clock,
the childSat down for moment or two in door
passage the poor little thing clasped her hands
together and prayed fervently and with such d.
rectness, earnestness and sim plicty as children
only can employ in prayer. prayed that the Al
mighty God would look down upon poor,
friendless orphan who did not mean to do wrong
to any oody, and that He would give her some
thing to eat and place to sleep.
know men who, had they but single dollar
in the world, would have divided it with that
child after hearing her simple touching petition
a. L.
millions--who would have passed her and her
| prayer by, without q jeer, perhaps; certainly
without thought Of help.
Refreshed after unburdening her sorrowing
mind. little Tillie Walker walked on again, feel
ing lighter hearted. She did not know. poor lit.
tie GIRL that this lieht-heartedness really
light-headedness. But so it was. Suddenly, she
seemed to walk more buoyanty than before; no
sense of fatigue WAS present now Turning
down side street, she saw the lights of an ele-
waited station. She had just reached 1T when she
forgot all trouble, great wave Of peace seemed
to pass over her troubled soul, and she sunk in
sensible to the ground with an angelic smile upon
her poor, pale, pinched face.
I'LL
sNooze, Telegram; even papers!"
Little Johnny Duffy. alternately whistling and
crying his papers. came along moment later.
''Hullo Wot's thisq' he exclaimed
Instantly his papers were on the ground and
he was on his knees.
Blessed if it amt gal!' and then, looking
close at her he lifted the child to the lowest
step of the stars-"and she's tainted clean dead
away!'
Mr.. Duffy was not gentleman of reflective
mind He was man of action.
''Pve got 1evenpence ter buy papers wild" he
thought But kin spare her bowl of coffee. "
The coffee stand was but thirty feet distan t
In less than two minutes he was pouring the hot
beverage down Titles throat
''There!" he said as she gave big sigh and
opened her eyes II kinder guess you'll feel bet
ter after it, OATS bully coffee"
Little by little the girl came to understand
where she was, and who her Strengthening lit
tie benefactor was and little by little she told
her story. In the middle of it Johnny darted off
again, to return with half dozen hot butter
cakes which he forced her to eat
This is a corker. this isl" thought Mr.. Duffy,
scratching his head. I'm blessed if know wot
| ter do"