Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-22

10 uuSi6u. QulCkiN Tue sdICHel is OpSuSO
and a bar Of steel is in the hand OF the
burglar. 1t rests on the iron shutter.
EBrk! What was that; step? No,
only the sObblng of the wind. The bar cuts
into the iron deeper and deeper. Again the
sound, lower and fainter, but still the
same. The bar of steel is in the mans left
hand and cleaning revolver in his right,
when the sound comes again, this time
from his very feet. The moon draws
down her veil of cloud and the white light
shines down on little childish face there
at the cracksman's feet. 1t was tender
face-only to be kissed by mothers lips.
On the little finger of the left hand
cleaned tiny gold ring, The collar al
the throat was OF lace, and the other gar
ments of rich texture. Mr.. Phibbs read
the story in q second. He knew some
mamma shopping in Grand street had
lost her child, and he knew that the ba-
king sun had almost stiled the lite beat
in the little one. lie felt the pulse. 1t had
almost ceased to BEAT. There is sound
OF footsteps along the way. Slow, steady
footsteps, and Mr.. Phibbs knows they be-
long to man in blue uniform. Would
he escape biNself and trust the police
man to find the child? The footsteps are
nearer. A memory comes over mans
mird; an Ipdistinct, strange memory and
face wrinkled and care worn comes with
it. A face, it is looking very calm, and
Mr.. Phibbs sees a rocking cradle and
what is that? A face bends down and
kisses the one in the cradle. Like weird
shadow man is noselessy speeding
down Allen street. AT his breast is the
face Of a child. j.
Perhaps you read this one day in your
daily paper:
Policeman Johnson, Of the Tenth pre-
cinct, last night discovered complete kit
of burglars tools on Allen street. Most
of them were IN satchel, but jimmy was
found on the pavement, ana the windows
OF the wholesale house OF Edwards d Co.,
deSlera in silks, were partly forced. The
policeman met a man carrying similar
satcheI several hours before, and Police
Superintendent Brown, although he
would not admit as much, is confident
from the description given that the noto-
riOus cracksman, Bill Phibbs, was sur
pprised in the preparation Of robbery"
This single room with the cot in one
corner and the tattered gamin asleep in
the other is Mr.. Phihbs' home.
Back a'ready," cries the boy, suddenly
waking; "wby, | thought"
Never Think" says Mr.. Phiobs, ego
for a doctor"
"Oh, see, Pop.'' says the boy again,
"a duction, Ell? All right, Pop, Pm Of"
as MIR. Phibbs places senseless child on
the bed. Many strange things bad the
ragged boy seen in that room. lie had
seen bales OF silk piled on the floor. He
had seen rough men divide piles of green
backs, and more than once had seen Bill
Phibbs t0tter In bruised and bloody, and
many d Ulme had be nursed the blH glar.
The boy returns IN a minute and says
softly: NO use. Pop, the doctors asleep"
Blu Phibbs is chafing the chid's hands.
He drops them, looks at the shining bar.
rel of lis revolver, and murmurs: "Pll
have to wake him."
Through that hot summer night burg
lar Chated the hands of child and a wor-
ried doctor watched. All night long a
burglar watched white, delicate face on
q pillow, and the morning sun had come,
the doctor gone, and the white face life
like again. ...
Mr.. Phlbbs moved the, next day to
another quarter of the town. Several
men who called on him sc0wled at the
fair child PLAYING with the gamin, and
said that Mr.. Phibbs must give up keep.
ing founding asylum, ,,t
The child was veey young and could not
tell its name distinctly. as near as Mr..
Phibbs could make out the name was Will
ne OlONUNSs IL uiQ HOb oGful W Il}Hu us
new home much, and played and romped
as merriy with the ganiin as though it
bad knOwu HIM all his life. The next day
Mr.. Phibbs put this notice in the newspa-
pers:
''Personal--A child wearing a plain
gold ring found; parents or guardians
who claim the same may have it BY iden-
tltving it through these columns"
On the following morning Mr.. Phibbs
read that he would receive liberal re-
ward by restoring the child 20 No. -
West - street. He went back to his
home.
Come, WILLIE" he said to the child,
"I am going TO take you 10 your mamma
and very tenderly he patted the curly
head az he spoke. The child's eyes
frightened. He was anxious to go, and,
after kissing the gamin many times, he
and Mr.. Pbibbs set out. He bad grown
accustomed to Mr.. Pbibbs, and was not
surprised to see the cracksm an wearing
big black wEiskers as they left the house.
Mr.. Pnlbbs and the child were within a
block Of the residence when Mr.. Phibbs
paused. A gentleman was coming down
the st0op. and Mr.. PhibDs knew him. He
was the uperintendent OF police.
"Ah, my hearty" said Mr.. PhIbbs; $50
that's your game" and before the child
was aware of the fact lie was sitting by
Mr.. Phibbs' side in coach aud rolling
down town.
\
Allen street is no longer broiling and
baking in the sun. The Christmas days
have come. Christmas eve, with all its
legends, its ringing bells, its stories of
ghosts and COLLINS. Christmas eve,
bright and cherry. Christmas eve, like a
benedictiou on the land.
Mr. Bbihhn 10 haaf1o hfQ ta 10
gamlu plays on the floor, and the lost child
10 playing at the burglars knee. Slowly
but surely the days are driving from the
child's mind the memory Of an earlier
home. There were his tin soldiers on the
floor and his rattle by the hearthstone.
Mr.. Phibbs was very much changed.
There was solemn, settled look on his
face. He never smiled, except when he
held the child on his knee. Very sagely
the gamin shook dis head and told the old
gentleman with the hooked nose: "Pop's
going" pointing to his head.
Mr.. Phibbs weat out that night. There
had been rumors of an Over-active police
uperinteDdent, and Mr.. Pbibbs was
looking for another boarding house. He
found one and turned back 10 TIE lodg-
Ings. The hallway was very dark and
the stairs creaked. He turned the Knob
OF the door, swung il open and stood still.
There before him sat the superintendent
Of police with the child on his knee. The
burglar heard the last words OF the child.
"ADd oh, papa, papa, he's so good and so
kind, you will love him." The gamin
was IN his corner, Mr.. Phibbs' revolver
was pointed at the police superintend-