Evening star., 1886-09-11
Copyright, 1861
PART /.

cept some few and they called him SInithie-
Jake, sir. he boarded with old widow lady
of the name of Mrs Riley, who lived on the
top floor %; house in the BOwery, not far
above where it's joined by Blocker street. Jake
WAS Ia young fellow of 20. a com mpositor by
trade: and just now he had job in the Daiy
Trumpet office. down ON Printing House square
Tile consequence was that Jake most generally
used 10 get home along abort 3 OF 4 o'clock in
the morling: though sometimes. ii there was
extra rush OF work on, lie didn't get home
tiiI considerably later.
Well sir. one bitter cold morning in January
'SJ. Jake was coming home usual-footing it
up the BOwcry, and thinking to himself how
good Ie d feel pretty soon, after he'd got tucked
UP snug in beds. was bowling along as say
Ike that. when-jrst as lie reached the corner
OF DleekeT street, and wasn't more than a rod
two from his journeys end-he seen a
woman, sir. "A hanging on to the lamp post that
STANDS There Jake didn't take no particular
notice OF the womaG's face; but he judged right
OF thai She Iau>t be mighty poor and low down
because the dress she had on was "A miserable
e. hcO, not thick enough to keep "a fles, warm in
sUciI weather; and then from the limp way in
which she husGed that there lamp post, lie sup
posed that size was drunk. Now Jake wasn't
tender-iool; but if there was one thing on
this earth which made him feel kind of dis
gussed and tired out all over, that thing was to
SEQ "a woman drunk. so the sight OF this woman
here rather went against the grain; and ne
looked the other way, and hurried straight
ari>t ner. and whipped out his latch key and
stuc. At into the iocIs. 8uI before he'd got that
Key iulriy turned, and that door opened, all Of
a sudden Jakes mimi mlsSave AIM. ''N hat,
SAY iIe to himself. ''That il she weren't drunk
alter ail?'' And with THAT. he reCoiieeted how
perisHiHg cOid IL was, and how thin and himsy
that GTc>S she had on appeared TO be; and he
thought Of the lajenCs< OF the hour. and of how
few people were passing, and OF how, drunk or
soaer In., poor creature was u female like his
N her .il TF~t inc
knew, sII, he swung around, and marched
plump up to- where tne woman was standing,
with the idea Oi invest eating and seeing
whether she needed help.
Well, si., 10 sooner dId Jake get enc square
glimpse ci that w1man's face. tisan his hair rose
on end and he had To catch hard ior his breath.
Drunk? Don't vOu believe 1T. Dying, sir, Hang
Ing OH 10 tuat iainl-pC>t IUr all She WAS worth,
ant lag lHc "a Deit>t there III the public street.
tell yoD, Jake y heart gave biz jump. Her
face tnat blue and punched, and ner eyes
were that duh and glazed, that he knew Tor
tain that the case Was desperate. And sbe-she
kind of sized him up out of the corners of them
dull eyes ol hers. and say she in a gasp SAYS
she, lin sick-Ncry sick, which Wasn't
news to Jake. lie good deal Hurried
and excited. and ne couldn't help thinking
how lucky IL was that the notion had struck
him 10 turn back And he couldn't help
wondering some, too; for this woman, she
wasn't COMMON. That dress She was a
thin one and cheap one, and no mistake: but
her face and Aer hair and her hands, they
the lace and the hair and the hands OF genu-
wine lady, as Jake recognized IN about one
twentieth oi second; anu lie cOudD' { he - Won
derlng how lad yiike her COME To- be eli ing To
bOTeTy iamP-DOst at that hour of cold WIN
ter's night, and dying as fst-t she knew how.
But Jake Gldn { asa no questions and lie didn't
waste nlych time standing stiL nei1hsr The
point tntt worried him was, what he had better
do about IL. Al first ne thought OF Juggling her
around To- the ststtion-house, ana leaving her TO
The police; bat taking II all In ali, he didn't
tiTely I.vOr that plan, ON account oI the cold
and the distance ana the chance that she might
die in his arms Oh the way; and besides, il
didn't somehow seem just proper for -uch
Out-andout lady to be left Io the police, any,
how. SO pretty soon he made up his minti that
there nothing Ior il but carry her straight
upstairs TO where he boarded, anu give her into
the charge OF Mrs. Riley. Mrs. Riley was right
good-uearted; anu Jake calculated that she
wouldn't object especially when he'd explained
the clTcGnl> Istnces 10 iJer. 80 next moment he
liiLed the woEau into hls arms and he tagged
and pantec and pulled away, till by and by he
had Aer Raid out safe III Mrs. Riley Kitchen
near the stove. Then, OF course, he began
pounding Oh Mrs. RIeys bedroom door, TO
wake her up.
Well, sir, Mrs. Riley got herself into come sort
oi ii garment. and she TuUbed her eyes, ana sue
cone ana took "a look at the woman, and she
listened 10 Jake IS story of how Le Il Iound her
and linen says she. Jake, you done just right
And now You ran as quick as you know now,
and ieicn "A doctor; and you stop at The station
house, and ASH taem TO send ambulance to
taSe laer to IIe hospital That's what Mrs
Riley said 10 Jake, anu he didn't lose no time
about DONG II. There doctors Office
around the corner, IN BECKER street, and Jake
toI;cd that ,ioctor out, ana told hin where lie
~a,s wanied, and tnen he made tracks Tor the
station Lotise, aud set the sergeant TO ringing
he iOurd the woman laying out ON the kitcnrn
NoOr, as he had placed her. aud the doctor
bending over her. and Mrs. Riley standlug by,
with her hands To her hips looking on
w ell, Jahe, says Mrs. Riley, "!s the ambu
lance Coming?
"Ies. nia >,In,' says Jake, "leastwise the
sergeant, ne Iui9g tor II"
NJ Whle.. the doctor puts his oar in. IAN am
bUilnec.' says he looking as if he'd spIit oren
for the wisdom that was inside oil him Have
you sent IoF an aInIuiJnee:'
NAVE, sIT, says MIS-. Riley, TO take her
10 the hospital
.-Excuse me, madam says the doctor, "but
this mere woinans Lie depends upon her not
Row's that 80 says Mrs Riley.
IL you have her carried to tine hospital in an
ahb1i"nee, sne as good Us dead already. IL
You lc1 htr stay here, quiet and comfortable,
there's some SLOW of our being able lo pu.I her
through Inat's how it Is, says the doctor
Al mat > So. -"ctor says Mis-. Riley. "here
She stays; aiid t..aLs all there is ABOUT III
Aineh, says the doctor. And now, let's
bed s;,ys Mrs. Riley. Faith. I've got no
bed, except nay own a,iG JaESe's''
Wei, says Jaaie, - / Ii Tough. 1 can sleep
Oh lnS IOoT IUt IIcf IN my bed, says he.
listst . taking, says tL.e doctor.
And nina aad Mrs. Riley, tney put her in
si''i.o-i-otise 10 stop them from svnUIng tUs.t
There ;.IiI DUisti8ce.
Wnen Jake come home again the doctor mad
gone away.
.-M,.., Mrs. Riley Jake asked. what aid
the d0otor make out the IL,.-Icr with Iler
.Inc matter Mrs. Riley answered. lis .nat
Sac Been hVaten by some brute Ia sue, black
and blue iroiII mead To loot, .u size hasn't ,u
= nOfseI oi decent iOOd In he stomach .i..,s.
thv LJfO Only ki-oWs w..vsI. and s3e'> been out
III tile CoIu Iil4 she's pretty Et-H .rOz-n : I'd:
and now sLc > going iO Dt iLDTju! sIc4l with tie
ievei, and its loor chance i.er ever 2ett.u.
We'll Ant You ssHd Iiie, j.ae, we've got :. me
big load OH our hands. Iu:tI > what's Ihe mat
Ter, says MIS-. Riley, ana t.4e.u Mas the trucsI
words ~iIe ever spoke in IIer .Iie.
There am no cs.Ii iOr to 20 into all the
PARTICULARS oJ This here business 10 YOU sir Ii
was To DO so, don't know as "a get through
much before New \ ears. Ii'ii be- enough n wien
tell you that for ses EN- weeks that woman lay
"a SICK as death ID Jakc's bed. and that tlIrtug
tile whoIe Oh them seven weeks she was gone
Clear out Of her head like :, r;.vi.I. IDIOT sac
used 10 bo! er and sing and istl...4 ana cry and
Tear the teci-clotneS and Try jump out OF tA
window, and Carry @eneF.gIiy iI the crazy
fashion that people Will carry ON IN, when
they re down with the lever. % course sue
Couldn't he lett alone a minute Someone had
u Dc a-watchlng her, and s-suarClnS Ler and
1rkceping her from making bad enough worse
All tie time. Poor Mrs. Riley, il was mighty
Iitle peace she got, and mighty little sleep.
Jake when he was 10 home, used To take her
pace at the woman Is bed>iue, and do little odd
Joos lor her around the house. and relieve ner
every way he could; but from the hour when
NE went I'D work till the hour lie got back Mrs
f!Iey bad 10 run the shebstng by herself; and as
ehe WASH as young nor hearty as she lad
oeen once, the strain told upon ner. The DOCTOR
ne come every day; and when things was extr;,
Iao. ne come twice "a day. Jake knew that that
0Octor wasn't doctorinS for the good of his
heaIsh, or because lie liked it, and that he'd
nave 10 be paid OF Dy some body some inc day.
30 JAKE, he quit usiag tobacco and rldin. in lie
elevated ana going to the tIieay Ter ON lis might
OF; and he began To save up.