San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-08-13
..MhereahoHts - -. | asktd.

| JUST DclON tIlc llIe vi tHe Jebtyf IL was
| caught by the hooks"
The identical spot where she had
stood. Oh, beautiful. despairing face,
what was hidden under your mask of
! stonep
"You should go on the pier, sir, and
see for yourself" said the old man.
1.-The superintendent of the police is
| there now; but they will never find out
who did that! Women are deep when
they are wicked, and the one who did
this was wicked enough"
There was a slight suggestion on the
part of the little group as to the morn
ing being dry one. We parted on very
satisfactory terms.
went on the pier, and under the
wooden shelter where | had sat last
night, saw a group-the superintend-
ent of the police with one of the officers,
the manager of the pier, the keepers of
| the different stalls, a few strangers, and
Jim, the boatman, who had found the
little bundle dripping wet. Oh, Heav-
en-! the pathos of it. On the wooden
seat lay the little bundle, so white, so
fair, like small, pale rosebud, and by
it. in a wet heap, lay the black and
grey shawl. | knew it in one moment;
there was not another word to be said;
that was the same shawl had seen in
the woman's hands when she dropped
the little bundle into the seattle self
same. had seen it plainly by the
bright, fitful CLEAN of the moon. The
superintendent said something to me,
and went forward to look at the little
child-sO small, so fair, so tender-hOw
could any woman, with wOman's
heart, drop that warm, soft little nurs-
ling, into the cold, deep sea. 1t was a
woman who killed JOel-a woman who
slew HolOfernes-but the woman who
more cruel by far than they.
What sweet little facel' said the
superintendent-''it looks just as if it
were made of wax"
l bent forward. Ali if | had doubted
before, could doubt no longer. The
little face, even in its waXen pallOr, was
like the beautiful one | had seen in its
white despair last night. Just the same
cluster of hair, the same beautiful
mouth and moulded chin. Mother and
child, knew and felt sure. The little
white garments were dripping, and
some kind, mOtheTly woman in the
crowd came forward and dried the little
face.
Poor little thing!" she said, "how |
should like to take those wet things off,
and make it warm by good fire."
at will never be warm again in this
world" said one of the boatmen.-
There is but little chance when child
has lain all night in the sea-"
"All night in the seal" said the pitt
full woman; land my children lay so
warm and comfortable in their soft lit
tie beds. All night in the sea! Poor
little mOtherlesS thing!"
She Sppmp1 tn take il Uuitn for grant
ed that the child must be motherless;
in her loving, mOtherly heart she could
not think of such crime as a mother
destroying her own child. L saw that
all the men who stood round the body
were struck with this.
What will be done with it?" she
asked.
1T will go to the deadhouse at the
workhOuse," said the superintendent,
land the parish will bury it,"
Then stood forward.
"No!' ] cried, ''if the authorities
will permit Twill take upon myself the
expense of burying that little child-it
shall not have pauper's funeral; it
shall be buried in the beautiful green
cemetery in the Lewes Road, and it
shall have white marble cross at the
head.of its grave"
I" You are very good, sir" said the su-
perintendent, and the pitifUl woman
cried out:
Heaven bless you, sir | would do
the same thing myself if | could afford
it,
There must be an inquest" said
someone in the crowd; I'VE ought to
know whether the child was dead be-
fore it was thrown into the water"
70 Al
woman.
And said to myself that, if that
were the case, it would not be murder
not murder, but some mad miserable
mothers way out of some dreadful diff
ficulty.
Surely, on the beautiful despairing
face had not seen the hand of murderl
If the little one had been dead, that
would lessen the degree of wickedness
so greatly.
The woman who had dried and kissed
the tiny waXen face, bent over it now.
Il am sure" she said, that child was
alive when it touched the water"
''How do you know" asked the su-
perintendent, curiouSly.
Look at the face. sir, and you will
see."
~ see nothing" he replied.
81 do" she said. II see Just what
you would see on the face Of baby
suddenly plunged into cold water. I
see the signs of faint, baby surprise.
Look at the baby's brows and the little
hand spread wide open. 1t was living
when it touched the water, am sure Of
that"
"a doctor will soon settle that ques-
tiOn,' said the superintendent.
M ,al ~,
rough but not ungentle hands to the
deadhouse on the hill. | went with it.
overheard the superintendent tell the
master of the workhouse that / was
rich man-an invalid-and that passed
great deal of my time at Brighton. In
a lowered voice he added that l was
very eccentric, and that, happening to
be on the Chain Pier that morning, /
had insisted upon paying the expenses
of the little funeral.
"a kind, Christian gentleman" the
master said. 81 am glad to hear it,"
/ shall never forget the pitiful sight
of that tiny white form laid on the ia
BILE alone-quite alone-I could not for
get it. The matron had found little
white dress to wrap it in, and with
kindly thought had laid some white
chrysanthemums on the little, innocent
breast. Whenever see chrysanthe-
mum now it brings back the whole
scene-the bare, white walls. the clean,
wooden floor, the black trestles, and the
table wherein the fair, tender little
body lay-all alone.
CHAPTER ~.
Our little life in this world seems of
little count. Throw a stone into the
Ii Iaaalxan ...l.a..l.