The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-11-24

We'll, yvuaU am L CO do for you, A.r
Impudence5 40 and call Miss Stevens,
suppose"
you've hut" said Dick much to her
chagrin, "and you do it cleverly Don't
hurry, don't want the whole crew pour
ing down upon US"
She went TO perform his bidding, and
presently Ruth was with him; but it was
not very clear he had anything of import
ance to say. She noticed that he looked iii
and nervous and seemed in a desperate
hurry to be off
Il just wanted to tell you not TO come
TO my diggings again just yet. I'm off for
a few days somewhere toto look for
work Don't come till you hear from
me"
Then he was gone. But minute after
ward he put his head in again, looked
stealthily around, and said hurriedly:
Don't come again; particularly TO-
night"
And yet that very night Ruth hurried
through the sleet and snow 10 Dicks
lodgings. a dreadful thing had happened.
The till at Mr. Cartright's had been found
broken open. a detective was called and
all the girls question, and in the course OF
the inquiries the fact Of Dicks visit had
transpired. When Intercepted as 70 his
whereabouts, Ruth protested again and
known where he lived Therefore to
night she was stealing furtively, like a
guilty thing toward his home. Guilty OF
innocent, he must be warned-be saved.
Guilty or innocent? She never asked her
self which was more probable. She only
knew that he must be told of his danger
and put out of its reach.
Not by the direct route, but through va
riOus paths and by-ways, with the cum
ming born of love, the girl sped. Painting,
less with haste than with the feverish eX-
citem mt that consumed her, she stood
once more in the weu-known dark pas
sage and CROPPED her way up to his room.
The sound of voices reached her from
within
ooh, have the wretches found HIM" she
thought, meaning by the term the officers
of justice.
But it was a woman's tOnes that first
distinctly caught her ear, a woman's tones
speaking her-Ruth's-name.
There's no fear of the girl Stevens
splitting, suppOse?"
"She don't know anything to split
about"
well she's softie and no mistake If it
'ud ha' bin me wouldn't ha' found out
why you wouldn't let me come here
only on special trains.
leave her alone, can't you. She's done
US many q good TURN.
"Well, you amt gettin' spoons on her,
are yer? Come, stow that, or you'll be
left to shift for yourself pretty quick,
can tell yer"
Don't be fool, Meg. What's the Cir
to me, except that she gave me money.
You're worth fifty of her"
Opposite the dreary, ill-cOnditiOned
house man stood watching. Ruth, re
gaining the street, recognized him as the
detective who had questioned her in Mr.
Cartright's that afternoon.
"The man you seek is there" she said
going up to him and indicating Dicks
room.
Then she turned and fied-fed, pursued
by wild, burning thoughts, shame and in
dignatiOn and remOrse. RemOrSe, vague
and dull ut first, only a mere ghost of
feeling, half stifled by the mad desire 10.
revenge. But by-and-by all the Other
passions quieted down, and this alone had
possession of her: Mary's brother, thc
first, nay, the only man who had ever even
played at love with her-the only one
who had thought it worth while to lie t.
her, and tie pretend that she was fair-the
only one that had ever aroused in her TIE
consciousness of all that her woman
hood might be- And presently She
would be wanted - wanted by
the law to give evidence against him
whom she had betrayed; she would be
wanted to stand in the witness box and
denOunce him as a thief. All mel She
who had never been wanted by any one
would become suddenly of Importance in
depriving a fellow-creature of all that
makes life dear.
On she fed, as if pursued by demons.
Her flight brought her to a secluded
spot where she any Mary in days long
past, and later she and Dick, had often
strolled-a spot where the New river flows
beneath willow-trees, just a little tranquil
bit, overlooked by prim quiet houses.
Most of the river has been slowed away
in pipes and buried out of sight, but this
bit has been allowed to remain above
ground to be gazed at by city-weary eyes,
to moisten the green banks and-ah! wa>
it left to be last refuge for a mad,
haunted creature, driven to desperation,
one bleak wintry night Wanted by tho
policel Was she wanted by any one else
anywhere, even in heaven? Who shall
say.-Re Henry in Home Chimes.