Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-09-02
CHAPTER Nv.
A WOMAN OF THE PEOPLE.

than Collins street, especially at night.
The theatres are there, and of course there
is invariably large crowd collected under
the electric lights. Fashion does not come
ont after dark to walk about the streets,
but prefers TO roll along in her carriage,
therefore the block in Bourke street at
night is slightly different from that of
Collins street in the day.
Turning off Little Bourke street the de-
tective led the way down a dark lane,
which felt like furnace owing to the heat
of the night; but on looking up Cation
caught glimpse Of the blue sky far above,
glittering withstars, which gave him quite
sensation of GOODNESS.
keep close to me-" whispered Kilsip,
touching tbs barrister on the arm; we may
meet some nasty customers hereabouts.
At last, to Cations relief, for he .fel t
some = hat bswildered by the darkness and
uarrowness of the lanes through which he
had been taken, the detective stopped
before door, which he opened, and
stepping inside beckoned to the barrister
to follow. Cation did 80 and found
himself in low, dark, i'll smelling pas
sage, at the end Of which they saw a
faint light. Kilsip caught his comphnion
by the arm and guided him carefully
along the,psssage. There was much need
of this caution, for Gallon could feel that
the rotten boards were full of holes, into
which one or the other of his feet kept
slipping from time to time. while he could
hear the rats squesking and scampering
away on oil sides. Just as they got to the
end of this tunnel, for it could be called
nothing else, the light suddenly went out,
and they were left in complete darkness.
Light thatw cried the detective in a
peremptory tone ofvoice. "What do y on
mean by dowsing the glim?"
Thieves argot was, evidently, well un-
derst0od here, for there was shuttle in
the dark, q muttered voice, and then some
one lit the candle with a match. This
time Cation saw the light was held by an
elfish looking child, with scowliug white
face, and tangled masses of black hair,
which hung over her eyes. She was
cronching down on the floor, against the
damp wall, and looked up at the detective
defsutly, yet with certain fear in her
eyes, az though she were a wild animal,
cowed against her will,
Where's Mother Guttersnipe?" asked
the detective sharply, touching her with
his foot, an indignity she resented with a
malignant glance, and arose quickly to her
feet
"Upstairs," she replied, jerking her
head in the direction Of the right wall, in
which Cation, his eyes bsipg more accns.
toned to the Pickering light of the candle.
could see gaping black chasm, which he
presumed was the stair alluded to. "You
won't get much ont Of her to-night-she' 8
a-gnin' to start Ter booze, she is"
Never mind what she's doing" said
Kilsip, sharply; take me to her at once. I"
The girl gave him sul!en look, and
with reluctant feet led the way into the
black chasm and up the stairs, Which were
40 shsky that Gallon WAS ia terror lest they
should be precipitated into unknown
depths. He held on firmly to his COM
panion's arm, as they toiled slowly up the
broken steps, and at last stopped ct door,
through the cracks Of which a faint glim-
mer of light could be seen. Here the girl
gave shrill whistle, and the door opened
as if by magic. Still preceded by their elfish
guide, Gallon and the detective stepped
through the doorway, and a curious
scene was presented to their view. 1t was
Q small, square room, with a low roof,
from which the paper, widowed and torn,
hung In tatters; on the left hand, at the
far end, was kind of low stretcher, upon
which woman, almost naked, was lying,
amid heap of frowsy. greasy clothes.
She appeared to be i'll, for she kept her
head tossing from side to side restlessly,
and every now and then sang snatches Of
old songs in shrill, cracked voice. In
the centre of the room was rough deal
table, upon which stood glittering tallow
candle, which but family Illuminated the
scene, and q half empty, square bottle of
schnsps, with broken cup beside it.
In front of these signs of festivity sat an
old woman with pack of cards spread out
before her, and from which she had EVIL
IDENTIFY been telling the fortune of q vii
lainous looking young man who had
opened the door, and who stood looking
at the detective with no very friendly
expression of countenauce. He was dressed
in greasy brown velvet coat, much
patched, and a black wide awake hat,
which was pulled down over his eyes.
He looked like one of those Italians who
retail Ice cream on the street, or carry
round organs with monkeys on them, and
his expression was 50 scowiing and vim
dictive that the barrister thought it was
not very hard to tell his ultimate destiny
-Pentridge or the gallows.
As they entered the fortune teller raised
her head, and shading her eye with one