Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-12-15

Dly u SEoWo SOiISctSO uI10SA tud0lcttIlC lights. Fashion does not come out 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 l 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 tse night; but on looking up Calton caught a 1 glimpse of the blue sky far above, glittering with stars, which gave him quite sensation of coolness.
 "Keep close to me-" whispered Kilsip, touching the barrister on the arm; i've may meet some nasty customers about here"
 At last, to Calton's relief, for he felt some what bewildered by the darkness and mar rowness 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. Calton did so and found himself in a low, dark, ill smelling passage, at the end of which they saw a faint light. Kilsip caught his com panion by the arm and guided him carefully along the passage. There was much need of this caution, for Calton 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 squeaking and scampering away on all sides. Just 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 that" cried the detective in a pc remptory tone of voice. ''What do you mean by dowsing the gliIn?'
 Thieves argot was, evidently, we'll under stood here, for there was shuffie in the dark, a muttered voice, and then some one %h %l &oIo \, ,;o T.1 ton saw the light was held by an elfish look ing child, with scowling white face, and tangled masses of black hair, which hung over her eyes. She was crouching down on the floor, against the damp wall, and looked up at the detective defiantly, get with cer- tain fear in her eyes, as though she were a wild animal, cowed against her will.
 tWhere's Mother Guttersnipe?" asked the detective sharply, touching her with his foot, an indignity she resented with malignant glance, and arose quickly to her feet.
 Upstairs" she replied, jerking her head in the direction of the right wall, in which Calton, his eyes being more accustomed to the fickering light of the candle, could see gaping black chasm, which he presumed was the stair alluded to. "You won't get much out of her to-night--she's a-goin' to start Ter booze, she is"
 ''Never mind what she's doing" said Kill sip, sharply; ''taSe me to her at once"
 The girl gave him sullen look, and with reluctant feet led the way into the black chasm and up the stairs, which were so skaky that Calton was in terror lest they should be precipitated into unknown depths, He held an firmly tQ his companion's arm, as they toiled slowly up the broken steps, and at last stopped at door, through the cracks of which a faint glimmer of light could be seen. tha erirl a SlNr11 whistle and ha door opened as if by magic. Still preceded by their elfish guide, Calton and the detective stepped through the doorway, and a curious scene was presented to their view. It was small, square room, with low roof, from which the paper, lnildewed and torn, hung in tatters; on the left hand, at the far end, was a kind of low stretcher, upon which woman, almost naked, was lying, amid heap of frowsy, greasy clothes. She appeared to be ill, for she kept her head tossing from side to side restlessly, and every now and then sang snatches of old songs in q shrill, cracked voice In the center of the room was a rough deal table, upon which stood gutter ing tallow candle, which but faintly illumi- mated the scene, and half empty, square bottle of scnapps, with q 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 dently been telling the fortune of villain ous looking young man who had opened the door, and who stood looking at the detective with no very friendly expression of counte- nance. He was dressed in Q greasy brown velvet coat, much patched, and 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 so scowling and vindictive that the barrister thought it was not very hard to tell his ultimate dcstiny-Pentridge or tho gallows.
 i As they entered the fortune teller raised her head, and, shading her eye with one skinny hand, looked curiously at the new corners. Calton thought he had never seen such a re- pulsive looking old crone; and, indeed, she was worthy of the pencil of Dore to depict, such was tho grotesque ugliness which she exhibited. Mother Guttersnipe took drink out of the broken cup, and, gathering all her greasy cards together in a business like way, looked insinuatingly at Calton with a sug- gestive leer.
 s'Its the future ye want unveiled, dearier she crooked, rapidly shufling the cards; Ian old mother 'ud tell"-
 'No, she won't," interrupted the detective sharply. "I've come on business"
 The old woman started at this, and looked keenly at him from under her bushy eye
 brows.
 "Who was that woman who died here
 three or four weeks ago?' asked Kilsip
 sharply.
 "'Ow should I knowf' retorted Mother
 Guttersnipe, sullenly. "I didn't kill Ter, die
 Ii It were the brandy she drank; she wa:
 allays drinkin."
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