The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-09-25
is that you, father" said the girl.
La L. 80 q =

| gruffly. "What are you trembling at? ''It's
| little enough that I've had to drink today, for
! there's no drink without money, and no money
without work. What the DEVILS the matter
| with the grl?"
| II am not well, father mot at all WE'LL
said the girl, bursting into tears.
| "Ahp' replied the man, in the tone of per-
| son who is compelled to admit a very unpleas-
| ant fact, to which he would rather remain
| blind. if he could. "You must get better
somehow, for we must have money. You must
| go to the parish doctor, and make him give
| you some medicine. They're paid for it, damn
| EN-. What are you standing before the door
| for? Let me come i'll, can't you?"
Father" whispered the girl, shutting the
| door behind her, and placing herself before
| it, William has come back"
"Who?' said the man with start
Hush" replied the girl, William; brother
William"
"And what does he want?" said the man,
with an effort at composure-"money? meat?
| drink? He's come to the wrong shop for that,
| if he does. Give me the candle-give me the
candle, fool-I amt going to hurt him." He
snatched the candle from her hand, and
| walked into the room.
Sitting on an old box, with his head resting
on his hand, and his eyes fixed on a wretched
| cinder fire that was smealdering on the hearth,
| was young man OF about two-and-twenty,
miserably clad in old coarse jacket and
| trousers He started up when his father en-
tered.
"Fasten the door. Mary" said the young
man hastily, "Fasten the door. You look as
| if you didn't know me, father. It's long
| enough since you drove NE from home you
may well forget me-"
"And what do you want here now?" said
the father, seating himself on stool, on the
other side of the fireplace. "What do you
! want here, now ?'
"Shelter," replied the son, ~ am in trouble:
| that's enough. If I'm caught / shall swing;
| that's certain. Caught L shall be, unless
| stop here that's as certain And there's an
| end of it"
"You mean to say you've been robbing, or
numbering, then?" said the father.
| Eyes l do" replied the son. "Does it sur
| prise you, father2" He looked steadily in the
mans face, but he withdrew his eyes, and bent
! them on the ground.
"Where's your brothers ." he said after a long
| pause.
"Where they'll never trouble you" replied
| his son Johns gone to America, and Henry's
| dead"
"Dead!" said the father, with shudder,
which even he could not repress
Dead, replied the young man. 'IIe died
| in my arms-shot like dog, by a game
keeper. He staggered back, l caught him,
| and his blood trickled down my hands. It
| poured out from his side like water. lie was
| weak, and it blinded him, but he threw HIM
| self down on his knees, on the grass and
prayed to God that if his mother was in
| heaven He would hear her prayers for pardon
for her youngsst son. j was her favorite
| boy, WILL haiaid. and ] am glad TO think
now that wiea shegwas dying,stleua4 L was
| a very youEg child then, and my little heart
was almost bursting, 1 knelt down at the
foot of the bed and thanked God for having
/ made me so fond of her as to have never once
| done anything to bring the tears into her eyes.
| o Will, why was she taken away and father
left? There's his dying words, father" said
| tho young man; make the best you can of
| 'em. You struck him across the face in
| drunken fit the morning we ran away; and
| here's the end of it,"
The girl wept aloud and the father sinking
his head upon his knees, rocked himself to
| and fro.
"If 1 am taken" said the young man, II
shall be carried back into the country, and
hung for that mans murder. They
cannot trace me here, without your assistance
father. For aught L know, you may give me
up to justice; but unless you do, here / stop
until can venture to escape abroad"
| For two whole days all three remained in
| the wretched room, without stirring out. On
| the 6hird evening, however, the girl was
! worse than she had been yet, aud the few
| scraps of food they had were gone. 1t was in
dispensiDly necessary that somebody should
| 90 out and as the girl was too weak and i'll,
| the father Went just at nightfall.
He got some medicine for the girl, and
| trife in the way of pecuuiary assistance. On
| his way back, he earned six-pence by holding
| horse; and he turned homewards with
enough money to supply their most pressing
wants for two or three days to come. He
had to pass the public house. He fingered for
| an instant, walked past it, turned back again,
| fingered once more, and finally skunk in. Two
men, whom he had not observed, were on the
watch. They were on the point Of giving up
their search in despair, when his lettering at
! tracted their attention and when lie entered
| the public-house, they followed him.
you'll drink with me, MASTER said one
| Of them, proiferiog him glass OF liquor.
"And me too" said the other, replenishing
tho glass as soon it was drained Of its contents.
The man thought Of his hungry children
and his sons danger. But they were nothing
to the drunkard. lie did drink, and his rea-
son left him.
"a wet night, warden" whispered one of
the men III his ear, as he at length turned TO
| go away after spending in liquor one-half the
money on which, perhaps, his daughters life
depended.
'The right sort of night for our friends in
hiding, master Warden" whispered the other.
''Sit down here" said the one who had
spoken first. drawing him into a corner. I'VE
have been looking arter the young un. We
| came to tell him, Its all right now, but we
couldn't find him, cause we hadn't got the
| precise direction. But that amt strange, for
don't think he know'd it himself, when he
came TO London, did hep
| mo, he didn't" replied the father.
The two men exchanged chances
"There's vessel down at the docks, 20 sail
at midnight, when it's high water" resumed
| the first speaker, land wen put him on board.
| His passage is taken IN another name, and
! lucky we met you"
| every" said the second,
"Captal luck" said the first, with wink
to his companion.
"Great." replied the second, with slight
nod Of intelligence.
Another glass here quick"-said tho frs
! speaker.
And in five minutes more, the father had
unconsc ously yielded up his own son into the
hangman's hands.
Slowly and heavily the time dragged along
az the brother and sister, in their miserable
/ hiding-placo listened IN anxious suspense 10
the slightest sound. A length heavy foot
stop was heard upon the stair il approached
nearer 1t reached the landing and The father
staggered into the room.
Tic girl saw that no was intoxicated, and
I advanced with the candle IN her hands TO meet
him she stopped short. gave a loud scream,
and fell srnselsg8 g. the ground. She had
caught sight Of tho shadow Of n man reelected
on the r0or They both rushed IN, aud in
another instant Tie youAg man was Prisoner
and handclncd.
VERY laicty dome" said ono Of the men 70
IBIS companions, "thalihs 20 the old man. Liz
up the g.ri, Iom-coue. come, ips 10 use cry
ing. young woman. It's all over now and
can't bc helped"
Tho 0Hng man stopped FOR an instant ovor
the r,il, su4 tIeu turned iercely round upon