Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1889-02-09


have to tell Fitzgerald about Madge
Frcttlbyg'
CHAPTER XIV.
woAAN or TIE PEOPLE
BourEe street is always moro crowded than
Collins street, gjpeciaiiy at night Tie thea
tres are there, and Of course there is :nvaria.
bly, large crowd collected under the electric
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
d2y.
Turning or Little Bourke street the de-
tectve led the way down a dark lane, which
felt like a furnace owing to the heat of the
night but looking up Calton caught
glimpse of the blue sky far above, glitterins
with stars, which gave him quite sensation
of GOODNESS.
keep close to me-" whispered Kilsip,
touching the barristcr on the arm; 1--WE may
meet some nasty customers about here"
AT last, to Cations relief, for he felt some
what bewildered by the darkness and mar
rowncss of the lanes through which he had
been taken, the detective stopped before a
uOoi "uAcn NC oit'leti, anu SttppluS lllsluo
boc.ioncd to the barrister to follow. Calton
did SO and found himself in 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 tho passage. There was much need of
this caution, for Calton could feel that the
rotten boards were full of holes, into which
one o. the other of his feet kept slipping
from time to time, while he could hear the
rats squcaking and scarpcring away on all
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 that" cried tho detective in pc
remptory tone of voice. "What do you mean
by dowsins the gliinw
Thieves argot was, evidently, well under
stood here, for there was shuttle in tho
dark, muttered voice, and then some one
lit the candle with a match. This time Cal
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 tho detective defiantly, ;et with a ccr-
tain fear in her eyes, as though she were
wild animal, cowed against her will.
"Where's Mother GuttersnipeT 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 being more accustomed to
the Pickering light of the candle, could see q
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 'er
booze, she is"
"Ncver mind what she's doing" said Kill
sip, sharply; stake me to her a. 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
slaky that Calton was in terror lest they
should be precipitated into unknown depths.
He held on firmly to his companions arm, as
they toiled slowly up the broken steps, and at
last stopped at door, through the cracks Of
which a faint glimner Of light could be seen.
Here the girl gave n shrill whistle, and the
door opened as if by magic Still preceded
BY their elfish guide, Calton and the detective
stepped through the doorway, and curious
scene was presented to their view. 1t was a
small, square room, with a low roof, from
which the paper, inildewed and torn, hung in
tattcrs: on the left hand at the far end. was
kind of low stretcher, upon which a 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 a shrill, cracked
voice. In the center of the room was a
rough deal table, upon which stood gutter
ing tallow candle, which but family illumi-
mated the scene, and half empty, square
bottle of scnapps, with broken cup beside
II. 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 tho fortune Of villain
Gus 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 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 destiny-Pentridge
or the gallows.
As sthey entered the fortune teller raised her
head, and, shading her eye with one skinny
hand, looked curiously at the new comers
Caltor thought he hsd never seen such re-
pulsive looking old crone; and, indeed, she
was worthy Of the pencil of Dore to depict,
such was the grotesque uglincss which she
exhibited Mother Guttersnipe took drink
out of the broken cup, and, gathering all her
greasy cards together in q business like way,
looked insinuatingly at Calton, with sus
gestive leer.
"It's tho future ye want unveiled, dearier
she croaked, rapidly shutting the cards; IAN
old mother 'ud tell''--
mo, she WON'T" interrupted the detective,
sharply. 1--WE como on business"
The old woman started at this, and looked
keenly at him from under her bushy eye