The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1889-03-01
THE OPAL RING.

she can c come to wash ID to-day,
because she is sick. and wants to know
would you be kind enough to come and
see her, and please keep the job till she
gets WELL"
The little figure standing in the door
way of DR.. Towards Office, gazing visit
fully into The doctors face, was a study.
She was clad in a somewhat uncouth
dress, originally of some grayish material,
but pieced, darned and patched with vari-
Gus kinds of goods, until it resembled
'tJoseph's coat of many colors." A red
handkerchief was pinned under her chin,
which heightened the b%rilliancy of a pair
of sparkling black eyes, and a mass of jet
black, tangled eurls were pushed back
from a pale fac that, under any cireum-
stances, would be pronounced one of rare
beauty. Her stockingless feet were en-
cased in a pair of old rubbers which she
confessed to having picked from a seaven-
ger barrel.
DR.. Howard gazed at the wan little OBJ
ject, and wondered if life could be worth a
great deal to such as she.
."What might be your name??'' he in-
quired.
"WelI, they call me 0dds-and-E Ends
mostly, but my right name is Margaret.
"0dds-and-Endst Well, I declarel But
upon my word, Odds-and-E Ends, you are a
queer-looking genius. Where do you
live?"
down there in Crazy alley, rear of No.
0, second door, up four flights, through a
long entry, turn to the left
''There, there! That will do, Miss Odds
and-Endsl But now tell me, little one,' y
he asked kindly, '.are you impervious to
the cold, or do you prefer to go without
stockings in December? Do you know
that you are inviting Group, d~iphtheria,
pneumonia, rheumatism, cramps and what
not, by dressing in that fashion,
Il don't know, sir; but this is all Ihaye.
| was never sick in all my life, only once,
Then | had the humps, and once again,
when | had the measles. or l guess the
measles had me. Everybody thought I'd
die. | was so very sick-but | didn't she
added archly. I'VE did not live in Crazy
alley then," she continued, .'but we were
boarding in a large hotel where there were
ever so many servants
"Who do you mean by we?"
"Why, papa, mamma and L. But papa
died, and mamma says since then we do
not live at all, we only stay"
"How old are you" inquired the doc
tor, with a strange and sudden interest.
Ten, sir"
By this time Odds-and-E Ends, or little
Margaret, was seated in the doctors com
Portable Office and paying her respects to a
handsome apple that the good man had
put into her hands.
At this juncture, Mrs. Badger, the doc.
tors housekeepcr, came busting in.
"Well. if l shan't give it up! Here is
tina: strange child, and sitting here a:
eozily as you please. Are you sick, yor
little rag tag and bob tail?"
"Now Mrs. Badger" i~nterposed the
doctor, ''do not call too many names. The
little one has brought me a message from
Mrs. Maginnis, who is not very wellto-day
and requires my services. Run on now,
0dds-and-Ends, and say that | will be
there Directly
"Yes. sir"
"a strange child like that, Mrs. Bad
ger, truly. How long have you known
her?'i
ooh, for nearly a year, off aud on. ShC
has been in the habit of coming here iol
cold pieces every now and then. Hel
mother, l believe, has known better cir
e~umstances, but became reduced, lik,
many others in cities, and is now, | think
very poor indeed. The mother is sickly
too, | believe"
s'When she comes again, Mrs. Badger
it is my desire that you see she is properl.
clothed. 1t is simply preposterous to SEND
a child out so thinly clad on sach a raw.
Indictment day as this, > and the doctor bat
toned his great coat about him and step
ped into his carriage to make his dali,
round of calls; but first of all he drove t.
the squalid abode of Mrs. Maginnis, foI
DR.. HowarfSas never known to neglecf
the humblest child of earth, when suct
were sick and suffering.
But all that day, and many subsequent
days the good doctor as haunted by the
wistful eyes of the strange child who's
way in life seemed to him so hard and un
natural. He inquired of Mrs. Badge
many times to know if she he'd seen o
learned any more of the quaint little Odds
and Ends; but Mrs. b. declared she hat
not seen hide nor hair of her since tn
morning she had brought the messag,
from Mrs. Maginnis, and that hard work
ingwoman had lost the run of her entirely
1t was a whole year from that time whel
one evening DR.. Howard was hurryins
along a crowded ~thoroughfare- He wa
startled by a sudden cry and a confusion
of voices, as a runaway horse dragging thu
remnant of a carriage came leaping ant
plunging along the street. One glanc'
showed the excessive danger of a chils
who was midway upon the crossing, an.
directly in the path of the furious animal
Another instant and DIR. Howard ant
| the child were both down in the mud o