The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-09-19

l come home two or three times a day
to see what she wants"
"Do you think" Bessie asked hesitat-
iDgly, and with the feeling that she
might be requesting per mission to enter
a den of thieves and cut-throats, "that
your wife would be'willing to have me
come and see her p
A shadow came into the shrewd eyes
of Tade.
"Be you one of those charity visitors?"
he demanded, with the air of one who
has been robbed of confidence.
Oh, dear me-" she answered, 81 am
nothing but a girl who thought there
might be people in this part of the town
who might like to have me come and
see them, and that might be able to show
me how | could be of some use in the
world. l don't hive anything to do
with any society, as far as coming here
is concerned"
Honest, nov" "
eyes," she returned smiling, ."honest,
true, black and blue, cut me in two"
There, is there any more to it that you
would like me to say, or will you believe
me as it is 2"
II guess kin believe you. he retort-
ed with the utmost frankness; you
don't look Y if you was lying"
And do you think your wife would
like to see me ?"
well, l don't know as kin say"
Tade returned "but it won't do no
harm to try. You kin come and see"
He led the way into the court, and
into one of the dingiest of all its forlorn
and dingy houses. He cautioned his
companion against possible loose or mis-
sing stairs, and then she followed him
up, up to the top of the building, amid
smells which nearly checked her and
over stairs which at every step threat
ened to fall and let her through. 1t was
not until they had climed so high that
had a door been opened that led directly
out upon the moon Bessie would hardly
have been surprised, that Tade stopped
evidently because the supply OF stairs
had become exhausted, and there was
no means of getting any higher.
Here we are" he announced.
Miss Aston fingered a moment with
the thought that he might like to tell
his mysterious wife that he had brought
home company. Tade walked into the
room, which was only half lighted
attic, and going to a sort of bed in one
corner, he said in a CHEEKY voice
"Well, here we are, Dell, and I've
brought somebody to see yer"
Miss Aston advanced into the room,
and there upon the bed lay tiny girl,
more broken and crumpled than Tade
himself. This little thing might have
been seven or eight years old, and 1t was
evident at a glance that she was so help
less that she could neither walk nor
stand. She was lovely girl in her
parlor, and with exquisite dark eyes,
save that her face was thin and drawn
with pain.
The sick girl looked up as Miss Aston
came near the bed but she did not speak.
Il asked to be allowed to come and
see you," Miss Aston said. II hope you
don't mind. 1t must be pretty lonesome
for you here"
yes" the child said in queer, pip
ing voice, "every day when Tade goes
away think | shall die before he comes
back: but then don't and he laughs at
me-"
Tade gave the visitor a significant
glance as if to say "Of course you un
derstand that only laugh at her to get
her out of the notion" And Miss Aston
gave him in return little nod to show
that she understood.
"Is the pain very bad to-day?' Tade
asked, while in half unconscious way
which showed the GU tom to be habitual
with him he tried to arrange the ragged
bed clothes more comfortably.
"Not so bad as it was last night,
she answered.
"Do YOU have pain all the timer" the
visitor asked in voice full OF sympathy
"She's had it awful bad ever since she
got run over" Tade explained, with an
infection which seemed to imply that
being run over was one OF the natural
infirmities of the flesh to which all hui
manity was Of course subject.
run over ?" repeated Miss Aston.
"Yes," exclaimed Tade. You see Dell
was like me, and that's the reason we
Thought we'd like together, and be hus-
band and wife. We got along boss for
ever so long. gets lots of chances to
do things, and Dell she used to get a
good many victuals from one and an
other, folks naturally give to her OWN
to her bein' so. We had bully times
then, didn't we Dell? There wasn't any
BODY to beat us, and we'd both OF us got
no mothers to order us around, 30 we
could Just do what we pleased. But Dell
she got knocked down along of hack
one day. and they took her to the hospi'
tai, but l don't see as they done her
much good. 'Tany rate, she can't walk
none since, and she's in pain all the
time, think something is broke in her
back.
1t would not be easy adequately to ex-
press the thoughts and emotions which
chased each other through Miss Aston's
mind during the recital, and while under
her gentle questioning Tade and Dell
told her about the life they lived alone
in the dingy garret. 1ade had taken u
upon himself to support the walt OF
whom he knew nothing before he had
found her crying one night in the street.
She said her mother was dead, or that
at least she hoped that she was. because
she beat the deformed one so constantly
Tade had instantly adopted the walt,
and when she became helpless he had
tended her with tenderness which was
touching to think of. Miss Aston had
hard work to command her voice, or to
keep back the tears that pressed into
her eyes, as she listened, and when IN
the evening she told the whole to her
father, she cried like child.
| "And he was as tender with her, she
said. land he cooks for her and looks
after her as if she we're badly; and he
calls her his wife, and l never knew
anything so pathetic and touching and
absurd in my whole life"
1t went without saying that once Miss
Aston had discovered Tade and hiswlte'
she would not rest until she had seen
that they were properly cared for. IL
was not very easy to arrange Things
As Mr.. Aston had said, it is always dlIIl-
cult to come between man and wire,
aud when two children are playing IN
earnest it is extremely difficult to rear
range their plans. But after all lade
was .Vc sensible not to see that he was
not able to do the best for Dell, and ne
really loved the forlorn little creature
too we'll to stand in the way OF her good,
and 80 at last he was persuaded to allow
his mendge to be broken up,at least tenn
porarily, and Dell was sent off into the
country to gain strength IL she might,
and at least to try il she might not get
out of the clutch of that terrible pain
which had her in its grip 80 much oil the
time. She wrote, through the people
with whom she stayed, the most glow
ing accounts of the country life to Tade,
and one rapturous day, Miss Aston
tucked Tade, scrubbed and dressed for
the occasion as he had never been
scrubbed and dressed before and never
expected to be again, into her carriage
and drove him to the railway station,
and after that took him in the cars, and
80 brought him to that mysterious re-
giou called the country where Dell was
waiting to receive him.
Tade had not been told that Dell was
well enough to stand and even to walk
a little, and when she stood up by her