Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-02-07

ous hands clasped and unclasped them
selves in her lap. / saw tear fall and
glisten on her soiled finger like q dia-
mond in the dirt.
"Come, speak up" he said, kindly,
and her streaming eyes sought his face.
at is all $3.50 strange, sir. You arc
so kind" she sobbed.
''That is not what asked.
Cliff you mean it, sir, really and
truly, ! will go with you. There is no
place else"
'Not so very fattering, but eminently
satisfactory" said Mac, with q laugh.
"Well, SO be it. shall constitute my
self your guardian, and be answerable to
these gentlemen. But should you fail
me-"
''Never fear, sir" she replied.
"Well spoken" Then, turning to
me, he said: "Watch things for me, old
man, while / take her over to the house
and put her in the old lady's care.
When he returned he was quiet and
thoughtful, and did not question him (;
but when, after the papers had gone to
press, we dropped into cafe and chatted
ever an appetizing lunch, | asked:
"Mac, what was there about that girl
to catch your fancyl"
"She bears q striking resemblance to
my dead sister, who would have been
about her age had she lived. l haven't
kith nor kin-no one save friend or two
like yourself. Why shouldn't look for
some one and create n tie 2"
Zone does not usually search the gut
tiers or police-staiions for friends or fos-
ter relatives" | remarked, dryly.
Sand yet, jewels are often found in
the gutter. As for the police-station,
what would have become of her, poor
child, had she been handed over to the
tender mercies of that blaggard turnkey,
and put with those drunken beastsl Sure,
my boy, one night in there would have
served to send her down the hill.
The speech was unanswerable.
In the following three years-during
which time we still "trotted in pairs, !"
until each won the advancement he
sought-nothing happened out of the
I ordinary. ] received nightly reports of
Maggie-or "Mac's girl" as she was
known to the boys-for we still lunched
together at the old cafe when our noe
turnal labors were Mt an end. She
gradually developed into a remarkably
fine-looking girl, with a very sweet and
expressive face, and certain womanli-
ness which OF itsolf would have been q
most powerful attraction. knowledge
came to her to be easily absorbed and
retained: needlework was her forte; mu-
sic was a natural gift, and cultivation
gave new power to her lark-voice. /
know, because Sunday afternoon invar-
iably found me at Macs lodgings, and
had every opportunity Of Watching the
satisfactory development of her better
nature. Besides all this, she had her
share OF Irish wit, and was fond Of polk
ing fun at us in her way, calling him
ssGuardy" and me ''Uncle"; but could
not take umbrage at the elderly title flor
l was only thirty and her playful utter
ances delighted Mac.
"I'm not giving her a fancy educa-
ton, ;" he said, one night, "but train
ing that will be of use to her, so that she
may make some lucky fellow good
wife"
"Why not marry her yourselfl" OBJ
served. / had never thought of it be-
fore, but the words came quite naturally
to my lips.
Nonsense, man I've never thought
OF such a thing"
"Isn't it about time Z"
al don't know but what you are
right" he said, modify. 81 have
knocked around for years, not caring
what happened SO long as there was a
roof to cover me and shilling in my
pocket; but since took the colleen in,
everything has been so different-I have
had something, some one, TO live for.
Still, 1 have never thought OF marriage"