Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-01-11

commissioned work Nor had she any
ideas for the future she was tired over
done perchance-she had been working
both early and late this last week. The
colors of the many-petalled flowers in the
shop opposite seemed to flash more brightly
than usual; the sun was strong and hot ;
the three-cornered piece of sky overhead
was positively blue From its cage on a
nail outside neighbours window came the
sweet song of a captive thrush. Some
eferyescenee Of springtime rose and bub-
bled in the girls young veins. She could
not stay within her dark and squalid
room she rose to her feet in impotence.
A moment later she had reached the
street. she stood outside the door of the
house, gazing inquiringly from side to
side. No; Jim was not there; he was no.
where in sight. Well, he would soon re-
turn doubtless There were few vehicles
to be seen; she might cross safely. Now
the deed was done; Jim should presently
hear of her proves.
And surely the reward was worth the
effort The fower-shop mad never seemed
so beautiful Bunches of lilac, laburnum,
and hawthorn were blooming on one side;
on the other were positively stacked pink,
anemones ard blue bells of the woods,
while marsh mallows and cowslips shone
more golden than the sunshine.
Milly knew no names or properties Of
flowers; in her eyes there were no common
ones and the hot-house geraniums and
, cinerarias were only by color more glori-
Gus than the penny lunches of wallaowers
and field daisies and struggling forget-me-
nots that were specially provided for
weary Londoners.
To her it was all a beautiful dream
there was just hard, impossible wall be-
tween her and such luxuries, like the glass
against which she hatened her pale little
pinched features. She could see through
the glass, certainly, but she could get no
nearer; no, nor yet touch or smell. She
could only sigh, and the sigh Complaint
like made matters worse, for it dimmed
the elearness of the glass for a moment.
Two ladies came out OF the shop; one
passed on; the other, seeing the girl,
paused. The hands of both ladies we're
filled with punches of flowers; possibly
Millys eyes were more hungrily watching
than she knew.
You poor little girl p said the lady
who stood in the doorway, She held out
a bunch of something bright
Would you take these flowers? Yes,
you may take them"
She smiled she went on her way. Milly
had said nothing; not word of thanks
even. She only grasped the tiny nosegay
as though it were made Of gold She
stared vacantly at the ladies till they were
out of sight Then she laughed softly to
herself What would jim say? Where
was jim? Why was he still absent? She
must certainly come out again in the
afternoon. if only to tell him the delight
full news. 1t was the first time that any
real live flowers had been given to her,
had actually belonged to herself. Why,
they were quite soft, like velvet, not
grimy and gritty, like most things, and
with perfume-yes, that must be the
meaning of the word perfume-something
quite quite bewildering.
The road was free of carts and cabs now,
surely This was the monochrome rush
forward-oh, the cramp in her stiff leg
Forward No, back in hastel A noise of
horses hoofs, with thousand voices ring
ing in her ears, and, in the midst of all,
vision of Jim's face. white and set as it
had never been before-then the earth ris-
ing up to meet her violently, as something
large and dark doomed before her eyes
and seemed to strike her down.
''She is coming to, poor little thing"
These were the words that Aiilly heard.
"Where am l ?" she asked, family.
Her own voice sounded further off than
the other voice. She was in pain all over,
a pain that would have been fierce had it
not been so stunningly dull, and, above all,
so universal. Even her little finger ached,
she thought, and that thought made her
half inclined to laugh. She could not see,
she knew not why; she could not move,
but that was no wonder, for she was so
tightly strapped and bound up. On
bed, too where, where" she repeated,
gasping.
ON hospital, dear child" answered the
nurse. 'No, do not talk. We are going
to take great care of YOU
AIilly sighed, and shut her eyes for what
seemed to her but few minutes. When
she was conscious again she saw that some
thing lay between her fngers-it was her
own precious bunch of flowers. How
quickly it had withered, though. She
tried to lift her hand, but could not. She
was afraid she had done wrong even to try.
/ But no one was needing her. Two shadowy
figures were talking near her bed.
"She was so lame, poor dear, she could
not run. And the dray horse knocked her
down, and the wheel ran over her"
'rHow terrible ~
'The little humpback boy did his best to
save her, but he ran up too late-it was a
plucky thing, anyhow"
'I1e seems very fond of her-it will
break his heart if she dies"
Hush lest she should hear you"
Milly had heard it all. 1t scarcely af-
fected her, nevertheless; scarcely seemed
to concern her, in fact.
Was this manned, motionless thing on
the hospital bed herself, Milly, the clever
little needlewoman Was it she who had
dwelt opposite the florists window She
opened her eyes yet wider; it seemed
little lighter now. Was this the hospital
She had often wondered what a hospital
might be like. There were people here
who sighed and groaned around her; she
had not noticed them before. 1t tired her
to watch them now; had they all been run
over in the street? she marveled. What
sad, sad facesl What room full Of pain
Clean it was everywhere, with tidy
white bedclothes and whitewashed walls,
and the sunshine coming IN so that her
head aehed she had never been used to
much light or air. Nor to strangers,
strange faces, strange voices. All, where
was little jim? And had he really come
to her ia her danger?
The tears began to trickle slowly down
the child's pale cheeks.
'What is ii dear ?" asked the nurse.
"Jim,7 said Milly, with quivering lips.
cob, nv little jimmy own little Jimp
ale shall come to you presently-yes,
very soon. 1 will give the order now"
The nurse murmured something to an
other nurse.
.'0f course; there's no time to lose"
was the answer
But NiIly heard not this.