Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-08
by j. NOME FOSTER,
IAN Rights Reserved. 7.

Inc TWO girls came TO a stop and Polly
! bent down to fasteu her clog. They had
| paused beside narrow entry into which
| the snow had heavily drIfted during the
! storm. While the moon sailed on high
! the narrow alleY had been plunged in
| deep shadow, for no street lamp was
| near; now the bright rays of the setting
| moon shone right into 1t. making il clear
| as day almost. Raising her head, after
! fastening her clog. Polly Pembertou
| CHANGED to look into the illumined entry
| and what canght her eye made her ex-
| claim, bTeathlessly:
! "Sithee, Nancy. what's int tn ENTRY
| It's wumman hoave buried i'th'
| snow
InstinctTely both of the girls rushed
| into the alley, and found n woman
| cTouohed there, cold and silent, as If
| asleep, her back TO one wall, her shawl
! drawn tightly around her shoulders and
| her legs completely buried by the snow
! which had been dTifted by last night s
! winds.
The poor creatures head was sunk
upon her breast aud her back was to the
light, SO that the young women could
not distinguish her features.
''Drunk,' quoth Nancy, in the most
netter-of-fact tone, as if it were COM
4
Pore thing!' said Polly, in more
plying way. 'Haply hoo's 10 womm
toe COCA TO. Wakken up, Missus!
Wakken up!' she added, cor yo'u
get frozen toe deeuth. -
The girl took the silent figure by the
shoulder and shook it gently, but neither
word nor sign came from the crouching
form.
"DeeuG drunk cried Nancy again.
"Leeuv her alone, Polly, and come on.
or wey ST be late and get "pennIed. -
That's six O'Clock blowing. Come
ou!''
"An' leeuv this pore thing here toe
dee?'' Polly demanded sharply. "Nowe.
Wakken up, woman. Wakken up!"
Still there was no response, and as
the two girls stood there hardly knowing
whether to turn away or remain, man
strobe into the entry crying:
whats up, wenches? Hello! Who's
that?''
"Is that yo', DAMP asked Polly,
recognizing the new conner. "It's
some pore woman that's getteu-''
"Drunk!'' broke in Nancy, indignant
at being late, and thinking of the fine
she would have to pay in consequence.
Lets look at her. -
The man strobe forward a pace or
two, struck 4 match, and, bending,
looked into the silent figure g face. Then
he suddenly sprang upright, q loud cry
Of horror bursting from his lips
"What is it, Dan? Who is hoop the
girls shouted in q breath, terrified at
Dams action.
'Deeud! DeeudI'' he cried hoarselv,
as the expiring match fiuttered from his
nerveless fingers and extinguished itself
hissingly in the snow.
"Who is it, Dan? Dost know her?''
the lasses asked again. They were al
most as much frightened by the mans
evident horror as by his statement that
the poor creature at their feet was
dead.
But Dan took no notice of their ques-
tiOning cries. He stood there rigid al
most as the lifeless woman at his feet,
and for some moments there Teigued an
utter silence. Then the man seemed to
pull himself together and said in an
awed voice:
''Run for a p 'liceman. wenches! Run!
III wait heeur!''
The young women needed no second
bidding. Quitting the entry they sped
mp Mitigate, knowing they would find q
policeman near the top OF the street.
Dan watched them speed away. Then
he again bent down beside the dead wo-
man, upon whom he laid untender and
sacTilegious hands. He hastily tore
open the shawl, and was confronted by
another surprise. There, tightly clasped
in her stifTened arms, was a babe.
Whether il was dead or alive he did not |
consider, for he had other work to do,
Feeling about the woman's dress he |
fourd the pocket, and therefrom he |
al rin
open he examined its contents with a |
feTerish anxiety. All it contained was a |
half penny and some neatly folded pa |
pers, which he spread out, read with a |
deep sigh of satisfaction by the fading |
moonlight, and then placed carefully |
away.
The next minute the entry was plunged |
in darkness. The moon had set Then |
there was patter of quick feet, and the |
vivid ray of bull 's-eye lamp flashed |
first upon Dan and theu on the crouch
ing figure propped up against the wall.
''Who is she? Do you know her?'
the constable asked.
"Haven t the least idea, - Dan re-
sponded, coolly. Whoever she Is, she's
dead. Look for yourself.
Here, hold the lamp
Thrusting his lamp into the others
hand, the policeman knelt i'll the snow
and peered into the woman s face
dead, sure enough" he muttered,
as he placed his big hand tenderly on the
silent figures stoue-c cold cheek. Then
he opened her shawl, and seeing the
child cried, "a baby, as I live! And
alive, too. Here, hold 1t, one of you,
while l see if there's anything about her
that will show us who she is!''
He unlocked the stiff arms gently as
he could, and Polly took the babe, which
set up loud squeal on being disturbed.
"There's nothing in her pocket, 4" the
said, after searching the re-
ceptacle in question. ''I wonder who
she can be and where she comes from !"
"Don't know Dan responded
shortly. Gwen, must be off. Good
morning, Barnes. - He nodded to the
girls and officer and walked away.
econ All tex tn baby womm VII
me?'' Polly asked. She had contrived
to pacify Ae little stranger, and it Was
Eow snugly asleep under her warm shawl.
81 think yo' may, Polly. I know
you II take care on t. And 1 must get
this poor creature carried into the Star. -
''Thank yo', Mester Barnes Polly
sEAh II see us il 5 ia ZEN care