Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-27

"would it not have been better to let me fall?
A hundred feet! Only think Of i'll It would
have ended all my sorrows, all nv troubles
and my tired limbs and tired heart would have
found rest ut last But my babies! All, my
babies, who can ever love them as do?'' And
with the porter's warning to keep his wits
about him, Pujol turned his face homeward,
taking good care to avoid the heavily-loaded
wagons which rumbled along in every direction
carrying rich and costly presents to happy
homes.
..wbat shall say to nv poor, dear babies?''
he asked himself over and over again. 'Julie
| is such q blessed little woman Of a child that /
| fear no reproach from her. But my little
Blanche's eyes will fill! with tears, and then my
wretched heart will snap in two.''
But just before he reached the house the
| comforting thought flashed through his mind
that possibly the good woman on the first floor
| had supplied them plentifuly with cakes and
candies, and that, after all, their New Years
eve would not be SO utterly dark and forlorn.
With eteaithy and unsteady steps Pujol crept
| upstairs. The corridors were dimly lighted,
and it seemed to him as if he were intent upon
some crime. Crime? Ay, was it not crime
| to rob human flower of light and warmth and
sunshine; to shut it up within four blank walls,
| 80 that the blessed breath of heaven couldn't
| reach it or the soft balm Of rain and dew could
not come unto it?
As Pujol reached the last landing a sudden
outburst of childish laughter, clear, ringing.
sweet and bird-like in its gamut of tones, fell
! upon his ear. Pierre made halt as if the
heavens had opened before him. Then he
dropped upon his knees and bowed his head in
prayer. Notuntil Julie came to the door, opened
IT. looked out and said, as if thinking aloud,
why, wonder what can keep dear, good
papa 80 late?' Did he, or more correctly said.
could he bring himself to rise and make his
way into the attic chamber. AS he pushed the
door open Ills gaze fell upon a scene which
caused him to rub his eyes in order to con-
vince himself that he was not wandering about
in a dream.
Instead of finding the room lighted by
single lamp. it seemed ablaze with the light of
two, while on the walls were hanging hemlock
wreathes Ornamented with paper flowers and
on the table lay . plentiful store of cakes and
candies and even several cheap toys The
whole place seemed transformed, beautified, full
OF strange radiance.
But Pujol's wonder was not suffered to end
here, for when his gaze turned from the
changed character of the place itself and fell
upon his two children, he staggered back
against the wall utterly unable to articulate
word.
There sat little Blanche rocking backward
and forward in her chair and cl.sping in her
baby arms a doll, richly, beautifully and COM
pletely dressed even to a pair of tiny buttoned
kid shoes. The doll was quite as large as
Blanche herself.
"Oh. papa, dear. good. kind, blessed papa"
exclaimed Julie, throwing her arms around
him, how shall we ever thank You for the
splendid big doll.
oh. don't talk so loud. julie" whispered
Blanche Twas just getting baby to asleep and
now you've walked her up again.
PuJol gave one glance at the large pasteboard
box lying on the floor and the huge sheets of
paper in which it had been so carefully
Wrapped and the mystery was solved HIS first
impulse was to spring forward and snatch the
costly article from little Blanche's arms but if
keen-edSed sword had been raised over his
head to urge him to quicker performance of
the act, he could not have done it. He sank
upon chair and covered his face with his
hands repeating to himself:
Great heavens, what shall do2 What shall
do!
baby has come to say how do you do papa,
dear" said Blanche, holding up the doll in front
Of him.
"Ah, We found you out you mischievous
papa" exclaimed Julie, encirciing his neck with
her arms. You tried to hide it away from US.
''Yes, We found you out" echoed Blanche;
.'and. dearest papa. shall tell you how we
found you out? / heard the baby crying in the
box. She was tired Of being shut up in that
horrid dark place; weren't you, baby? Is she
unbreakable. papa!''
Pujol tried to answer Then he tried to
smile, but both failed. He clasped his children
to his breast and kissing them tenderly babe
doll.
They were only too willing to obey, and the
wretched man was left 70 himself to think out
some solution for the extremely serious prob
lem which now faced him. Mechanically. he
stopped and picked up the box which had con-
tanned the doll. Although he had only been
employed for few days in the establishment,
yet his thorough knowledge of such matters
had enabled him to unravel the cipher of which
they made use to mark the price upon their
merchandise.
Fifty francs!' he groaned as he came upon
the cabalistie pencil marx. Twice as much
as the sum due me for q whole weeks labor!
Have lost my reason? Why, must take it
from them this instant. repack it and hurry off
to the purchaser?' And springing up Puiol
approached his children and mumbling out
some excuse, took the beautiful puppet out of
little Blanche's arms.
Too late, too late! :" he murmured to him
self. for he saw that they had already marred
its delicate wax face and spotted one of the tiny
| kid shoes. Too late" he repeated. and hand
ing the doll back to little Blanche he went
| back to his seat again. Julie soon Joined him
and with all her sweetness and tenderness
| strove to get at the secret Of his sudden and
mysterious sorrow.
Pujol put her off with some ordinary excuse,
| but in few moments he called her back to
him and babe her prepare for bed. telling her
that 1T was necessary for him to go out once
more.
Like a man stunned by a heavy blow Puiol
went stumbling down the long stairway. Those
| Of the tenants who saw him go out that night
deemed him under the influence of liquor.
Alas, it was not the paralysis of intoxicatOn it
| was the stupor of despair.
''She will take care of them he muttered to
| himself. ''She will take good care of them.
| The world is always ready and willing 10 pick
| up an abandoned child, but it turns away pitt
lessly from those who are old enough to take
| care of themselves. Why should wait to be
arrested as a common felOn? Why should l lay
this terrible sorrow on my popr little Julie $
heart? 1t would be madness to ask for for
giveness at the hands of the purchaser of the
doll They would simply turn ME over to the
authorities. True, death will rob me of my
children and them Of me! But what use am
to them? I've often read that drowning is an
easy death and possibly there will be somebody
in this great city, after it has finished the feast
ing and pleasures Of the New Year, who will be
touched by my death and go to the rescue of my
poor babies. My poor babies! Oh, my poor
babies!
| CHAPTER Ill.
"Well, this is just too badr' exclaimed little
Paula de Courcy as she turned away from the
| window, where she had been pressing her
| rretty face alyaipst the rano for nearly m h0ur