Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-09-10
'LIZBETH.

1dz'beth lived H. cellar down In Mott
street. No one knew what her other
name was. 'Liz'bsth could not inform
them. She used to wonder about it her
self, as she sat looking out of her one
window.
'Liz'beth called it window, but in
reality ii was only an iron grating that
overlooked the sidewalk. In order to see
out of il the little girl had TO sit over
against the cellar wall, and then all she
could see was the feet of the people as
they went by.
'Liz'beth used 10 wish sometimes that
she could see what the owners of the feet
were like, but then it was rather nice to
sit and imagine about it. Most of them
belonged to working people, but now
and then a pair of patent feathers went
by, and once in great while lady's
kid boot and dainty French heels would
pass with light tread, as if its owner
wished as little contact as possible with
that wretched street.
'Liz'beth had been up in the City Hall
Park on pleasant afternoons, and there
she had seen the ladies and gentlemen
who wore pretty shoes. So she knew
what they were like. But that was
long time ago.
'Lizbeth felt very sad this morning,
for her kitten had just died.
1t wasn't much of a kitten, either. One
of its eyes was gone, and some cruel boy
had cut off piece of its tail. The cold
weather had wilted ap ear, so that it
hung forward, giving poor kitty the look
of a disreputable character. But her
little mistress thought she was beautiful
and loved her better than anything else.
'Liz'beth called her kitten "Bijou.
She hadn't any idea what it meant, and
she couldn't have spelled it to save her
life. But one day in the pretty park
lady went by leadi g curly white dog,
which she called "Diiou, and that night
'Lizbeth christened the kitten.
The little girl sold papers in those days,
and every day she bought penny's
worth of milk. which she gave Bijou,
and she used TO beg scraps of meat from
the market on the corner Sometimes
she found fish in the ash barrel, not
over fresh usually, but Bijou wasn't par
ticular.
I've forgotten to tell you that Liz'beth
mad not lived alone in the cellar always.
Someone whom she called "Mag used to
be there. 'Liz'beth was afraid of Mag.
She was good enough when she wassober,
but that was so seldom.
Sometimes Mag would be away for
whole week, and 'Lizbeth would dread
to have her come back, she was always
so ugly.
Once she came home more fierce than
usual; she was in trouble, and wanted
money. Tiz'beth had been lucky for a
week, and had saved almost 81. She got
Il out from behind brick--that was her
bank-and gave it to the wretched
woman, who struck her in return and
went away.
Iiz'beth was pretty well used TO blows;
she'd had lot of them; but somehow it
hurt worse than usual this time. Her
head ached, and her poor little desolate
heart ached, too. There was tightfeel-
ing In her throat, and the first thing she
knew she was crying SO hard that Bijou
who lay in her lap, was all wet.
1t seemed to her she could remember
when some one with pretty hair and soft
gray eyes had held her and rocked her
and sung--what was it she used to sing?
'Lizbeth closed her eyes, swayed to and
fro. and tried to think.
Softly through the mist Of almost for
gotten things came the shadowy men,
ory of that song--so softly that it seemed
only the ghost of words that whispered:
sleepy kiss Is the only fare:
Dear little passenger. say goodnight.
Into the station Of dreamland we go.
Baby and !. in our rocking chair.
How queer it seemedi @There's surely
something the matter with my head
said 'Liz'beth, and then she began to think
again; the fancies were pleasant if they
were queer.
The next thing that came to her was a
remembrance of the same misty sort
concerning some one else-some one big
and handsome, with kind, brown eyes
and voice not 30 soft as the other, but
yet good TO hear.
Is baby asleep, little mother?" the
voice said. And how near it was!-so
near that the mustached lips touched the
baby's cheek, and then
"How much she is like you-your
mouth and chin and hair. believe she
win have your eyes, too. / wonder il
that is what makes me love her so?"
Love her! Who loves herr How strange
that some one should love herl And what
was that about the eyes and mouth and
hair7 Liz'beth got bit Of looking glass,
crcpt close up to the grating where the
street lamps shone in, and looked at her
self. Ii was wistful sort Of face, the
noath had aquiver in it and the eyes
yes, they Were gray, but not like those
other eyes. There was a pathetic, APP
pealing look in them that made Liz'beth
almost sorry for herself
She put away the glass and tried to
WOO the fancies back, but they did not
come, and soon she fell asleep.
When she awoke the sun was shining
in her face and jou was mewing loudly.
'Liz'beth sat up, or tried TO. but she felt
Tery strange. Her head was light. and