The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1891-12-12
NOT THE RIGHT WOMAN.
PATHETIC RESULT OF A WRITER'S
BIT OF DETECTIVE WORK.

She sat al day in the dust and the
wind on the street corner grinding
dreary tunes out of a dilapidatcd old ac-
Gordon that shrieked and eroaned and
wheeZed but was never in the least mu.
steal.
"She owns IL block of houses" | said
to myself, ''and has money in the bank.
shall not drop II penny in that old tin
cup. IT Is wrong to encourage mendi-
cacr.'
was only repeating what had been
said to me about street impostors. Now
that | had II good chance to study one of
these characters from the window of "A
hotel, | became interested. Yes. With
out doubt this woman was an impostor.
Her rags of raiment We're eloquent with
that personal poverty which appeals ST.
strongly to the sympathetic. Her head
dropped over her recumbent figure. She
sat on the curbstone and mechanically
ground out her doleful music.
She was there at nightfall when |
stepped out of the hotel, but she was
preparing to leave.
"Aha, my lady" / said to myself,
''here is a chance to follow you and See
how much of your doleful plea is true.
If you are an impostor l shall soon know
it," and l skipped along in the shadow
until l had traversed a long distanc"
from my hotel, treading all the alley
and back streets in the city, it seemed to
me.
NO THIS
Tl,n,, eI, .1,.-l,I -.
stairs on the outside of "a tumble down
house. still followed her and groped
my way in the dark to a miserable room
in the rear, where a chorus of little
voices saluted her.
Mamma, oh, mamma, wese been
good-wese been jes as good as west,
could. Hasn't wese, johnny cried Il
wan faced little girl lying on the poor
bed in the corner.
The door was left open and 1 slipped
out of sight behind it, but 1 could botl.
see and hear, and if l was discovered.
why, l was looking for a mythical wash
lady who once lived in those rooms.
That was all.
"Dot some pread an putter, mammal"
continued the child's voice, while a feeble
wall from the bed added its note of sup
plication.
The woman had dropped her musical
her pocket.
"Deres feeteen cents, nall in pennies.
Johnnie, run and get some hot sausage
an a loaf of bread. An I'll boil some hot
coffee against yer back"
Johnny could not run. He was "A
frightfnl little cripple, but he limped
away with the pennies.
Then | came forward and made nv
bogus errand known, and asked to ser
the sick child i'll the bed.
The woman looked at he suspiciously
"Taint dip'thery,' she said, 'it's cor
soolnpshun, an ye cannot take her TO an
hospital while l have breath in my
body
DO you 90 out with that thing every
day and leave these children here alone::"
| asked.
TALK WITH TIE CHILDREN.
Il amt aregilar,' she whined, ''tIr.
woman->he were Il BoiIcnliau-iiei
aud left me toni for takin' care OF ilcr.
L N''t l4tN ~ 'a... Will NOt ''lllNlI | i'+.
betwiNt and bu "rcn It,, and | give up
waehil, for this j.. easier and more Teddy
like. | WI, allus that fond Of music"
$50 am /, and if you don't mind | will
come here sometimes and hear you play.
instead of stopping on the street.-The.
no. as she seized MP tn. instrument,
moi tonight" and | slipped ont, leaviu-
my humble contribution ON the table.
heard the wuman singing to her sick
child before | had reached the foot g..
the stairs. AT the corner | met crippled
Johnny. lie had u brown paper pacH
age Of food.
''SaSscrgc, n bread" he said, s;ua,h
ing his lips.
But what is there for tine sick baby
| asked,
~Golly, yer ought to see her ext SITS
sage: She ii>t snatches en-"
johnny | asked seriously. ''ha.-
Your mother i block of houses and Il L.,
OF money in the bank"
What yer giviu us asked tho boy.
staring at me.
Il mean is-iS-yuur mother poor
Amt she. tho, iisr orful >omptiules."
and he limped away with thc food, r.
garding ne with wonder as he walked
backward.
! have concluded that there must hr
some mistake about the princely wealth
of this impoverished family. and that it
must BE- the woman with the ~organettr
and not the womau with the accordion
who own houses and lands, and | shall
make Il sneak some day and follow her.
Then if she is the nahob in disguise |
will let you know.-MrS. VI. l.. Rayne
III Detroit Free Press.
Cigars and Music Combined.
WhilA st,n1 nt Tho Showr.sa IN .