New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1891-12-16
. She told her all, and the woman
listened. A strange look was on her

She told her all, and the woman
listened. A strange look was on her
face; a strange light in her eyes.
1 used to read novels when I was a
girl, !" she said. ..This is stranger than
q novel. Yc.l're a good girl-good!
Well share the money, Bella-Bella
Belt. You look like me, too, don't
you, only you're young and-pretty.' .
She took Bella's hand. They sat so
awhile, the money on the stone be-
tween them. 4
''Let us go and get something to
eat" said the woman, at last, and
they were rising to go when something
arose from behind a great, rusty
boiler that lay near the steps that
petritied both women with horror, a
tramp, red-faced, with long, trouseled
hair and beard, with filthy rags upon
a figure that resembled that Of a
gorilla, and the soft, heavy football OF
his kind .--. =.
Silently the two Bellas, young and
old, chung together as he leaned over
them, his hot breath on their faces.
''Give us the money" he said. Give
us the money. You have the money.
You had the money; give it,"
Then he saw it, seized it, counted it,
dropped the change, picked it up,
struck a blow toward them, hitting
nothing, and stumbled away.
'"Thank God!" cried the two women
together Then they looked at each
other piteously hungrily, and began
to cry. .,
"It's not safe here" said the elder
woman.
"If we could get into the factory.
We might do it; old Peter, the watch
man, doesn't always lock the gate at
once. Up among the machinery we
might have all Sunday, and even find
a scrap or two to eat Of lunches left
over. Well go to the gate"
Hand in hand they made their way
to the little wooden passage left open
for Peter. The old man sat with his
back toward them, eating his supper.
They crept past him, and up and out
OF sight. In a room overhead they
sat down near a window, and the
elder Bella, leaving her companion
there, searched everywhere and found
a lew crackers, a fragment of cheese, a
half eaten apple.
,"Better than begging" she said.
They munched the scraps, and night
fell and the moon arose, and they
kept beside the window and close to
each other.
After awhile the elder woman asked
question of the younger.
"Have you mother?" she said.
"There's a wicked woman some
where, if she is not dead, who left me
on a doorstep in a basket once" bella
answered. "a good old woman took
me in. She is dead.'
Had you anything your real moth
er could know you by?" asked the old
er Bella
"My name and cameo brooch
marked B. b." the girl answered; "but
she.'
Then silence fell, and latter awhile
the two women gathered together
some cotton waste and canvas and
lay down to sleep together.
''Do you pray?" asked the elder
Bella of the younger, as she drew the
canvas over her.
eyes," sighed Bella.
''Then pray for me- said the other,
'Epray for me, a. sinner
Later, two tramps, sOdden and hid
eous, staggered back to the factory
side and lay there smoking.
Later yet policeman heard a. shrill
old voice crying "Fire! Firep' and
rushed to meet q feeble old man, with
l., IL
Waterman.
cts Breeze's factory!" he cried.
It's blazing. Ijust got out with my
life--no more!"
ANY one there?" asked the police
'"Thank God; not a soul!' said
Peter.
But up in the room into which the
moon no longer shOne, where the air
was dense and thick with black smoth-
ering smoke, two women felt their way
toward a window.
"Do you hear me?" asked the elder
Bella
EYES," said the younger.
III don't think we can be saved. I
must tell you, Bella, I am your moth
er, the wicked woman who left you at
the bakers door. But Bella, I loved
you. was starving; that woman had,
good home and loved babies. !
meant to come back for you, but it's
been poverty, suffering: misery ever
since-ever since ever since, Bella,
that's why I did not come. thought
you rich and happy. never knew.
Bella"
"Mother!' sobbed faint voice in
reply; <toh, mother, l believe you and
[ love you" And they lay clasped in
each others arms.
They found them so next day clasp
ed in each others arms. The fire had
not touched them, and their faces were
almost happy when they laid them
side by side together.-New York Led.
ger.
A Lofty View.
A German merchant in London has
a servant who at first was very for
getful. This fault was especially an
II