Evening journal., 1892-01-18

WINDOW, IN ACT 4 liQ neVeF been guilty On
before. and was usually awarded with
smile ] saw her | think, half dozen
times in as many weeks, but only from the
street, while she seemed always busy in her
room with her household duties One
morning while was on duty she attracted
my attention by rapping sharply on the
window pane with her thimble
"As looked up she said just Loud enough
for me to hear, II you've time, come
through the back alley up the steps at left
entrance at II o'clock this morning.
"At the appointed hour ! was sitting ia
an entry leading 10 the stairway, and she
was with me. AS you may know she be
gan, there's a dreadful mixture Of people
in this house, with whom | have nothing
70 do and they in turn hate me for IT, One
uader this roof Is an unpleasant looking
man. whom my father wishes me to marry
on account Of his business prospects, and
suppose his attachment for me. He has
annoyed me 80 with his attentions thai !
almost bate him, and be knows It. He is
jealous and has a very mean disposition.
dare not go out at any time without his
knowing il and speaking Of the fact III
such why that my father, who Is dread
fully strict, bears him and gives me lee
ture. II be sees me walking home with
young man, or seea me get a letter or h;Lnd
one TO the postman, be tells it; then. OF
course, father wants to know al about it,
"~rbe rest Of these delightful people are
forever spying too. The consequence is
am forever ip not water. Now on Lehigh
street, 5s6, there's a man whom like very
much. Robert Barring is his name Eo
knows you quite we'll by sight. will
thank you exceedingly II yuu win give him
this note and stop there when you're on
your way here, so II be has any message
for me be will give 1t 30 you. You see,
father doesn't allow him 20 visit me, no we
don't see each other very often-only when
| can slip out for an hour or 80, when he
Joins me and we take a walk II you'll be
our letter carrier we'll get along much
better Then by being little careful
George Birch will be 30 nicely outwitted
When he has no more tales to tell won
der what he viii do Well, ! suppose you
are willing TO be our mutual friend, aren't
yOur
''She was standing there and had laid hen
hand in mine. promised 10 serve her, then
left her by the way I'd come In the
months that followed / saw her many
times and carried to and fro many mes
sages between the sweethearts. bad been
their mail carrier for six months and had
~
many times, when her father died. OF
course her lover went 10 see her then rs
often ms be liked, 70 there was no more
need Of me. One morning about two
months after her fathers death she ran
down stairs and overlook me as turned
the corner. She told me she was to be mar
ried that night ut the minister's residence
and that she and Robert wanted me TO be
one OF the witnesses.
II consented though wondered IL she
didn't know what hard request she'd
made Of me ! stood up there brayely,
though II took all my power TO do so, and
saw Kntie Allen give herself to Robert Bar
ing, and wondered II he did then or ever
would love her MS devotedly as did Short.
| ~ afterward doubted It very much He
was not overly kind to her, staid out at
| clubs late and was not as considerate fof
her feelings rs he should have been. saw
her just often enough 10 know she was
very unhappy, though only bride Of ten
months
George Birch became very sullen lie
neyer spoke 70 Barring except to tantalize
and when he'd been married one year Birch
50 grossly lnaulted him that there was an
alteration in which both were wounded
Barring died within twenty-four hours but
Birch lived 70 suffer awhile.
lie had q lingeringsDa then improved.
only u get Worse iater Katie had been
widow for year. when she sent for me to
tell me that George was dying and wanted
20 see her She was very nervous and mis-
cradle; she dreaded going, yet had no wish
70 refuse advised her to 40 and went
also, at le0st rs far as the steps wouldn't
| 70 in the room. When she came out there
MARA tnnt.e fft hor ,xrna ouI cha 1r,ly,1 ,,n1,
and frightened. She told me ia a low voice
almost in a whisper, that he was dead.
walked with her to her door, then left her
alone with her unhappy thoughts Her
husband left her but little wealth, 50 she
went back 10 the northwest room Of the
red tenement, the one in which ia first
seen her, which she rented quite cheaply
| and managed very WELL with her baby
girl for company and small hired girl
for help
II visited her only occasionally until She
left of her garb OF mourning, then went
there more frequently. In time she prom
ised 70 be my wife, but three years went BY
| without her setting our wedding day. She
told me that George Birch had said that II
she married me or any one else he'd give
her no pence, but haunt her day and night
She did not want TO believe that he could,
but weeks before the day set for our mar
riage she was in terribly nervous state,
and declared she'd seen George in her door
every night for a month.
'sTThe evening before We were to be mar
ried ! was sitting in the room holding her
childon my knee and thinking OF the bright
morrow when the back door opened sud.
I denly and she screamed; Look at George
Birchl 1t Il not his ghost, but him, him.
I q A. -. q Ill !
can't stand it, ] can't marry You, Simon
/ can't--I can't. Save my child; don't let
Der see that facet She moaned, wrung her
hands and looked mad.
II went two blocks for a physician, but
when returned Katie was gone. looked
for her, and others, too, but we never found
her or heard any tidings bearing on the
subject. The general opinion was that in
her fright and excitement she had destroy
ed herself But how, without there being
some evidence afterward, am puzzled Il
know.
Il sold my new home, or the place that
was 10 have been our home, and taking hei
child | took up my abode in my same ok
lodging house and there I've lived eve
since for this child, who viii be a secoDs
Katie Allen in beauty. God grant Der
happier life.
II gave up my position rs a lneman.
could not Climb pole without thinking Q
her. Since then I've been knocking
around, doing anything that came TO m
hand, until today, when was called int
\ service through necessity.
( 'rhe red tenement Is sold and is to b
taken down. Hearing this I've been con
Z ing here now and then, each time thinl
z ing twas the last, 70 look at the hous
= / /