The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-31

|
Il have come about a letter which was
addressed here by three crosses"
Il don't know nothing about no letters"
replied the woman. at amt come here.n
II had Just occurred to her that at any
moment one Of her masters might appear,
and she would be blamed even for speaking
with the girl, and she made second at
te upt to close the door.
mot come herem repeated the unwel-
come visitor in dismay. Are you quite
surei Who lives here"
II do, don't it look like it ~ was the an
swer in a tone of growing wrath.
only your asked the girl, and speaking
with great eagerness. Mono gentle
manm
There's only me, tell you, and get off
| with you"
The face beneath the gray hood went
very white, and the little hands met over
the girls breast with sob.
No MISUNDERSTANDING gentleman
! here" she murmured, then have lost the
] only clew had to my father" Child as
| she was, she realized her position, a stranger
| aud R woman alone in O strange city
! Don't be angry with me, please she said
| trying TO speak firmly, while the great big
tears were rising il her eyes. ~ am in
! great trouble and SO tired. | have walked
about Sc long to try to find this place. and
now it is all for no good. l don't know
what to do, or where to go. 1t is 30 cold
and 50 late, and am stranger and alone
! in London. Can't you-won't you help mel
This amt no place for beggars," the bag
said, holly, putting out her arm to close
the door, "Will you be OFF,
I'm not oeggar. only want nights
| lodging. l can pay for forgetting for
the moment her lost purse-"wih you let
me stay"
At the mention of payment the old
woman's eyes frightened, and she put
| down her arm.
But the next moment the girl remembered
| her loss.
"Ahl l have forgotten" she faltered; ~
have lost my purse. have no money"
You don't suppose you'll get q lodging
without, do youN asked the bag enraged.
The girl understood the rough words only
too well, and the vision they oonjured up
! Uefore her made her heart sink within her.
| "Ah! don't turn me away don't leave me
in the street, Pm SO afraid and 80 cold, and
it is such terrible night See, showing
fast! Ali take me in out Of charity. l
will pay you when l find my father indeed
indeed | will"
But she might as well have thrown here
| self upon the mercy of the cold, hard stones
outside. For money, and money only,
would the old bag dare to brave her mas
ter's dispeasure.
Her only answer was TO seize the girl by
| the waist to thrust her bodily out Of the
house. But once again she stayed. Her
| eyes had lighted on ring which the girl
| wore, OF which the value was far more than
any payment she could expect for the lodg>
ing If she gave it. The ring meant gin, ana
| her eyes sparkled.
"I'll let you stay for that"
But the girl shrank back.
mo no, l can't part with my ring. 1t
| was my mothers; my father gave it to me-
| No, no, can't part with that"
| RIGHT - raDliad the old Wnma0 UvOl1
know your business best. 1t amt my fault
| if you come to any harm on a night like
this"
But though she made as though she would
| close the door, she did so hngeringly, and
| when she felt herself really cast out alone
in the street, the poor child could not but
| give way.
II must do It'll I must do itr she said,
| with a sob, but, as she stepped once more
across the threshold the bag held out her
hand for the payment in kind-"Let me
keep it for tonight, only for tonight. be-
cause am in such trouble" And she kissed
the ring fondly.
The old woman at first insisted that she
must be paid beforehand. but when she
found the girl so determined, fearing to
lose the bargain altogether, gave in and led
the way upstairs. Unlike Madge Brandon,
little Gray cloak was quick TO notice the
disreputable condition OF the lower part Of
| lodging was gained, hesitated whether 1t
was a safe one. But the house was the one
link between her and her father.
Her fears, too, were lessened by the diff
ferent condition of the upper part of the
house-the room prepared for Miss Brandon
looking especially cheerful with its we'll
spread table and glowing fire.
So wrapping her cloak closely round her
she lay down upon the bed which her land
lady showed her.
/ he night crept on, but still she could not
sleep. Suddenly her listening ear caught
the sound OF pistol shot, and in terror she
| started up, calling out for help.
| But Madge was sleeping the sleep, not Of
| peace, but of WEAKNESS, and the bag lay
| hugging her empty bottle In a drunken
stupor. All her fears returning to her with
redoubled force. the girl fels it impossible
to remain any longer in the little dark
| room alone, nay, to stay another moment
! in the house. She did not stop to think,
| but fled down the stairs shaking in every
| limb, 10 find herself in the inner room, The
outer one at that moment was so still that
she concluded 1t was empty, and, Knowing
it TO be the one way of exit. prepared to pass
through IL. But on the very thres lold her
steps had been arrested and her very heart
made to stand still by the sight her dazzled
| eyes saw, one man lying dead, and Ralph
| -another-holding the weapon. In
| her horror her father easily made her capt
| i've to do the fatal dee which not all his
| love and remorse could undo.
That night it was the hunchback who
fell by Royals hand-in reality 1t was
| the Rat that diei-to live again in Sir Law
renee neutrality-suspicious. more than that
one brief hour necessary for safety. The
deception which, its purpose accomplished,
the Rat had shrank from, he put on again
| gladly, for his child's sake.
He was awakened from his stupor beside
| her by Royals return, for the villain judged
| rightly that there was work enough still to
be done for two.
| But be mad to do most of it alone. His
| partner, in secret, bore the girl away,
whore he sought every aid 70 undo the
! work he had done. But in vain.
For days she lay between life and death,
| and even when the balance turned to life
the little white hands sought still TO lift the
dark veil hanging before her eyes
Long hours of agony, which no pen can
| describe the father spent beside her bed,
! ready TO fight death itself If nesd be- for her
and vet unable even TO give back to her the
| precious gift which he had taken from her
agony 80 hesrt-siokening, that when a
last consciousness came back, and she, real
izing what had befallen her cried pitifully
in her darkness for her father, he could not
| own himself 70 her but shrank away, feel
/ inn hot ba ri her lou Fl-