The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-12-22

There are few opportunities open to the CIR
with a sweet voice, but with no influence, NJ
recommendations. no money, to sing even TO
the smallest of salaries-sweet voices are com
mon.
Her one talent awaited her nothing. Their
she tried to obtain situation as governess o.
! companion, and failed. At length she Sc
cured position IS q saleswoman at q wretche(
salary. The hard work and long hours seemed
too much for her slender strength, but slit
toiled on for the pittance that insured her daily
bread. Then. after time even that chanct
was taken from her. The force in the store
was cut down-times were hard, and / suppose
the proprietors weren't making more thar
200 per cent profits on their investment-and
the last corners had to go.
Then came another brave search for work
snything-and failure. There are times when
it seems as if we have run up against 9
blank wall, and can 60 no farther. She had
reached that point.
As she dragged her heavy feet home to hel
cherries boarding house one night. she was
| almost ready TO give up the fight. She paused
| irresolutely on a corner. Straight ahead, q
long way of, was her dreary lodging. Around
the corner, only three blocks away, lay the
| river-and rest. She besitated, and once
| turned her pale face toward the river, and
| then turned away, and went on toward her
| boarding house, trembling weakly at the
| thought of the great sin she had been SO close
| to committing.
| She could not remain in her narrow room
| after reaching tit seemed to smother her.
| She must flee from her despairing thoughts
| for little while The shabby parlor was
| deserted, and she sat her down at the rickety
piano aud played and sang to keep herself from
berself-sang the sweet old songs her mother
used to sing.
| And-weli, in short, the manager of the
| Tivoli Theater, a fellow-lodger, heard her voice
and offered her an engagement to sing nightly
on his stage. She eagerly accepted the offer.
| 1t meant bread-life-to her. The manager
was an oily Hebrew, and he Judged well when
he decided that her fresh young voice, and the
sweet, old-fashioned ballads would please his
patrons, about equally divided between the
base and the bcsotted.
And, besides, the salary be offered her was
but a fraction of what he would have been
obliged to pay professional singer.
The innocent little face, and the simple,
sweet old songs awakened sleeping memories
in the breasts of the occupants of the pit, and
they drank more beer than usual, and ap-
plauded in hearty way that made the Hebrew
rub his hands with satisfaction.
When she understood the character of the
place her soul sickened. But she continued to
sing there She knew no other way to turn.
1t was better than the river. The Hebrew was
wise in his day and generation. He fully un-
derstood wherein lay her charm to his patrons,
and he shielded her innocence, from purely
mercenary motives And thus il was not SO
bad as it might have been. Her soul revolted,
but she sang on night after night, feeling like
a lamb among wolves.
But the willy manager could not be every
where. She Was insulted on the street, one
night. and-then Lawrie appeared, and my
lad did the right thing-he came near kill
ing the brute who had offered her the insult
That was the beginning. 1t was the old, old
story after that. Perhaps Lawrie only pitied
her at first, but he loved her soon. His
strong, honest love filled her lonely heart. She
was very happy for time, and then she I'M
derstood what it meant TO Lawrie.
Part Of this is the story she told me, the rest
/ learned later. She did not spare herself in
the recital I'll own.
She did not ask for my decision.
81 know" size said, with a sob; ~ under.
stand! / dreamed sweet dream for little
while-but now understand. He might have
won you over-he almost made me forget. We
were to have been married on Christmas Day,
and then he was 10 take me away. But il must
not be, but--oh. ] love him So"
The slender form dropped ptifully.
:" 1t is hard, oh, Cd hard, to give him up!
But, you must keep him from this folly. He
must not ruin his life for me. I-he will learn
to forget me, and II will soon forget!"
j made no answer as She turned and left the
room.
The door had hardly closed behind her when
Halloran-fuily dressed-came out of the bed
room. Perhaps lie had gone to bed with his
boots on.
"Tm goin' Quit" he said, grimly, and left
the room.
Confound Halloran! What was all this to
him2
Long after he had gone sat there thinking
IL all over. That pale, pitiful little face, and
fellow viii see pictures in the smoke of his
good tobacco. Lawrie-the lad had Katie's
eyes and Katie's curls, and-and / had sworn
in my soul long ago TO do right by Katies boy.
What was pitiful little face and big, appeal
ing eyes to me? Why, confound it all! L
The gray OF the morning found me still sit
ting there. Haiioran had not come back l
did not see him all that day. Nor Lawrie
either.
1t was the day before Christmas, and Lawrie
and i ought to have been planning for a little
jollifcation on the morrow. Confound the
whole business! Why couldn't Lawrie come
around and give me q chance TO dress him
down as he deserved2 And, Halloran-it
would have been pleasure to have had him
there TO swear at.
Christmas Eve came after . long day. 1t
was as cold as Greenland outside. 1t had been
blizzarding the night before. but had not no.
ticed it. But il made me tarn up my fur col
lar in short order when got out on the street.
IcopIe WeIe uufEyluR tuls way anu tnAt, III
spite OF the cold. preparing for the morrow,
seeking the filing for Christmas stockings and
Christmas stomschs. The windows were filled
with Christmas happiness for sale.
Christmas tomorrow, and-it would be the
first for many year that Lawrie and had
not prepared in advance for some sort of jollif-
cation for the holiday time. Let him stay
away il he wanted tot
Presently ] found myself before the Tivoli
Theater. I'd drop in and hear that girl sing.
1t would serve TO pass the time. The Tivoli
was neither better nor worse than / had ex-
pected 1t was noisy, and the tobacco smoke
was thick and bad. The same impossible Irish.
man that you see in all such places danced, and
the same soubrette sang the same silly ditty in
the same cracked voice.
A young man near me cursed the song in an
audible voice to his neighbor, and wondered
when the country girl would come on.
MASHED, eh?" queried the other.
"Naw." was the answer. "She aim dat
kind. like TO hear dem old. fashioned songs"
"You're pretty fur gone, Kid, }" said the other.
"Told youse she aim dat kind, did'na 7"
snarled the Kid.
After all, she had told me the truth. When
| q man like the one who had spoken in her
| defense says good word for a woman, 1t means