Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-10-14

shutters about II, and when went up the
 alley an hour later saw by the glimmer of
 light through the dirty fanlight over the
 side door that he was still sitting up
 A little after the clock had struck Q l
 caught sight of boat coming across the
 river from the Rotherhithe side. As it drew
 in to the steps l made out one man at
 the ours and two men in the stern seat
 Then my heart beat quicker for felt that | Taras was there before I heard his voice
 We shan't want you any more tonight, :"
 he said as the boat ran ashore but you
 will be at the samo place tomorrow at the
 same time"
 m be there master, no fear, Good night,
 gentlemen"
 Good night"
 The boatman pushed of, while Taras and
 Drigo groped their way up the dark and
 slippery steps over my head. knew the
 other was DriGo by the sound of his harsh
 Guttural voice cursing he stumbled.
 As soon as dared I slipped from my hid
 ing place and ran mp the stairs like cat
 When reached the top, saw their figures standing up sharp and black against the
 light farther up the alley-Taras, square
 and erect; Drigo, with his head buried in
 his shoulders They stopped at the side door of the Joy and rappcd lightly The light from within fell upon Taras' fair
 bearl as the dour opened. A few words were interchanged in low tone, the door closed, and the two men went on, turning the corner under the gas lamp into Sweet | Apple lane. l did not attempt to follow them, dreading to pass the door where Putty might still be standing, but stood | there with n feeling like the craving for food in my breast until the impulse to overtake TarsIs and speak to him, even though Drigo wcrc still with him, over came my fear, Then l ran swiftly up the all. N.af h..
 with mad dcsire to see him again.
 They were gone; the lane was empty | When reached High street and stopped | there, panting for breath, not soul was tc De seen 10 the right or left; not sound broke the dead silence. gave up the pur- suit in despair and rrturntd slowly in de 1 iectiOn. The light was out in the Joy l when passed crcpt into the cellar, felt | ny way through the storrrooms to my cor aer in the loft and lay down to sleep, com | iorting myself with the reflection that | should certainly scr TarIS again the next | night.
 l When looked out in the morning, l saw | Drigo and Putty on the balcouy, giving di- 'ections to a carpenter who was patching | ID the window shutters, When that job | V.ls done, the man put some screws in the | bolt of the passage door. Drgu and Putty 1 ooking on all the while Tarls was not with them, nor did l see anything of him Ill day, though only left the spot once to 'uy some food with the money l had earned | he day before, creeping under the stairs
 nd behind tue barge and 50 round by l Iohnson's yard into Sweet Apple lane that l nigLt not be seen from the Joy When | tEc carpenter had done his work, they all went in by the passage, boltinG tho door | after, and saw no mOre of them.
 | As soon aS il was dark l went to my hid ing place under the stairs, but was less patient than l had been the night before, and could not control my agitation aS the l time drew ntar for raraS to come again. | My teeth chatterrd. my body and limbs | tremhled and shook with fcverish excite ment. yet knew not why. As the clock struck the police boat passed by. About 1 five minutes later another boat came out l of the murky distance and drew toward the stairs. As it pulled into the stairs | counted five men packed in the stern, and | knew by tine number that Taras had found | his friends My heart sank in bitter diSap- | pointmrnt, for had made up my mind to l speak tO him if he came alone with DriGo, | Now, there was prctrNt for speaking to l him-he was noI in danger. With his thrce friends he was more than a match for Drigo and Putty, >uppoSing they had | evil intentions toward him.
 | They landed, and having discharged the l waterman grupvd their way up the dark | stairs to the landing above, where they l stopped, talking together in a low voice and in their own tongue. Eventually DriEo l left them and went up to the Joy tu see | that the rad was clear Meanwhile, made | reckless by my un>atiSliCl ycarninE<, l had left my place, ana following them noise lessly up the steps stood now almost with | in arms reach of IaraS. l distinguish he'd | the profile of his face quite clearly against | the faint light beyond as he eturned to speak | a few cheering words to one of his friends 1 the bold, handsome outline of his aQuilne | nose, the curve of his mustache and his l short, pointed beard. Almost 1 fancie1 | could see in his face the expression of hap piness in having rescued his friends. Twas ! envious of that kindly reGard bestowed up on another, and drawing q step nearer, by i an instinCtive impulse, raised my hand and | laid it timidly on his arm. The act was not intentional. lcould not help doing it. The movement WAS seen by his compan- ion, who started with stiflrd cry of alarm. | Taras, seeing me, spoke few low words of remonstrance to his friend that seemed 10 say: What are you afraid of? It's only q 1 poor, miserable waif." Then, recognizing ! me at second glance, he cXclaimcd softly { in English:
 "-Ah, it iS you!'
 Hes, mc-thc kipprr," tried to say, but my voice was thick with fcvcrish agit ation ! ana m WOl1l> unlnltlllElblC.
 { You have come to tell us that it k all right, he said adding, after he had given ! this explanation to his friends its very good of Nou," and he nodded at me again | with that kind smile that had wrought such my>,rr effect upon my nature. ! Just then DriGo whistled softly from the
 side door of the Joy, and raras hurried his
 friends forward, leaving me there with
 more happiness i'll my heart than had felt b.. -l,.,1., # IL
 waited on the landing until they had all filed into the Joy. Then I slipped . past the closed door and ran across to the [ archway in Sweet Apple lane opposite the house. l knew that there was 10 ac- 1 commodation for tLl party in the Joy, and that as soon as the escaped men had changed their clothes they would come away. As there was no other way but through Sweet Apple lane they must pass me, and should see Taras once morc.
 l had stood there not many minutes l when heard a glass crash in the Joy, and the next moment there was a deep thud as if some one had thrown himself against the door; thC:l there followed a stified cry, the shufiling of feet and the l sound of heavy blows. These sounds left me ln no doubt as to what was going on in the bar of the Joy. In Shadwel one hears the noise of fighting every night. But l could hardly believe that Drgo and
 Putty were the attacking party. The lat ter knew to be n coward and feeble as we'll, being sodden with drink. Taras,
 felt sure, could defend himself against half a dozen such men as he, and timid as his
 friends might be it was not likely that they would stand aside and make no effort to aid him. l had no fear for him, | but rather a savage eXultation in the be
 lief that he would thrash his enemies and
 punish them according to their deserts It
 occurred to me that he had discovered | Drigos treachery and was now giving him