Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-27

red as the sun shone upon it. or the London
smirchy gray prevailed. A frail little creature,
thinly and poorly clad in spite Of the bowling
April wind that cut around corners and rushed
along the street gathering up the dust and
hurting it into peoples faces-a bleak unman-
nerly wind that made the wayfarers wish them
selves at home, and sent the little flower girl
shivering and shaking into nook in the wall,
where great towering column sheltered her
from the cold.
She had just sold small bouquet to gentle
man. The gentleman had been very unkind,
and had nearly made her cry. He was a tall,
rather good-looking man, with fierce black ewes
and black mustache, such as sine had seen the
fiends in the pantomime wear. He had pulled
her flowers about, and had spoiled one of her
prettlest roses, and thrown it back into the
basket. He had said that this one was faded,
and that one not worth picking up in the street,
although she had bought all only that very
morning-very, very early that morning-at
Covent Garden market. Had business been
better she would have told him that he did not
know his own mind. that her flowers were nice
as nice as any in the Strand-but she had had
no customers that day and had not taken cop
per before that gentleman came; and although
she had to suppress her sobs and felt ball
rising in her throat as the gentleman handled
her rosebuds so roughly, she forebore and said
nothing, and was very glad indeed when he
went away.
The lady who was with the gentleman had
reproached the man for being SO unkind to the
little girl She had said that the flowers were
very pretty, and that she liked them; and the
little flower Chiffon, they called her-had
thought her very beautiful lady indeed. And
as she came to think Of it she remembered that
she had seen that ladys likeness at the print
shop further down the Str md. where they
exhibited the photographs Of ladies-of great
ladies-of queens and actresses-of singers and
duchesses. Yes she was sure she had seen that
lady's portrait there-that kind. lovely lady's.
And she was shrinking in her corner to
keep out of the way of the cold blast that
secured the pavement, she looked at the handful
of coppers. which the gentleman had given her.
Lo and behold! Among the bronze there was
something that shone yellow-a golden coin
| golden coin larger than sovereign, nearly as
large as the coppers among which it lay. A
curious coin. II had two holes in it-one at
| each side-little holes such a man might bore
through the coin to hang it on his watch chain.
| And she stood looking at the coin in quaint
amazement, forgetting for the moment where
| she was and what she was doiug-a golden coin
| was very much out of her way. She had
never had one in her life but once. and that
was half-sovereign which she had been COM
| PEELED to change the moment she had got it.
"Hallo! What We got there?"
Tom looked up in a fright. The voice was
| gruff and harsh. big. roughly bearded
| policeman was standing in front of her with
| his legs apart and his hands behind his back,
| scowling at her.
SWELL, what We got there?" he repeated.
"Ain't you got tongue?"
Il don't know what it is, Mr. Policeman"
Tom replied with a slight SILVER. 1t was SO
| cold, and the policemans voice sounded SO
| severe
Don't know what you've got! That's a nice
| tale. amt it! Fork it over
Without waiting he stretched out hand and
| took the coin.
"Gold! he said. "furrin' goldr' He looked
poor Tom squarely in the face. Sand where
| did you get that from. please?" he asked.
"a gentleman that bought flower gave it to
me among his coppers," Tom answered family.
"Oh,' exclaimed the constable. "A gennel-
man give it to you. And where's the councilman,
| II you don't mind?"
"He's gone, SIR. Ic,nt see him any more,
| SIR"
"Hooky walker!" exclaimed the constable.
| "You'll have to try and make the inspector be-
| lieve that. You come along o. me-"
"Oh, don't take me to the station. Mr.. Police
man, she said. 81 don't want the money 1
didn't ask for it, and 1 didn't know I'd got it
until just then"
''You go and tell that to the inspector" in
sisted the officer, land no nonsense, now. just
| skip along"
The station at last.
On a high stool, at desk in the corner sat
the inspector. He did not seem at all a harsh
man. as he looked her straight in the face
while the constable told him what he knew and
gave HIM the golden coin.
DO you know the grip he asked.
'Oh. yes, replied the constable, ''shes one
Of the regular flower girls
and where do you live, young woman?" he
asked Tom.
"In Bedfordbury," was the tear-broken re-
ply.
do you know anything about her?" the in
spector asked the constable.
Nothing agin her so far" was the answer
''You had better send for Berwick" said the
inspector.
The constable left the place and returned a
few moments afterward with a tall man in or
binary clothing. The man had thin sharp
face-a shrewd face.
Here. Berwick" said the inspector when
the man had stepped near, do you know any
thing about this girl?'
''Oh it's Tom. replied the detective ''She's
| all right What have You been up to now?' he
added, turning to the poor girl.
"Fve done nothing, sir" Tom cried, moth
ing at all. and I'm going to lose my afternoons
work, and they've spoit half my flowers. and
| theyv torn my dress. all because gentleman
gave me a golden coin that didn't want at all -
"You had better look at the thing, Berwick"
| said the inspector. ''She says gentleman gave
| it to her in the street among lot of coppers."
The detective took the coin and examined it
| and scrutinized it even more carefully.
This is peculiar, he exclaimed, taking a
| printed paper from his pocket and stepping to
the inspectors side. Look here. I'd lay odds
that that's a bit from the Pesmere robbery.
You read this and compare"
| He laid the printed paper on table and
| pointed with his finger toward the spot, where
| the inspector read follows:
"A bracelet formed of six angels of Henry
| VI. Each coin has one side the figure Of
| st. Michael standing upon dragon and the in
! scription HENRICUS. DI. Ora. REX. ANGL.
| q. FRANC. On the reverse a ship with large
| cross for a mast. and by the side of the ship a
| shield with the arms of France and England
and the inscription FRANCIE. CRUCE. RE-
Def"
'That's one of them as sure as we re here, -
said the detective. You look at the little
| holes on each side. That's where the coins
| were joined together to make q bracelet of
! them. Now. Miss Tom he SAID, 'you answer
| me straight. You say a gentleman gave you
this coin. What sort of q gentleman
"a tall, handsome-looking gentleman" Tom
answered.
"Do you think you'd know him again if you
saw him?"
''Yes, should" Tom replied. "But there
was lady with him, and l know where to find
the picture of that lady. It's in the print shop
| in the Strand
The detective looked at the girl with surprise
and suspicion.
1.-THE picture of the lady who was with the
man who gave you that COMP he asked.