The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1894-11-23

/ lSmpJ az ~ lduBn'
"A clue" said Mary. catching Ter
breath. land when will you know if
It's a true one-to night"
Il hope so-but doubt it, "
/ Mary's face was turned toward
! the window. the blackness of which
reflected the low couches. the flowers
and the pictures in tho room. re-
fected also Toms figure and hers, as
they stood together
As she looked, something seemed
TO como between them. and she
gripped Toms arm. pointing with
her other to the window
There's someone outside" she
said. in voice entirely unlike her
own. and in a second had dashed for
ward and was teacing at tho wood
and glass to get it open.
john" she said, springing out
into the dark after dark some
thing that eluded her.
"John."
No man could have resisted such a
cry, and the figure came back, a
thing in rags, and stood before her
the veriest scarccrow that ever ap.
peared in lady's presence.
"Maam,n it said imploringly 1t
was Fletcher
Mary laughed with laughter
moro dreadful than any tears. She
seized him by the m and dragged
him into the warm. fragrant room,
and demanded OF him his news.
"He is alive. ma'am." Fletcher
said solemnly, land he is we'll"
Thank God! Thank Godw ard
Mary's gasp relaxed and she stood
alone. Tell me quick. Where is
| he?"
Fletcher shook his head. He was
like the wrath of his respectable
self, and yet he held h $ head up,
and was his very self still in all but
appearance. sse6sl
THAT have not found out yet,
| ma'am," he said, "but / know the
neighborhood he is in, and expect
to find the house tonight or to.mor-
row -
Mary uttered a low moan of in =
! tense disappointment, much as a
starving creature may to whose lips
bread is approached only to be
snatched away.
You followed up that clue we got
yesterday" said Tom swiftly.
"Yes, Mister Tom. And last night
about o'clock, what seemed to be
about his dinner time. poor soul. l
saw him outside dried fish shop,
looking in and conside ing what he
buy, and at last he bought two
bloaters for a penny-bloaters for
dinner, Master Tom-bloaters The
woman treated him as if he was a
prince and wrapped them up very
careful and he put them in his
/ pocket and went on.
"Was he-was he wrapped up9'
said Mary, thinking OF the sharp
frost OF these early November nights.
mot much, said Fletcher, hes.
itatingly, "but he was tidy, no rags,
ma am, and clean linen--you know
he mover forgot that if he did every
thing else. but his hat and boots
were very shabby. and he walked a
bit bowed like. as il he'd been sit.
ting over his books a good while.
go on" said Mary. almost
fiercely.
Presently he stopped at book.
shop seems wonderful-like they
should have book-shops in White
chapel and he stops, and he takes
up first one, then another, lovingly,
just as ladies take up their favorite
flowers. and he fdgets about a bit.
and he feels in his pockets and his
face brightens up, and in he goes,
and without any haggling, for he
never could hagglo, he buys a book
for sixpence, and comes out with it.
looking almost happy"
o! that almost Mary WINGED
again.
Come. hurry up" said Tom i'm
patiently.
"And then he goes ON again, into
worse and worse neighborhoods. that
wouldn't have dared to tread on
nv own account less d been in
rags, and see people nudging one
another to look at him, for YOU don [
see many gentlemen in those parts.
But he'd no watch-there was moth.
ing to steal, and he'd that look in
his face that the smallest child 'ud
trust, and | knew he was safe enoug h
so just followed on, AMI it seemed
to me that he was going to stop al
the mouth OF low alley. when he
turned sharp around and saw me.
Fletcher drew deep breath, and an
expression OF acute pain crossed his
face.
Before | could so much az speak
he waved me OF quite wild-like.
he wasn't such an abs famous gentle
man, you'd have thought he'd beer
drinking. and S'Fletcher," he says
Il never sent for you-how dare you
como spying after me?"
Il begged and implorel him to lis
ten to rle. but he didn't seem Il
hear, only says, Go home, and don
let me catch you here again! What
business have you in those rags
Remem Der l left your mistress in
your care, and expect to be obeyed.
There was that flash in his eye,
daren't stand up against it, so / jus
turned and went away, and then
made some inuuiries-they took M,