Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-06-16

Dc tiNuoAuutcu lheO DiCdu-ulDCit oO Adi
there seemed every prospect OF both
Greta and Margot remaining supper
less.
Yes, the child was famished, and, oh!
how cold. She knew not whittier they
journeyed-scarce, indeed, whence they
came; she recognized only by some
half brutish instinct that she must Jog
on close to the woman's heels; why,
she w paused to ponder, perhaps
because she had so logged unques-
tionably for three whole long years.
"Hulloa moo! What's aftherp" Mar
got had turned suddenly round with an
eye OF menace and a hand in readiness
Greta close beside her the child hav-
grOund), neither at a standstill nor gaZ-
ing in at a shop-window, AS she had
perhaps anticipated, the salutary cuff
was reserved for some future occasion.
the exertion thus husbanded~ expanding
itself in a prolonged groan.
"Heyl Use spent" the woman
moaned, rather to herself, it seemed,
than the calious crowd, the frosty
night, or the needless child beside her.
.'Heer, Greeta, lend a hand. Moo then
Sharp, an push Wi all yer might, a
lazy loon as yer are. OF I'll know the
reason whai Lord luv usl" she con
cluded with a weary sigh, as she bent
her w back TO the burthen, and the
joint efforts Of the pair once more set
the numbering wheels in notion; this
'ere's boot tn last flicker. l reckon Use
spent-I'se fairly spent! Hi! merry
Chrissermas for sum, ma doot," she
added, with unconscious irony, as a
barrow, grooming beneath It's freigh,
or evergreens and gay flags and baubles
came in momentary contact with hel
elbow, the while the sturdy boy in
charge. with rudy cheeks and glowing
nose, shouted Justify TO the passers-by.
THE compliments o. tn saysonl Mer-
RE Chrissmasl Won't you buy, buy,
buyp"
Then on, on again without further
let or hindrance, down the Strand, past
Clearinghouse, out through some bye
streets into Waterloo place, thence in
due course to Picadilly -circus, where
for n moment only Margot paused; Ia
regain breath perhaps, for she was
breathing stertorously now, and she
pressed one hand heavily to heI
side.
Good Loord-Good Loord!' she
groaned, gazing strangely at the sea OF
faces which hurried past on every side,
regardless Of her pain.
"Wheer's ganginp" Greta ventured
for the first time TO break silence inter
negatively at this ~juncture, glancing up
askance into the woman's face.
But there was no response; SO the
child sucked her threepenny bit the
harder, amusing herself by pressing her
tongue through a certain round hole in
one corner, and thus in some measure
succeed in forgetting she was weary,
hungry, numb with cold, as were surely
many thousand others that same night
in the wealthiest city in the world.
Thus hath 1t been, and yer shall be,
till Time lays down his hour-glass, for
the poor shall never a out Of the
land. Yet, none the less, the rich and
prosperous must eat, drink, and make
merry whatsoever opportunity pre-
sents.
On again. rounding the corner now at
last; up Picsadillya past Burlington
due course. The broadway here is
comparatively deserted, the busy, bust
ling crowd is elsewhere; only a few
carriages and bansom-cabs spin hither
III NAlAtiiCl Oftl tlt ollpItl nVtNl
paving, their bright lamps g~listening
through the night like colossal glow
worms OF fire-fies; the leafless trees be-
hind the gaunt palings of the Green
Park frowning menacingly OH the
scene, as they stretch forth their
snow-laden branches, like grisly arms
in benediction DER a needless world.
Margot once more comes to a full
stop, "Oh, my Loordl" escaping her
ashen lips; then, without other pre-
monitory sign or symptom, she STUN
bles, staggers, sways, and falls-falls
downward on the piano in a huddled
heap, so that t'were hard to say, at a
passing glance, whether she Is merely
crouching over her instrument prepare
tory TO making night hideous once again
with its harsh, discordant wall. or
whether the human clock has stopped
at last, never to be set in motion
more.
Aud Greta. too, stands still, some
what TO rearward, however, and leaning
luxuriously up against q friendly pillar
post, whilst she placidly awaits the is
sue OF events. She is very tired now,
poor little soul. and oh, so hungry
The cold night air seems to have
IluulICu ICI ItlllulSH Didlns OilC 10 Npil-
scious just now only of hunger and ia
tigue, well-nigh oblivious eve of the
fact that she still holds the silver coin
fast between her teeth.
Someone has stopped, a~nxior;sly re-
garding Margot. Someone who, now
advancing, lays O hand upon the wom-
ans arm.
Yet she moves not. "Well, what
matter?' moodily the child reflects.
Three times already unavailingly she
has asked: "Wheer s gangingp" Three
times a grunt has been Marquis sole
reply. But now-ah! two other figures
bend over the rechmbent form. and
then, at length--yes, surely. a stalwart
policeman to the rescue. Oh, the flash
Of his dreaded bull's-eye!
Then, scarce knowing why or where
fore, in no wise pausing to reflect, but
yielding simply to some instinct Of
self-preservation, the child, after one
brief agonized glance round, turns and
swiftly flies down the broad frosted
pavement with fleet and nimble feet.
some haZy notion in her mind that thus
may she best escape 18th peeler;" thus
only inspect anew, in her palm, beneath
some friendly lamp-post, that newly
acquired treasure still held fast be-
tween her teeth.
All! to the left an open area gate
the stone steps within in deepest shad-
ow; no light from kitchen-window be-
low, no light from the porticO above.
Instinctively the child turns in; on the
third step she crouches down close to
the cold stone coping, her bony elbows
or her knees. her lean face supported
On her poor numb hands-a huddled
shapeless heap. q vague notion upper
size Is safe and may rest-rest until
1.-The boobies gang'd,n rest until Mar
got's "ofT," when she-ah! well, she'll
steal out then to the nearest light, and
inspect her threepenny-bit!
Not yet. however-Oh! no, not yet!
N-oty-et! for little Greta's head sud
denly falls forwa-d-the child Is fest
asleep.