The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-11-04


In q moment more. with hat and great
coat dOnned, and with q parting glance
at the face which now seemed radiant
and smiling approval. ] had left my inn
and gained Lopdons midnight streets
Almost as in dream where a citys
. thorOushfares seem like clOud-hlled ca
nails with ghostly humans drifting along
/ their lower depths, l turned into Maiden
. Lane, rounded Leicester square, pushed
/ through the harry througs of Trafalgar
Square and the Strand. crowded on into
/ Fleet street, penetrated the maze of
wynds and alleys roundabout the royal
1 justice courts, as far as chancery lane,
and thence, around by Lincoln Inn fields,
/ by zig gag, torturous course, peering
! into every woman's face I saw for likeness
| Of the face that haunted me, ] came at last
/ exhausted and discouTa ged in my search,
/ to the corner of southampton street and
1 the Strand.
Here I halted for a little leaning
against the SouthamT ton street side OF
the extreme corner Of the building there
/ gazing ruefuny into the Strand, which
was stin crowded with the Godforsaken
! Of London's after midnight hours.
1T is her face; and ] will find 1t YETI
! I muttered aloud as I cast a parting
glance up and down the fog shrouded
! human tides of the Strand.
is it an old face or a young one, you
arc looking for, my dear?' inquired
/ soft voice at my elbow, just around the
| corner of the building in the Strand.
/ The voice was as sweet as an innocent
childs; and yet it held that subtle chord
of interest and sympathy which can
/ alone be modulated by a mature and
| tender human heart.
/ / whrled and faced, or rather benI
over, the speaker; for her head scarcely
/ came to my waist. / saw with beating
/ heart and bewildered brain the haunting
/ face in the inkstand; the very face |
/ sought; the face of a little, old, hump
| backed woman, with sturdy staff in hand;
| a face set upwardly, as is the sorry way
! with dwarfs; a face in which some Gn-
! utterable human hopelessness was drawn
/ into stony lines, and yet on which there
| seemed, as you looked upon it, to grow IN
/ high relief a radiant transhgurement OF
! trust and faith; the Oldest plainest.
| sweetest face in all great London town;
| and face 1 could only look upon in as
| founded silence for its friendly reassur-
| ing smiles
I'm just Drury Lane Betty, sir. Every
| body on the Strand knows Betty. Some
! of them loves her, too. I'm hereabout at
| nights-I like it best, strand sometimes
| Betty helps them that fall to the earth
/ from discoura gements and the like, sir.
| The nighttime is when help is most
! needed, sir. Besides, old Betty is looking
| for face too, sir. But are you in trOuble2
/ Some times them that's best favored and
! dressed, sir, have deepest hurts. I'm Just
] I
! we will have a cup of tea together. We
/ can talk better over a bit of fire and cup
of tea, you know. Come along, my dear
She swung her staff into one hand and
| grasped it firmly; with the other she
! reached confidently for my own and
! placed it beneath her shoulder and trun-
| died away with me toward Fleet street,
/ her head perked to one side like a little
white old birds; her fascinating prattle
only now and then checked, as some Off
| Ger or long frequenter of the quarter gave
/ her commiserating though hearty greet
! ing. to which she replied cheerily, calling
! each one by his Christian name; unGl
! we at last turned into the now darker
and less frequented Drury Lane.
A walk of a few minutes in this thorough
| fare brought us to the fruterers' district,
and we halted before an ancient and mar
| row structure. Here my strange com
! panion produced an enormous key and
ushered me into a hallway black as the
portals of Erberus.
Ordinarily 1 would not have assembled
| its stair with any human other than a
| Scotland Yard inspector for a thousand
sovereigns; but l felt no fear with her.
/ Up. up, up we scrambled, the dwarfed
| little body guiding me without misstep or
| blunder, until a fourth landing had been
reached when with a lively, Here we
| are, my dear! a door was thrown open
and we stood full in the rosy light of a
large and cheerful room.
1t was the loft of the building, trans
| formed in a homey fashion into most
. comfortable abode. y huge and ancient
/ fireplace occupied nearly one entire end.
Near this, at one side, were curious cup
boards; and, at the other, a. snoW-white
bed. Between, fun in the warm freight
stood an ample table, ready set, and be-
side this was a large easy chair, turned
partly to the fire, with pair Of cosy
slippers resting invitingly at it's feet.
a11 min f,,,r
said Betty proudly. Forty years is
long, long time; but I said to myself, now,
! maybe he will be a long time coming back
and how happy he'll be to have a home,
all of cur own in which to lay his head.
| Yes forty years forty years. she added
with pathetic tremor in her voice. and
began as charwoman to the fruiterers
in Drury Lane. Now, they pay me rent,
my dearr
out along one side of the narrow loft
were few low and tidy cots. She saw
my inquiring look, and said with the
sweetest smile 1 had yet seen on her
drawn old face
That's Drury Lane Betty's hospital.
When I'm in the streets at night-loo!1ing
for him, you knowi-oftentimes some one
falls to the earth, as told you. If Betty
knows of IT, this is where they bring them
for a little my dear; for l think what if
he fell to the earth, might not some other
body do the same for him? Yes, yes, yes
forty years is long time, my dearu'
Bless you, aunty, for the dearest,
bravest soul in LondOnw burst from my
lips as l almost revently patted her white
old head. And you have been all these
years trying to find him.
The white face against the gateway OF
another hospital was now haunting me
moro ominously and desperately than this
living double of the little old face in the
inkstand.
She was pouring the tea into the Gums
A cup and saucer stood before the half
turned arm chair. She raised the kettle
as If to fill this empty cup. l thought her
face grew more pallid for an instant
She hesitated IN q sacred startled way
and then said sadly and'plaintively:
"All-these-years Why, l nearly filled
his cup! Tell me, sir-tell-me!-would
not know it here-hsre. sir" as her hand
nuttered to her loyal heart, If he was
dead?'
Yes, yes, yes"
And you are sure he is still living?"
1t would have been a cruel heart that