The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-08-25

ACl h0hNs ChS Juc IOOu. oHc WoS
a very small, slight woman. with q
grave. lovable face and a pair of won
derful eyes. In their calm, clear light
lay the secret of her power W. the
fifty girls whom she ruled absolutely
with a glance or a smile. She came
gliding in more like a spirit than Q
woman, and putting the light down,
said:
."I4aura, 1 have had a dream. dear
girl.-a dreadful dream-and I am
afraid. Let me stay here with you"
So she sat down and begani in a low,
trembling voice to tell of Laura's dead
mother: of her pure lofty womanhood,
and of her love of her child. Laura
scarcely heard her; the time was going
faster, it was close upon midnight, she
must make an effort at once. So, dur
ing a moments pause, she said:
"Will madame try to sleep now?"
"Yes, l will put put the light, end
we will both try"
First, will madame permit me to go
to Clara's room? / have left my things
there. l shall not disturb anyone"
In a moment madame's attitude
changed; her eyes scintillated with
light; all the caressing tenderness and
sorrow of her voice and manner were
gone. She was like an accusing spirit.
Down on your knees, false girl.
whom no memory of mothers love
could softeEi Down on your knees,
and let your prayers strengthen the
hands of those good angels who are
fighting your evil genius this very mo-
ment. Pray as those should pray
whose purity and honor, whose very
life and salvation hang upon a villains
wordr' And, drawing the girl down
beside her, she watched out with her
those dangerous midnight hours.
At . o'clock Laura was left to weep
out alone her shame and her disap-
pointment. Madame had kissed and
forgiven and comforted her with such
comfort rs was possible; but youth
takes hardly the breaking of it's idols,
and it was bitter and h~umiliating to
hear hat this handsome Ernest was
better known to the police courts than
to the noble houses he talked about,
and yet that she had chosen his soci-
ETY. and had been willing to become
his wife. Madame had not spared her;
she had spoken plainly of a gamblers
wife and of q thief's home-of shames
and horrors Laura trembled t. recall
adding:
Il had willingly kept you ignorant
of such things, for the knowledge of
them takes the first bloom of purity
from a good girls heart; but, alas.
Laura, if you will go forbidden roads,
you must at least be warned of the sin
ard the sorrows that haunt them"
Laura wa ill many days afterward.
Madame had indeed forgiven her, but
it was hard to forgive herself, and for
a long time even a passing memory OF
her first lover brought a tingling blush
of shame to her cheeks and a %sickening
sense of disgrace and fright to her
heart.
1t was ten years after this event, and
Laura. with her two daughters, was
driving slowly across Cannock chase.
The pretty children sat on either side
of her, and she drove the ponies slow
ly, often stopping to let the little girls
and pull a bluebell or a handful
of b~uttercups. During one of these
as she sat, with a smile on
her handsome face, watching the hap
py little ones, some one,c coming from
behind, touched her rudely on the
arm. She turned and saw a man in
grimmy leather clothing, with an evil,
cruel face, at her side.
Surprising him to be one of the men
employed in her husbands iron works,
who had been discharged or who
help, she said:
We'll, what is it, sir?"
The man answered CURLY:
Laura
Then Laura looked steadily into the
dirty imbruted face. And in spite of
SCOT and scars and bruises, she knew
it.
Mr.. Trelawny. why do"
.'Bosh, My name is Bill Yates. You
fooled me once, my lady, but you will
pay me for it now. I've been Jagged
since then-sent across for seven years
only got back six months since.
Glad l have found you, for l won't
work any more now. Come, 1 want .
to start with"
"A 'fiver?'"
"Yes; a five-pound note"
Il shall not give you a penny
Then l shall take one of them lit