The record-union., 1894-06-09


were screwed into a sort of wrinkled
lump of cunning. of wariness, of defiance
and of aggressive defensive scorn; as
though the imps who harried him about
the doors and through the great windows,
in the long nights Of vigil, had trans
mitted to his face the uncanny lines OF
his own.
I'VE wish to consult with you, Uncle
Jimmy" said Mr.. Jaggers, kindly.
~ returned the old man, cau-
tiously.
About a little matter of charity.
That's all, Jimmy"
.'Oh?" This as though he had little ex
perience with charity, but was not to be
caught unawares in the dark.
did you raise his wages, Papa Jag
gers?" whispered Miss Edith.
by Jupiter Never thought of it. My,
myl That's too bad. Here" referring
to the wage list-''it is. Why that's in
famous! How can half-dozen people
live on eight dollars week. Let's make
it twelve, Edith?"
mo, no, MOI Fifteen, while you're at
it. Papa Jaggers."
''All right, daughter. Strange how
one'll find places for direct charity right
under ones nose, when they're looked
for. Uncle Jimmy, your wages will be
Sl5 week hereafter"
Lord! You don't mean it?" gasped
the old man. dropping his night-stick and
clutching the door-frame for support.
'Sure, sure, Uncle Jimmy ~ exclaimed
Edith, patting his hard old hand with her
own warm, white little one.
1t seemed that his hair and face had
grown moldier and yellower for the in
stant he stood trembling before them.
Fur twenty year, mother-she's my
wife, Miss Edith-has been sayin', Jim
my. 'tll come sometime l KEEP sayin'
'twouldn't. She wuz right. Mothers
allus right. Now there'il be mite left
tur 'em when Pm gone. Lord Mr.. Jag
gers, that's worth gittin' outen grave t.
work fur. How can thank We right p"
Uncle Jimmy was bewildered for lit
tie, but the subject of charity already
seemed more comprehensive to him. He
hustled about and brought two chairs to
the great plate glass windows. Then he
asked Jason Jaggers and his daughter to
sit there in the darkness for little.
''Taint no pictur fur Miss Edith's
eyes," he explained depr eceatingly; "but
as long as yer huntin' trouble t mend,
ye can't git better selec'shun fur miles
'round."
A few moments sufficed. The brazen
forms of vice, the trem bling forms of
penury, the gaunt forms of hunger, the
staggering forms of the besotted, the
skulking forms of those haunted by their
crimes and hunted by the law, all those
accursed forms whose only shelter, whose
only day, is the shadows and the night,
like warp and woof of passion and fear,
were woven there before their eyes by
the swift, dark Shuttles of greed and
dread into hideous texture; until they
turned from it all shuddering and sick
ened; almost half-hearted at the insig-
nificance of what had until now seemed
but pleasant summer task be-
fore them.
'Oh, that is dreadful, Uncle Jimmyi
But we are determined. You must know
somebody, some poor waif or another,
whom Papa Jaggers and l can take
charge of and just lift, body and soul,
right out of these horrible slums?"
'Yes, even two or three. Uncle Jimmy,
in a job lot. Just about as cheap as one,
you see;" continued Mr.. Jaggers blandly
and encouragingly, for it was getting late.
1--WE want somebody really awfully
down, Uncle Jimmy" pleaded Edith en-
Enthusiastically.
might as well have 'em awfully bad,
too; eh, Edith, while we're about it?
We're just going to test this matter of
like way, Uncle Jimmy"
"Eh? Oh, yes!-certainly," responded
the old watchman confusedly. IF reg lar
tough uns is wanted, / might part with a
pair o. oil cats, back o. tn store"
"Old cats ~ exclaimed Edith.
"Back of the store?" chilned in her
father.
'.Yes, OF cats; bulldogs, 1 might say,
Mr.. Jaggers. Been thar regular fur nigh
a generashun. Wouldn't mind if they
wnZ wimnen, an rum goners at that,
would YEP"
what, real sure enough women, Uncle
Jimmy? All the better. More tractable,
aren't they, Papa Jaggers ?"
Yes, / presume so, Edith. Are they
old ones, Jimmy?"
'Wall. as to that, I can't rightly jedge.
They amt no older, as fur as looks goes,
nor tougher as fur as tough goes, nor they
wuz twenty-five or thirty year ago, when
| first seed 'em round this quarter. ]
figured they wuz bout sixty or seventy
apiece, them days"
do you know the poor things. Uncle
Jimmy?" inquired Edith sympathetic
cally.
The old man drew himself up and let a
sort of subdued aspirated "Whoo ~
escape his lips, as though knowing them
had been accompanied by divers weary
contemplate. He then slowly nodded his
head.
1.-The first time / know'd 'em," he con-
tinued feelingly, Il come near throwin'
up my job. They had a awful jag on,
Miss Edith"
jag, Uncle Jimmy? Why, what sort
of garment is that?''
"Wall, it's mostly wore inside, Miss
Edith" returned the old watchman. steal
ing glance as of inquiry and permission
from her father, who was eudeavoring tC
repress smile behind his twinkling
eyes; mostly wore inside. an 'straord-
mary heatin', too"
"Gracious me!'' exclaimed. the mer-
chants daughter wonderingly-
Yes continued Uncle Jimmy, san'
they said they'd come to stay"
"Where did this happen?" inquired
Mr.. Jaggers.
Right out back thar, under th' arch
way returned the old watchman, point
ing TO the rear of the building with his
night-stick. ''whar goods is received and
shipped. Lots o. empty boxes thar, We
see. Wall. when Mugsy Mary an Slim
Liz-them's their names-tirst arrived
they wuz clawin' an hammerin' one an
other fur keeps. lh' crowd fullerin' ,enl
sort o. slid Oft when | come out; an th'
wimmin got mixed up among the empty
boxes, an lost like"
..Fighting? oh that's dreadfulr' inter-
rupted Edith.
..Wall, rather. / went over in among
'em an began Separatin' 'em, an orderin'
'ern off, when Liz says, Let's do i'm,
pard?' Mary, who wuz on top, says, Do
il is. Liz With this-I hates to own it,
Mr.. Jaggers!-they banged the boxes up
with me ontidy enough. sir; an finally
hove me in th' elevator hatch, whar re-
member hearin' of 'em say, dim like,
This place is pie for reg'lar lodgin'.
wbay, fh, plirnmer comes To wasll fnan-
ton of it,"