The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-09-24

"Why didn't yer beltepe ttf' she asked.
ried her toward bis waiting vehicle.
Matildy yielded to her persistent cava-
lier and seated herself on the comforta-
BILE cushions with a sigh Of satisfaction.
"Where tor" the cabman asked, after
waiting reasonable time for directions.
II want to go to Mis- Ellis" Matil-
dy responded.
Come, none Of thatp' the man
coarsely answered. Where do you
mean?''
Matildy folded her hands primly in
her lap and began, eyer see, when / left
Mis- Ellis she told me that any time l
was able to come, to come right back,
I'd be sure of welcome, and SO I'm
goin to surprise her.
The man, too practical to be touched
by this childlike inexperience and faith,
seized her roughly by the arm, angry,
as he saw the possibility Of fare fad
ing into nothingness. II haven't any
time" he calculated, "to waste. Come,
get out of herep'
So Matildy was again left standing
helpless and alone.
She walked up and down and finally
wandered into store, where she seated
herself on one of the vacant stools. The
crowds of busy shoppers passed her by.
the floorwalkers and clerks looked at
her curiously, but believing she was
waiting for some one did not disturb
her. The moments passed. Finally she
got up and wandered again into the
street No one looked at her or paid her
the slightest attention. A great feeling
of loneliness and dread began to assail
her She mustered up courage TO ap-
proach an apple stand kept by matron-
ly woman, whose ruddy cheeks seemed
to have borrowed the reseate flush OF
her fruit. "Can you tell me, =" she haz-
arded timidly, ''where Mis- Ellis lives?"
The woman, busily rubbing her ap-
Piles, looked at her curiously.
"Bless my soull / don't know any
Miss Ellis. guess you've made mis-
take" Then, with the quickness Of her
class, used to all the sights and scenes
of great city, she took in the situation.
You're from the country, ! guess"
Matildy nodded.
| Thoughts of her own country bred
childhood prompted her to offer Matil-
dy seat and an apple while she. listen.
ed to her story. When it was finished,
she saw her duty stretch plainly before
her. In her simple life she had no time
or place for moral wanderings or split
ting of hairs. Things We're either right
or wrong This woman had come TO her
friendless and inexperienced. She must
do what she could to assist her.
This she found 10 be considerable. It
consisted in her taking her protege home,
and, after finding the addresses Of all the
Ellises that the directory afforded, in her
| spare moments going with Matildy To
each house where it seemed possible her
former protectress might reside. This
took many days and resulted in disap-
pointment and failure. The old lady
who had unconsciously played such an
important part in Matildy Perkins life
had long since died, her house had pass
ed into the possession OF distant rela-
tives, who were too absorbed in the
round of fashion TO feel more than q
passing interest in the quaint story and
its quaint teller.
Then came long season OF trial for
hatildy. Too proud TO return to her
village home, she daily fought the bat
tie OF homesickness amid her strange
surroundings. The old apple woman
was her only solace. and she alone was
n witness Of the gradual Disappearance
Of the little hoard of money, the inspti-
tude for city life, the pathetic long
ing and homesickness Matildy tried so
bravely 10 hide.