The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-05-03
AN INCIDENT.

a LOST Ohuo ana Whbt IL BrouRat
About.
There was wall OF q child, In front
of big spring street store yesterday
afternoon, and little girl not more
than four years old was seen to be cry
ing hystericslly and calling for mama. u
Its little face was terror stricken, and
the evident realization of its loneliness
in a crowd caused it to be possessed by
q panic OF fear.
Few of the hurrying psssersby stopped
even to look at the suffering mite OF
humanity. One or two hesitated, looked
around in a helpless SORT of way, az il
they expected to find mama" AZ hand,
and then overcome by the possible con-
sequences of caring for q lost child,
quickly walked away.
The child's cries grew in shrill in
tenHity, and it franticslly cemmsncsd to
sway backwards and fos ards in an
hystericsl manner, always shrieking for
"mama."
A girl came along and stopped at the
window to study some bonnets. She
WAC plump, handsome creature, and
filled the atmosphere around her with
an odor of patchouli and musk. Her
eyebrows and eyelsshes were notably
black and penciled, and her round cheeks
showed rosy color that never varied in
its intensity. Her hair was beautifully
reddish blonde, but ct it's roots showed
o commonplace chestnut hue. Her
gown WAS we'll made, so we'll in fact that
it brought into prominence every curve
and taper OF her form. Her fingers were
loaded with diamonds, which cleaned
also at her ears end throat. Men
glanced at her, and SO did women, but
with different sort of look.
The girl WAS as much aleue in the
crowd az was the lost child.
The little ones cries attracted the at
tention of the young woman and she ran
to her, wiping away the tears with an alb
surd little lace handkerchief, and prom
ising to find mama" ut once. The little
one was soon treasured, and in a minute
was merrily playing with q jewel-studded
little watch. The young woman was
charming in her natural display OF wom-
anliness and latent msternalism. She
playe in grave, delighted sort OF way
with the now happy youngster, and
when the little one was quite restored to
equanimity the girl ssid, "Now we'll
find mams," and led the little one to-
ward tie store.
At this moment tall, angular woman,
clad in poor, rusty clothes, evidently a
farmers wife, came rushing out of the
gtore, her hardfsstured face white with
apprehension, and calling fearfully,
Jamie! jamie! Where are you,
JaDie?"
The mother of the little one, for such
the woman evidently was, saw her little
girl, rushed at her and angrily shook
her, scoIdlnE bar for wandering away.
Tho little lip tremSi~A-ths big eyes.
already tear wet, filed again, ARA -nb
folio we'd scb.
please do not punish her." said the
young woman; "shs has been 90 fright
ened."
The older woman looked up at the
younger; she shifted the heavy perfume ;
she noted the striking, loud appearance
of the grl, and her hard face grew
stsrner. She drew away haughtiIy, az
if from a macs of filth. "Yeu =" and
the wretched epithet was Missed as from
q serpent's fangs, show dare you speak
to an honest woman"
The pretty face, which till then had
worn a curious. placid look, strangely
cut of place with the kohl, the rouge and
the poudre de riz, lost this in an instant.
The little child drew closer to it's moth
err, and the two walked away. The CIR
stood still for a moment, quivering with
her mingled feelings of humiliation and
anger. Then she gave a hard laugh
tossed her head, and she, too, passed on