Rocky Ford enterprise., 1895-01-03
ACH1LD's GRATITUDE

'tGr ne a penny, ma'am-only q pen
nyr'
It was aprofessional besgar's stereo-
typed whine. neither louder nor lower
than she had heard half dozen times
before in the course Of her mornings
occupation Of shopping-and the wierd.
pale face that looked entreatingly Into
her own was in NO wise different from
q score Of other want-pinched faces.
Yet Miss Fortescue stopped, with one
foot yet on the step Of her cushisned
landau, and searched in her pocket for
some stray coin.
my dear Miss Fortescue, you will
take cold" said tho soft-measured
voice Of Mrs. vinton, her companion.
policeman"
Don't speak harshly to the poor 1T
tie object, Mariar' chirped rich Miss
Fortescue. ut isn't her fault that she
Is poor and forlorn, and this won't
break me, anyway! Here, little one-go
and buy bread, or meat, or anything
that Will put n streak OF color Into
those tallowy cheeks"
The child grasped at the money ~ q
famished wild beast might snap at
morsal of meat But she caught at the
0OuDAulOu EubbkAh8 oAhsos oo
she passed forward toward the plate
glass portals of the fashionable trim
ming store.
Did you call her 'Torescue," ma'am?
Did you say Miss FortescueY she ask
ed.
But Mrs. vinton twitched her skirts
away from the chnd's hand. a. II the
feeble grasp were Contamination, and
passed on. Sull the wild-haired eli
hung around the carriage wheels.
II say your she cried to the coach
man, holding her ragged garments
around her to prevent their being blown
bodily away by the merciless wind,
docs your missus live in big stone
house Just outside the pavements7 Is
she an old maid?"
The coachman deeply resentful at be-
ing addressed thus familiariy By SO
pitable a specimen of humanity, lifted
his whip-lash and called out
"Pleecei I say p'leeceman," in the
same breath, and little Jack Morley
shrank away out Of sight.
"Jacqueline" her name was, but no
body ever heard her called anything
but "Jackey." She had no father nor
mother-in fact, no relatives that she
was aware of. and 80 far as she knew.
she had NO earthly business to live
no excuse for existing. Poor little
Jackey!
Children and animals do not commit
suicide. and yet there are circumstances
under which we could scarcely blame
them If they did.
But Jack did not absolutely vanish
into the cracks Of the paving stones
for when the two ladies once more re-
entered their carriage and drove away.
Jack fastened on behind in some liu-
pet-fashion, and rode too! Not until the
carriage had stopped, discharged Its
bles at the rear of the roomy old man
sion, did the small parasite drop, like
q caterpillar shaken from q tree, into
the road.
IT thought sop said Jakey, to herself.
'They sha'n't-no, they sha'n't! She
smiled when she looked at me-and she
patted me on the head like was like
other gals"
And with these disconnected medita-
lions floating through the chaos Of her
brain, Jack pattered down the area
steps and knocked softly at the base
ment door.
A plump cook answered the sum-
mons.
"Murther!' she cried, brusquely,
'@what's a-wantin' hereT'
IT want to speak to Miss Fortescue,
pleaps."
"Do your cried the cook, surveying
the bold petitioner in blank astonish-
ment well, then. you can't, so there
now! Go along with you, dol"
But I've got su'thin' very pa'tickler
to say to her. Please let me inT' plead
ed Jacqueline.
Yes, and let out the spoons and ta.
ble-napkins at the same time-that
would be smart speculationV' sniffed
the cook. CLEAR out, say, and there's
an end O that matterw
But Jack who had not expected any
more favorable response to her appli-
cation, and was quite prepared to fall
back upon strategy, made q sudden for
ward rush. and had left the cook far
behind ere that plump parsonage had
leisure to surmise what was geing on.
We'll, I never!" quoth the cook.
Here, John Thomas-you man-where
be your
But while she crying aloud for aid,
Jack Morley had darted up stairs,
straight into the presence OF Miss Fort
escue. who happened to be standing on
the first floor landing. with her jacket
and hat hanging on her arm.
| Hush-sh-sh" she whispered, laying
her dirt-incrusted fingers on her np.
i've secret to tell you. They're goin'
20 preak into your house at half-past
two O'Clock tomorrow mornin'-Slip-
perry Jim, and Old Joe, and Long Ly-
man-and I'm to be slipped through the
back cellar windy to open the doors,
cause I'm little an spry."
"What" cried Miss Fortescue. star
Ing.
I've got to go back now, cause If
I'm long gone they'll suspect some
thin" went on Jacqueline; "but I
wouldn't see you wronged, cause you
patted my head, you did. Just don't
you let on, but have the p'leece handy,
and you'll see.'
but, child" calculated Miss Fortes.
| cue, for the first time sufficiently over
coming her amaxement to speak, "stay
here with me. What do you go back
to these people at all for?"
Jack stared at her.
I've got to see Daddy Lyman at
o'clock to let him know RS Slippery
Jim's back all safe" said she, "and De
sides, II I didn't 90, Kitty's sick, Kitty
is, and them as don't work can't eat,
Mother Jones says, 80 saves her q
lick an q cut out O. mine. Lemne
go now. and just you mind what ]
| says"
Miss Fortescue had opened her mouth
to plead further, but almost ere she
I -