The morning times., 1896-04-12
AN INNOCENT ACcO1PLICE.
Showing How Hard 1t Is to Prove One
self Demented.

a missionary, a devOut woman, who has
given up her life TO work among the
needy. / knew all about her haunts among
the Italians, and the cana-bOat families
up around Georgetown. / did not know
the woman well, and thought if Gould
deceive the police 1 ought TO lie able to
deceive her. My purpose with regard to
her will make itself plain as / proceed.
Saturday night i dressed myself in an
old shirt and waist, put on a long ulster
and twisted my hair into a little tight
knob on the back OF my head. Then 1
pulledit around my eyes in rough elf locks,
| and put on a battered sailor hat and taking
up little old Bible / had as child l
sailed forth to find her home.
The people at whose house she lived ad-
mitted me with suspicion. They bade me
wait in the hail. and took the name had
assumed, an Irish one, Lizzie 'Cronin.
listened and heard the report they gave
her Of me-a most mysterious and rough
looking woman, who wanted to see her.
The silver-haired, earnest-faced lady caIne
down stairs to see me, and after question
or two took me up tn her room.
1t was plain and humble room, and there
was a little girl there-her little daughter,
| Ruthe, who bad been put to bed. and who
| sat up to stare at me With big, childish
| eyes of wonder. 1 was in a tremble of
| apprehension, and the missionary, noticing
| it, tried to calm me and asked me what I
wanted.
| asked her very abruptly if she was n
! child of God.
"Yes, dear; l am. Are you?''
II am; and have come on mission, far.
| very far
Where did you come from. dear?''
| shook my head vigorously and scowled
| fiercely, staring first at her and the little
| girl.
There are devils.'' said, suddenly, with
! the same harsh abruptness. There are
devils in everyone that Gods children have
| to cast out
| ''Can you cast out devils. LiZze?"
| nodded my head vigorously and scowled
the more. I'VE must cast 'em out; We
must cast 'em out" announced.
"Where is your home. chlld?'
"Nowheres. ] must be about my Fathers
business persisted.
But surely. you have home, LiZzie?"
| ] still shook my head and suddenly asked
| her again ii She was not child of God.
But. Lizzie, If ] take you to lady's
| house who will give you d bed you will
| stay there will you not?''
| ] hesitatcd and looked puzzled.
| Come, tell re that you will tonight,
| like Il good girl, and tomorrow / Will
| come ana talk TO you again
/ assenteh this time with what trepida
| tion you may imagine.
+, ',Thpn let us pray about it," she urged.
| And so we all kuelt by the little white
bed, and the troubled heart OF this good
| woman went out in prayer for me. | think
| l shall never forget her earnest words,
| and the sense or my own guiltness that
| overpowered me.
! Then the missionary bade her little girl
lie down aud sleep. and we Went out into
| The night The curious la ndlady was stand
ing on the steps Is we passed out. | fancy
| she went out there in the chill night Just
to get another look at me.
| This poor woman is in deep trouble y
explained the missionary, land / am 60
ing TO take her to a friends house FOR the
! night"
All the way up the street the mission
| airy Piled me with the question, Who sent
| you TO me. Lizzie"
To this Stubhornly gave but one reply
"JesuS sent me-
She took me TO a house on G street that
| was very humble. and there briefly eX-
planned 10 the wondering landlady that
she wanted To get me room for the
night She said | was very religious and
would not be apt to give them trouble,
| and that in the morning she would see
| about me.
was soon shown TO a bare room and
left for the night but it was not my in
tentiou to stay there, and did not undreSs,
| but waited for the house to get dark. when
stole down the stairs and passed out OF
the house into the street, pulling the door
after me and satisfying myself that it
was locked.
l had heard enough of my missionary con-
versation with this iandlady about what
she was going to do ON the following day to
be assured of her intended whereabouts.
Her Sunday afternoons. 1t seems, are always
put in at the little chapel she has up the
canal. l knew she would conc to see lie in
the morning and finding me gone, would
\ ypy deal fpOt,f OF about
her work.
| got home rather late and, going to bed.
felt that the thing was under way. the start
having been successfully made, and SO fell
into refreshing sleep.
Easter morning. as you will remember,
da wned with all the beauty OF a perfect
day It was warm, tender spring morning.
a rare and glorious Easter. / arose very
late and heard the church bells ringing out
the joyous message. He is risen But IL
was not for me To go to church this year on
Easter, and hear the chanting of choristers,
the rich harmunirs Of the big organ, or to
feast my eyes on flowers and palms.
| | paced up and down my room and occa-
sIonally looked at my disfigurcd counte-
nance in the mirror. looked at the pile
of wretched clothing had to put on, the
muddy, shabby boots. the battered hat, and
again and again mourned to myself, II
can't do it, 1t is one of the most revolt
| lHS tUlHSs Oitt tdft tu W
into the sea of trouble, made up ofthe streets.
| policemen, patrol wagons, station houses
and all that, which l knew SO well by my
former experience.
Yet. while | shuddered at the prospect, I
knew that it would soon be upon me; that
it must be done. There is something ter
| rible in the force of thought: 1t compels ac-
tion whether we will or no. "Think what
you desire and 1t shall be-" is an old saying
OF the Orientals, and it is essentially true
| had set in motion a current which bore me
along.
The clothing which / finally began &c
don was old and ragged, but it was wooden
| Part of the outfit was an old red flannel
skirt. The dress was one borrowed from
my wash woman. did my hair up again
in the way l have described. After re-
| freshng myself with my coffee and roll,
took little bottle OF tincture of iron, anf
with cameFs-1atr brush stained my teeth
and lips. I was sad looking object.
/ strolled out into the glaring light o
day. and walked in weary, struggling
manner down Fifteenth street, passing many
fashionable and beautifully-lressed ladies
and gentlemen returning from service
Some of them stared at me curously
Others passed me. carefully avoiding CODtac
with me. / was an object 10 arouse mis-
trust and wondering attention.
On reaching the Avenue boarded grecu
cable car hound for Georgetown and tool
front seat on the grip car that ] might
not have to look at anyone. The bright
sun warmed me and sat without moving
my head on my breast and my little Bib,
tightly clasped in my hands. The ride
, was one OF agony. il IT ended in failure
| | had 10 adopt another plan and dreaded
the dragging out or the adventure.
At the end OF the line ] alighted ir
! Georgetown and had TO pass two police OF
ficers the first thing. as started on the
mile walk up TIE road 10 the cundnit w n