The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1896-07-31
CHAPTER. XII

CHAPTER XII.
The next morning, directly after
breakfast. Miss Markham was sum
moned to the apartment of her ledger.
when she received payment in full for
all debts contracted by the lady during
her stay. The good little woman's
heart mlsgave her as she looked at the
pale, resolute face Of her lodoer.
Surely she had not overheard the con-
versatlon Of last evening. Surely she
was not offended, was not going to
give up the apartments and 90 away.
No-Miss Kent had evidently no
such intention, since she said nothing,
but to request that the girl she had
taken under her protection the NIGHT
before should be brought to her room.
She came, with her golden hair nicely
arranged, and her face beamine with
delight, as pretty and modest looking
a little English girl as one might often
see.
She told her little story simply and
artlessly enough. Her name was Lily
Graham, and her home had been with
an uncle II cousin in a Hampshire
Inn. But her cousin wished to make
her his wife, and her uncle favored
ms suit. 10 avoid all persecution
upon the subject, she had run away.
without the knowledge of any person
on the place. Her box had been
stolen on her arrival in London, and
NIT tnls EYpo1,anc rb> Iz-~,x - Il
would become of her in that great
weary, wicked city.
She would write to her uncle in a
day OF two, for the good sisters had
already promised to procure her a
place-and all was to 90 well with
her.
eve have just heard of a place this
morning, which seems the very thing
for her. said Helen Markham. ..The
place she is to have is in the CITY. but
with a good, motherly woman, whom
we have known for years-a Mrs.
Trotter-who keeps an e~ating-house
of a superior kind. Lily, will not,
however, be in the shop. Her work
is to take care of a young child. which
Mrs. Trotter has adopted, and l be-
lieve she will like her place and her
mistress, and do well there
when will she go2n
"ln a few days. We are getting up
a little outfit for her, as the poor child
lost all her clothes.'
Miss Kent drew out her purse and
laid two s~overeigns upon the table.
"Please accept that, sister, as nv
contribution"
81 will see that it is invested to the
best advantage"
Before the week was ended Miss
Kent had the satisfaction of seeing her
protege safely sheltered in the com
Portable home Of good Mrs. Trotter,
and welcomed by Rudolph. who, with
all a boys enthusiasm, thought the
girls blue eyes and golden hair the
most beautiful things on earth.
Verona was his idol, but she was
only an infant after all, and quite in
capable OF understanding, approaching
or returning the boys devotion he
lavished upon her.
But Lily was older-Lily could both
understand and appreciate him, and
he dubbed himself sworn knight and
cavalier upon the spot.
Miss Kent, returning to the Bromp-
ton cottage, gave such a report of
Mrs. Irotter and her infant charge,
as reused the curiosity Of Mrs. Ora
ham to an inordinate degree. who
proposed calling upon her, at an
early day, in order to get a peep at
the mysterious infant, and she ac-
coded to their request.
But before she could put the pur-
pose into execution a strange and
startling event occurred, which rem
dered it impossible for a time for her
to appease the curiosity which she had
SO ~innocently raised.
1t happened in this wise. One foggy
morning, in the latter part of Novem-
Der, the inhabitants of Fleet street
Were startled by a huge placard headed
Child lost, or stolen,n giving an
accurate description of the infants ap-
pearance and dress at the time of it's
abduction, and Offering a. reward of
tlOO to any person who would give
such 1nformction as should lead to its
recovery by the officers of police at
station A.