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

II WUEHEDIf0ENE- H " 49, ~
Hester Trotter's door late of a rainy
night no one of her immediate neigh
bors had known of his coming. In
London, as in some other parts of the
earth, 1.-THE earth is full of paper
walls" and you may live ten years be-
side a mar and know nothing more of
him than that he goes to his business
at . a. m. each day, until some sunny
afternoon at 3 or half-past 3 you
shall see a hearse and two whites sta
toned before the door next your own,
and meet your late neighbor coming
out In that mournful fashion of .sfeet
foremost" to which we must all SUBJ
nit n day OR another, whether we
like it or not.
Among the crowd, as 9 rang out OF
st. Marks bell, was a tall, broao
shouldered fellow. whose sinister look
and surly aspect betrayed a heart or a
conscience i'll at ease, or possibly both.
He read the advertisement once
over, twice, thrice, and then a slow
look of intelligence dawned in his deep
set eyes. He dived down a narrow
street, pulled his hat over his brows
and began to think.
He went round at a lucky moment
for him. Just in time to see Mrs.
Irotter herself struggling beneath the
weight of an unruly shutter. that
threatened to take her with it in it's
headlong course down the cellar trap
beneath.
Have you seen this great police
placard about the stealing of the
baby?:n
''About what9:n asked Mrs. Trotter.
"Do you know anything of the child,
ma amp
care you from the police ofice9n
she asked sharply.
ono, ma'am. I'm just from the
country, and only saw a notice in the
streets a few moments ago.
'.Ihen | don't mind telling YOU,
young man, that I do know something
about that child; and if | was certain
that the right people were asking after
it., I'd go and give information at
once.n
"Iou may be IRE of that, ma'am.
For you are to go to Station A, and
there's a tidy little reward of a hun
dred pounds waiting for you when
you get through with your story. It's
the baby's parents that have had that
notice put out, ] think"
''Poor little DEAR" said Mrs. Trot-
ter, with a sigh. s.How they must
feel! If Rudolph was we'll; but there;
| can't ask the poor lad to get up. as
Ill as he is; and there's no one to mind
the shop for me-"
Rudolph is your shop boy, ma'am:9"
'.Yes."
SIS there no one else in the house
you can leave here? l really think it
your duty to go at one and tell what
you know of the child"
II suppose it isl she said, with
another heavy sigh. '.But l don't
like to do it,"
"As far as the shop is concerned, I
am a stranger to you, but [ fatter my
self | am an honest man. and if Won
have any n who can sit here in the
shop just to see that | do right by you,
why [ will wait on your customers
with pleasure, while you are gone, and
you need not disturb the sick lad at
all..'
Mrs. Trotter's face frightened at
once. The proposal was a strange
one. and yet, as she thought, he both
looked and acted as an honest man.
and it really was her duty, as she
said, to give information about the
child, if it's parents were seeking for
it, much as she disliked to part with il
herself.
She went to the stairs and called
softly:
ssLily!n
"What is it?:" a sweet girlish voice,
replied, and the cheek of the stranger
flushed deeply as he heard it..
s'Bring down my bonnet and shawl,
there's a good girl. Is the baby
asleep?"
eyes, ma'am.'
Come softly then and do not wake
her, but leave the door 2 little a;ar.
50 that you can hear her if she wakes"
A moment or two and a light, quick
step was heard upon the stairs. The
stranger turned toward the door, and
stood there with his back toward the
shop and his hands in his pockets,
whistllng softly to himself.
silly, | must go out for a few mo
menfs, said Mrs. Trotter, getting,
into her bonnet and shawl, and making,
a perfect figure of herself in her hurry
and agitation. This gentleman will
mind the shop, but as he is a stranger
ne wishes you to stay here too. If
the baby wakes run up and bring her
down here for a few moments, only