The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-10
O.

IN TWO FLIGHTS.


DoltlesY'
!, lilly stood as II she wero turned 10
stone; then. without a word oil thanks,
she rushed home and ran up 20 her Ded-
room just In time tn find her aunt In her
walking things administering teaspoon
full OF something TO the baby. who seemed
to ba already asleep. Iilly tore IL out oi
her hand and turned on her like noness.
"You devil" !" she said-tEe rest OF her
language was even more fol clble.
Her aunt slunk AWAY like little sly
gray SERPENT bidifg its time for another
sqring.
venomously, from the door; why. you're
bound TO murder the brat yourself I'm
only giving it what gave you.
ME" said Tilly. appealing wildly with
upifted eyes and hands to heaven. she
saved mep'
She begged Angel O's pardon. weep
Ing. grovelling on the floor beside him.
and bsating her hands on her head. she
made many promises in the intervals OF
agonized listening TO mis- poor little ster-
torous breath. She kept one-to part from
him no more; but / do not know that
Angel O, a delicate child, was much
better off, carried In her arms through
the draughty streets in ana out OF reek-
ing ginshops, than lott 60 the tender mer-
cies Of aunt and soothing syrup.
Her lady heard "A little of what was
going on, and pleaded with her, and Tilly
wept sore; but could not, or would not
reform.
Inc Jolly Jack Tar was turning out
its last few guests. Among them were
Tiily and Angel q. She was gloriously
self confident as TO her head ana pain
fully shaky as to her legs. He protested
with fretful gurgles that 1t was nearly
b.dtime tomorrow and cold.
Tne ground was deop in half-frozen
snow: from the black blue sky scintillated
keen rain of stars. Tiliy espied police
man. She remembered past experience,
therefore she determined to go home
straight across the open common, instead
of by tho streets. She whispered the sug-
gestion to Angel q, pointing out tho
stars who uttered feeble crow ana a
little wall, rs one divided.
'"Ere's a lavely owbank,' she said TO
him, when they had got little way
''Shall we have q sit down, Tilly's lovey
lamb?'
Tilly's lovey lamb gave n pitiful little
bleat, instinctively recognizing her inca
pacity. But on that bitterest of winter
nights the Shepherd was not far of.
A dark slow coming December dawn,
a small crowd. Mechanics going to their
work, an errand boy, homeless woman
In too thin finery, gathered about two
policemen and doctor. They were stoop-
ing over bundle partly sunk in the
snow, on which the light of their lanterns
flashed yellow. Somebody on tho out
skirts said something which seemed to
stir the bundle into life. Ii moved and
struggled up in the movement revealing
itsolf as having two parts. "Thls-aint
hell" husky voice whispered. Two
sunken eyes looked slowly round. Nor
heaven. There's brandy-and p 'licemen.
The errnnd hoy sniggered and was i'm
medately cuffed by man.
The doctor was busy with the smaller
half of the heap. A policeman supported
and tried to warm tho larger-Tily. She
looked up at him and said, as one who
repeats lesson, u heard somebody say,
in:my sleep a dead iwoman and live
child. I"
"Try the other way round. mother, said
the policeman, kindly. She stared at him
puzzled.
Il don't understand"
Then voice on the outskirts cried
shrilly:
..MhY can't yon tell the girl tho baby's
dead. II you call yourselves meur"
Hush - said lilly. She began again
" dead child" She considered. Then,
with a shrek, LET me see it,
II Ihere-there, missis. HE patted her as
he would an infant. "You done your best
for the poor thing Took of almost ever
rag Of our own 30 put on it, you did.
But she fought him away, tooth
and nail.
"Baby Baby - she screamed. The doc
tor came, and. putting the policeman
aside, laid something gently on her lap;
small alabaster image of such exquisite
loveliness and perfect smiling peace that
II stiled every tongue like divine spell,
till the woman on the outskirts cried out:
"Oh my cbild,my child my little baby
that | last ton years agol
Then Iilly touched the little cheek with
one careful finger In frozen dimple, ana
said. with smile
"Wake up Tilly's Angel" But Angel
o smiled on unansworing strange.
divine, secret smile. She tried TO kiss 1t
away-started back
"Ihis amt my baby--this my little baby
that laughed and pulled Tilly's hair, and
put his little shoes In the bath, This,
In an awestruck whisper, "is-like-the-
baby-Jesus
Then the doctor made her understand,
as best he might the truth; but did not
tell her just yet how, in her bewildered
care to save the baby, she had shut out,
not only the cold, but the very breath OF
life also.
A cry OF full realization tore its way
from her heart at last. The woman out
side pushed her way through, and with
sobs and tears put ber arms tight about
her
Il lost child" she said. 'once.
Before oh, my dear my dear !"
came, and Tilly gave her address and was
taken home. lilly was such broken
hearted, downcast creature at the inquest
that the Coroner could not speak very
harshly to her, hor the jury censure her
much.
she took her part then aud thereafter,
like ono in a dream; only when her aunt
tried word OF sordid comfort and sordid
reproof, lilly turned on hcr like be
renved tigress and shook tho calculation
ont of her. Then she rushd upstairs, and
crouch,d writning by tho dismantled
crib and demanded that she might be
struck dead II ever she touched THAT
hell broth again.
"But it's no good oh no good now
unless"- She began TO talk again; hor
aunt heard her. But IL was no longer to
the vacant crib nor her hopeless self 1t
was one Of those unspeakable interviews
held by all sorts and conditions of men
in the hour of their mortal extremity.
Twilight, and little gravo which
would soon be indistlnguishable from tho
grass about 1t. It was very quiet part
| Of the cemetery and so long as Iilly
turned out before tho gates were shut
there was no ono TO trouble her. Sho