The Yale expositor., 1897-05-28


upon my knee, embracing me. We
were disturbed by knock at the door.
went to the door, and the detective
had employed stood before me.
I'VE have found her." he said, curt
ly.
MY mother" l cried
NO" he replied; "the other one"
With glad eagerness Pearl hannS3
me my cap.
Good night, dear child" said. kiss
ing her. go to bed at once, and do
not open the door till you hear my
voice. l may be out late"
waited outside the street door till
heard the key turned. Goodnight"
cried again. Goodnight. daddy"
she called out; II shall keep awake
till you come home"
"A pretty lass, that daughter OF
yours" said the detective, as we walked
away. 1 did not undeceive him as to
the relationship, but his remark made
strange impression upon me.
"Have we far to go?" / asked.
"We had better ride. l think" said
he. 1--WE are going to Whitechapel.
BY the time we reached our destina-
| ton 1t was nearly eleven o'clock. But
few words were exchanged. My
thoughts sufficiently occupied me, and
my companion was not disposed to be
loquacious. Yet l observed him occa-
sionally by the dim light of a street
lamp regarding me with a curious and
thoughtful observance. We stopped at
the corner of narrow street.
Best not drive down here" said the
detective. I'm fond of peace and quiet
ness"
/ desired the cabman to wait for us
and we turned into the street.
"A miserable place for a woman to
live In" l observed, noticing the sign,
of squallor and poverty around us.
He shrugged his shoulders; he was
more used to the signs than /.
We paused before one OF the mean
est of all the mean looking houses.
This is the place." said the detec-
tive. 1.-THE woman you want lives OF
the third floor-in the garnet, in fact
I'll stop below. You may have some
thing private to say to her."
He gave me some loose matches, fol
the passage and staircase were in tota
darkness. l made up my way slowly
to the top of the house, never dream.
ing of what in the next few minutes
you'd be revealed to me. There wa:
no choice of doors to knock at wher
/ reached the top landing, for there
was but one. At this l knocked. anC
faint voice desired me to enter.
1t was large room, with a slopine
ceiling. At the farther end sat a WON
an, working with her needle. The only
light in the room was supplied by on,
thin candle, and my heart was stirred
by pity at the misery of the apartment
and at the struggle for bare subsist
ence which that and the aspect Of thu
woman presented.
Il hope you will excuse the intru
sion," 1 said, "at this late hour; but
have been directed here in the hop,
that you may be able to give me some
information of my mother, whom
have not seen for years, and of whom
am in search"
The woman rose when l commenced
to speak, and stood with her hand!
pressed tightly to her bosom. l coult
not clearly distinguish her features il
the gloom, but it was evident she was
strongly agitated.
do not be afraid of me-" I contin
ued II have not come to harm yo,
in any way. l am a sailor, and hav,
been home but a few days 1t is ny
mother am in search of. Her nam,
is Beecroft."
The woman staggered toward m,
and fell at my feet. Great God! il wa,
either Mabel's white and fear-strucl
face, or the face of a spirit. that M
eyes rested on as l looked down.
We gazed at each other in terror fo
full a minute, and it was l who brok,
the silence.
I'm the name OF Cod" 1 asked. "wht
are your"
81 am Mabel" she gasped; you
wife. l believed you to be dead! Wa
Il not you saw on that TERRIBLE nigh
in The Rising Sum-"
ITO BE coNTINUED.)