The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-06-11
At the Eleventh Hour.

the pursuit pleasure 10 lISeil
about the woes OF a street f1ower-seller
forlorn and helpless though she be. Pow.
erty and suffering are Objectionable
things at the best Of times. Pleasure and
pain may be akin. but they dislike being
in company.
She stood near one of the theaters in
the Strand. trying TO sell her posies-early
| violets-modest flower of springtime. But
sentiment is dashed aside in the struggle
TO live; to the lonely woman on the curb
stone may have come visions Of the dim
aforementioned past when as a free and
happy girl, she plucked such flowers from
| sheltered hooks near the river or amongst
fairy dells IN the Kentish copses.
! Flowers in such March seemed almost
a mockery, for driving sleet on bitter
east wind had nearly killed them and now
| strove to extinguish the last spark of vi
tally in the sinking fower-seller.
! AS the last of the long line Of men and
women passed into the warm theater from
! the March night Jenny Hayes sank with
| moan into the gutter. Illness, starva-
! ton. and despair made a breach for the
| bitter wind at last. The woman in the
! faded gray shawl had tainted from ex-
/ haustion.
"COnfound her!" exclaimed stalwart
-NuHDeT forty-tWo. Just my lucki Gets
the crowd in, and then a bloomin' flower
girl wants lookin' after. Come along"
continued the officer. shaking the gray
bundle; none Of your nonsense. nowl 1
can't allow IT." But the bundle stirred
not
"Oh, don't hurt her." pleaded a young
woman who was hurrying by. Take her
in there. "I'l look after her, poor thing!'
ID rrfo 81
the coldness of the night won the heart
Of the laws Representatives; anyhow,
without further demur, he carried the
insensible woman, who was as light as
a child, into the main saloon of a neigh
boring restaurant, ablaze with light and
agog with visitors
So charmed was the policeman with his
fair Samaritan that he laid his burden on
a settee with a tenderness as welcome as
IT was unexpected.
At the table lady and gentleman who
were quietly discussing a most enjoy
able repast looked with surprise at the
unusual scene.
DO you know who she is?" queried the
young woman.
well, miss" replied the constable, az
have heard her called Jenny Hayes"
What" exclaimed the gentleman at the
neighboring table Jenny Hayes? New
er! Surely a mistaken He came over
to the group and begged pardon for in
truding. Gould he help? He had once
known a lady Of that name
A stimulant was poured, and after
awhile the woman regained conscious
ness, only to find, gazing with deep con-
Germ at her, the kindly gray eyes of her
old schoolmate and playfellow, Philip
Vane.
Yes! without a doubt it was Jenny
Hayes, friend of his childhood; but o,
what change. She knew him instantly.
Phil Mr.. Vane! Thank God! I am
so glad. I shall get better now, but j
am SO tired"
In a moment he saw that her only
fault was poverty. AS he loked into
those honest eyes he realized that through
the mire Of London life she had passed
uncontaminated.
Jenny was astonished to see so many
friends around her The lady with Philip
Vane was his sister. who proved unre-
hitting in her attentions The world had
changed indeed. Even the burly police
man smiled. Why not? Policemen have
hearts, sometimes. like other folks.
Anyhow, it was all pleasant for the
tired woman, who, as she looked in the
earnest face of Philip Vane and felt the
clasp of his hand knew that she had
found a friend at last.
After long years, Fate again was kind
Fifteen years ego. when little more than
a girl, she was taking all London by storm
Wfth her wonderful dancing. AT that time
Pnllp Fane was on the high road to sue
cess as mining engineer. Had she will
ed he might have loved her, but she did
had always been friends. moth |
ing more.
Then he went to the Cape for a mining
syndicate, where for years he had been |
prospecting in the Interior never doubling |
mat his little sweetheart had married |
well and forgotten her youthful swain.
Alas! While he was prospecting. she |
met with her great misfortune.
she was doing an engagement at the |
royal MUSIC Hall the week it was burnt |
down. At great risk to her own life she
saved child belonging to one of the /
"aitng-women, but sustained such an in
Jury to her right foot that from that
her career as a dancer was ended.
me world made a subscription and then
conveniently forgot her existence. Her
star had set. Broken in health, without
friends, during those long and drearv
years she had struggled for a bare sub
sistence.
Six weeks before Philip -Vane had re-
turned from Africa with a comfortable
and was visiting his sister in
London With her Jenny found a refuge
md by kindly deeds and deep and earnest
owe they coaxed her back to life and
health again.
With returning health some Of the
beauty OF her early days came back, and,
! 2 f,rn >, ~
ameness that slait her dancing and the
litter memories Of prfvation through
which she passed. yet as Mrs. Philip VaDe
ne is keenly alive to the suffering in the
World, Tor she ever remembers the fov
hat came into her life at the elyeDth
lour.-The Princess.