The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-05-19
q BESSIE Van YORsT.

r4relal fate snuh out hope, youth, and
t..-.1ass before they had struggled
T.-.y into flame. At,ten he had STUN
r.g l1wn the tenement stairs on. to a
sIr. heap in the street, and from there
tagr started out INTO the world. leav-
Irr mind him confused recollection
n aakcn fathers, scolding mothers,
bga children. and crying babies, in
,,r!nad In his mind by physical pain,
foul. o4ors, and dirt. At twenty he was
oI and destitute, he had done every
hing but starve to death, and odd
aims made in odd ways had kept him
coins urt!l hH guarded with a fellow
yagab5nd After a night in Jail he
can.. out to ind Il different greeting he
Ind vet known in the world. He had
slway been good fellow" in spite OF
MIS- rags; now he was u good for-noth-
Ipg. and wherever he went his bad
name mad always preceded him. he ex-
bau. ed the resources Of night refugees
and tree-soup missions, he spent his
last copper, and finally he was reduced
10 choosing between natural death and
,pc.dg. He had inherited the lassItude
Of his parents vices with none of their
torcc. Natural physical Weaknesses
were augmented by exposure and priva-
ton: days without food. and many with
the palm of starvation.
The river was his alternative, and he
waited until night to9look at 1t, feeling
as he wandered about the streets that
every one must know what he had in
mind. He passed down by the lower
docks toward midnight, and gliding in
between two ferry-slIps, waited a mo-
mont listening, lest any one should have
followed him. Then no leaned over and
watched the black water. Green and
red lanterns mingled their reflections
with yellow lights on the rivers sur
face the night sky was cloudless,a light
breeze brought the sound of paddle
wheels. signal bells, voices calling and
answering, To be thus near to humani-
~ without suffering its critical gaze,
without fear Of rebuff, was u relief 10
Fretmore. Again he leand over and
watched the black water, and his pale
face repeated in 1t lay like death
mask rising and falling, following un-
resistugly the rivers ttreless fiow. He
turned away; starvation was less cold,
less miserable. He would give the
world another chance-perhaps he could
find something to do-somebody who
would rust him.
II
The dcep-chimed clock on the Lanes
broad staircase struck 4. Along the up
per corridor there was a rustic OF silk
skirts which advanced and then re-
treated and was swallowed up by the
shutting of door. A servant in crest
ed livery came into the lower hall; he
Enlightened a rug, put chair in place,
took a long cloak from the table where
Nay, folded It on his arm. ana statlon-
ed himself by the entrance with an ex-
preston of stolld servitude. Again the
SILK skirts rustled, low voice spoke
Dme parting admonltion, the frou-frou
fell into an evan rhythm, and Edith
Lane descended from step to step. fas-
tenlns her glove as she came. A clatter
OF hoofs on the pavement outside caused
her to ask. us she reached the last step.
Did HazlItt bring the big bay horses"
The servant bowed out Eyes, miss"
swung open the door, delivered up the
cloak he was burdened with to the foot
man. who placed It in the vacant seat
next to Edith. lifted up the small dlS
who was trotting uneaslly about the
cold sidewalk, deposited him by his mis-
trpss. took her orders, spranS on to the
box and gave his signal to the coach
man. The carriage rolled away down
Fifth avenue.
Edith Lane WINS tall and slender AMI
graceful. She was rich and beautiful
and had number OF accomplishments.
shs had been guarded and cherished all
berlifs by two loving parents, who had
rtccnuy consented to share their privi-
Egs w.th Harry Danforth, very
young man, who had fifty thousand
year. and nothing TO do but spend 1t on
Edith They promised that she should
become his wife at some future date
when Mrs Lane had grown accustom-
ed 20 the dreadful idea Of giving up her
only daughter, and in the meantime
Edith aud Harry were naturally fre-
quently together.
EIith's time as child had been spent
with nurses and sovernes2es and French
maids. and al she grew older and came
out in socisty she had formed number
Of friendships with girls Of her own age
who had also spent much time with
nurses and govcrneases and trenen
mlIdg and who had 4 number Of exper-
Iances In common with Editb, ara
proved for Edith very companlonable.
Balls and dances kept them all up ver2
late 1T night, which they pretended 20
detast and left them very cross In the
mgralag and quite unable TO do any
thing more than take breath OF air
before luncheon, which they agreed was
mistake and great bore, and not In
ihq least what they would care for IL
only they might be free from this miser-
able savery-though slight looseai'S
o'It5 bonds by an oversight on the part
@, some tlresome hostess was looked
uron by Edlth and her set as mortify-
ias occurrence. a new model for bed
Son slippers or paisnoirs, the discOv-
cry % II little dressmaker' VINO
vou.l sew tuckH lnd make biouses W
naa' Tor almost noth!ng" was an