Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1900-08-23
simple franEness that could never convey

simple frankness that could never convey
offense.
s'As you choose" she replied.
Paul Neville walked off, humming
tune, and giancing back now and then at
the house till he reached the gate. At
the gate he raised his hat to the place,
for the trees made it impossible to see the
girl, who, though hidden, had watched
him till he was lost to sight.
1T is no use wishing" thought Paul
Neville, as, with long strides, he hasten
ed down to the city. "Ah, she is so beau
tiful! She is so much better than all the
fortunes. Poor as am, / would prefer
her to all the gold in the city. But am
foolish-very foolish
He had muttered this unfavorable opin-
ion of himself just as he entered one Of
those long narrow, dark streets that
seem like the bottoms of deep canyons,
fanked by precipitous walls. The tene-
ments looked indescribably dreary, the
entrances resembling cells set in the
walls of a mighty prison.
An italian organ grinder went down
the street with his instrument on his
Il,
away the children who swarmed after
him, begging that he would stop and play
to them.
Here, my man." called out Paul Ne
vile, '.set up your organ and give us chill
dren FIVE cents worth Of music"
At sight of the coin the man adjusted
his box and began turning the crank, to
the great delight of the little ones. Paul
Neville clapped his hands, laughed with
as much glee as any of them, and then
continued on his journey. He had not
gone many yards when he saw an old,
starved-faced woman standing in door
way and reaching out her arms appeal
ingly.
| II wish I was rich" he said. IT would
| take you all down to the sea shore, and
| the children should have music, even
when they slept"
"May you never want, sir" said the old
woman MAY you never know what it
| is to suffer like me and mine
"You have others, then?" he asked.
"Others sir; but they're not long for
| this world" And the old woman clasp
| ed her bony fingers and looked off at the
sky.
"Who are they?" Paul stopped with
| the old woman's face.
"My daughter. She is up there" and
she pointed a lean finger at the top Of
| the wall.
"Here! take me to her. I will help
YOU"
| Paul took the old woman's arm, with
| a strong, lifting pressure, and so helped
| her up fight after flight of filthy stairs,
and past doors in which slatternly women
stood framed, while they followed the
| handsome young stranger with their eyes,
| Into little back room on the very top
floor the old woman led Paul Neville.
| Pushing up dark, paper blind, she said:
'"There they are, sir"
! BY the increased light Paul saw on a
| mattress in the corner the emaciated
form Of a young woman. The lips had
melted away from the even, white teeth;
the brown eyes looked supernaturally
| large and lustrous, and over her quick
heaving breast lay masses of wavy brown
hair.
"Haye you had no doctor here?" asked
Paul. with a shudder.
eve have not had money to buy food"
/ replied the old woman. MY daughter
| and her child are starving to DEATH
"Wait! / will soon be back"
| Paul Neville dashed out of the room
and down into the street. Within twenty
minutes he was back again with bucket
of coal on one arm and basket of pro-
| visions on the other.
He gave the invalid some wine, and
she sighed and whispered her thanks.
| "Her names Mary Cheatham, sir"
said the old woman, in reply to Paul's
question; "and my names Jane Munroe.
I'm her mother, sir, and heaven bless
you"
'And the baby-how is that?" asked
Paul, laying his hand on the bundle.
'It's. asleep, sir" gasped the young
mother, and she began unwrapping the
| frayed shawl from about the famished
mite.
She brought to view the pale, little face
| there was a smile on it, and the eyes
| were closed.
"Freddie-Freddie!' with frightened
| whisper.
With sudden strength she brought
| the baby closer to her face and kissed it.
She sat up, raised the blue-veined lids,
and looking into the glazed pupils, she
sent up heart-rending wall, then fell
| back on the straw pillow, and she looked
| to be as dead as the child lying so peace
| fully across her shrunken breast.
(To be continued.)
Wante0-A T,ittla Girl