The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-11-01


ooing-I know he didnt-for when was
crying over mother. and ne woke up win
i .He noise ana heard she was dead, he said.
Wen don't bother over her-that WON'T
do her aay good-but get me someth,nr
10 drink, for the love OF Cod
Nhat a pity he wasn't taken instead
OF her' said, with undisguised pity and
indignation.
No, no; he'll mend-he won't be al
ways so BAD said Molly with shlver
Never in this world / fear"
Did you never know OF any one as bad
changingY' said Molly. with tinge of
despair crossing her pinched face
thought instantly OF Simon pcnbank.s
but as swiftly remembered that that
singular character had hidden Somewhere
In his oOated frame a heart and [ he
gan 20 fear that Abe Slater had none.
"Well--yes-I have known such thing.
but not Often 1 dublously answered, al
ter pause.
Then It's possible with my father?,
she Joyfully cried, clasping her hands
and looking up with her erimy face all
most radiant.
'Possible?-yes. it's possible" said.
WITH a peculiar emphasis on the last
word.
Then would YOU try to help me TO
make him better?" she eagerly pursued.
Me- how?-that is scarcely in my pow
er' said, rather staggered.
what does the jail generally do to
people that are not quite bad?' said the
little oracle, as kind Of clincher.
l was SO taken aback that lost ground
a little. and admitted that Il generally
made them worse.
That's just it." cried Molly, quite de-
! lighted at having clinched me. Now.
| If we could keep father out OF jail as
| much as possible-save him from IL, you
see-he would get better instead OF
| worse"
The argument was scarcely sound but
was upset a little. and said. Yes"
We'll. will you promise to help me 10
keep him out of jail as much as you
CAM"
Again / said YES" with the reserva-
! tion that II he infringed the law he would
| certainly have to suffer for IL.
Molly, however, had eagerly grasped at
| the PROMISE and taken my hand I'm her
own for warm and reverential clasp in
ratification of the queer compact
| was In the act OF turning away to
| ascend the stair when a sudden thought
! struck me. and / paused.
what was IL put into your head the
! idea of bettering yourself. Molly?" I
| quietly asked. She thought Cor a mo-
| ment, and then said
1T was father"
what, he? that brute? how?'
the street with a little girl-so beautiful
and pretty dressed-oh. she was like a
wee angel! / was singing and the lady
| sent the wee beauty with penny to me.
| I'd have given some pennies TO have
been let kiss her, but I'm too dirty. When
she was gone, l ran TO the entry where
| father was waiting and gave him the
penny, saying what a pretty wee lady
| had given me it. He swore and said
| You'd be just as pretty IL you wore as
| fine clothes ia never thought of that
| before, and ! said, Then why haven't
fine clothes. father?" but he only gave me
! "A drive, and went into the whisky shop
! saying, OF you go to your singing
there's beautiful shower Of rain COM
/ ing on
''And that set you thinking of the
| cause, eh?"
Yes, that and another thing. / was
! up I'm Parliament Square one night--that t
was in summer when IL was nice and
! warm-and ! got into crowd where
man was speaking out of wooden box
! they'd put up for him. He was speaking
| about drink. and he said there was "A
! demon n the whisky bottle. but ne was
SO thin and so mixed UP, and like the
color Of the whisky, that YOU couldn't
see him. Well, l knew father had taken
/ a lot OF whisky, SO some OF that demon
must have got inside of him. IL / can
only get IT out, father will be all right"
"Well, and DO you think you'll manage
| that?"
i've been trying hard, but I've not got
on very well. You see there always keeps
more of the demon getting in
| i shook my head and made no remark,
simply because | thought her task a
hopeless one. Where do you sleep at
! night Moly?" | at last inquired.
"Oh, I've lots OF places TO sleep, wnere
| nobody disturbs me or comes near but
the rats and they're friends. I've one
( rat that likes me, and comes and gets
| part of my supper when I've any. They
4 can't take him away as they did Gud-
| geon's dog. lie loved me and would have
| done anything for me. He was awful
| sorry for me when wee Bubbzie died, and
J he cried just as much as l did; but one
| day a policeman took him away up to
| the office with string round his neck,
! and he never came back He had a bad
look. Just as father has, and / think they
| killed him. But his badness was all in
! his face. Poor Grip! | miss him, too
| I'm always missing some one.
The lonely little wretch looked SO cool
| and calm i'm her misery and neglect and
| so ingenious I'm extracting sunbeams
! from iciclcs that ] could scarcely look
! down on her scanned little face unmoved.
/ fumbled In my pocket, and tried TO
! slip a copper or two into her icy fingers;
| but she drew back hastily, and, with al
| most a scared look
"No, no! don't give me anything, for
! I'll just have TO give Il to him. You
/ can't help me. but maybe you'll be able
To help him. There's no good I'm plying
me, or giving me money, or boots. or
! clothes. for they'd ali go, and only make
| him worse We're best To be hard up,
and wish people would give me less
| than they do"
Continued tomorrow