The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-11-02

What answer could there be 10 such
acute and old fashioned reasoning?
None. / left the ~illd thus; but | did
not get her so easily out my head. Her
pale. ghost-like face haunted me for
discovered a possibility OF good In her
an instructive prompting TO something
better; and / began 20 consider how best
something could be made OF that feeling.
/ managed TO interest some friends, with
more means and influence than myself.
in her case. and to my great satisfaction
found an opening for her which promised
great things compared with what she
was steadily drifting to- OF course the
change demanded an entire separation
from her father. and ! expected a fierce
resistance from him. To my astonish-
ment, however. the stumbling block was
not the father but the bundle OF rags
herself. He expressed himself as cal
lously as indifference could make any
one; but she promptly declared that
though they had been Offering her a pal
ace TO live in and carriage OF gold to
ride In. she would not leave her father.
LIN all he has now she quietly re-
piled. Hes got no Bubbzie now. and
no mother-nobody but me. No, l must
take care OF father
So the well-meant attempt came TO
naught, and Molly was heard as usual
crosking out the pleasures OF home,
which she never experienced or saw
There is fixed idea in some minds that
a little fortune Is TO be made on the
streets by this species of beggary, but the
idea is very far from the truth. Molly
often croaked away till she was all but
frozen dead. where she stood, for but
few paltry coppers which only whetted
but did not duench the Unsuitable thirst
OF Abe Slater. Then in the desperate
hours which followed he became a thief
and criminal-never a bold or even a
skilful one. because that requires a spec
ial and erduous training. but still sufh-
ciently persistant 10 cause us annoyance.
The petty robberies were being constant
ly reported and always with some ag-
gravating remark, as 10 Where were
the poiice?' or why were the sufferers
so heavily taxed TO pay us for doing
nothing?" Now ii was n bakers basket
OF bread left incautiously at some stair
foot; then a ham or a keg OF herrings
from some shop door; then a second
hand coat exposed for sale, or a pair OF
boots. or a bunch OF cured fish Abe
was worse TO detect than an
ordinary jail bird. for he appeared TO
burrow the moment he had committed n
crime and indeed. though often suspect
ed. seldom left behind him evidence
enough to convict. But this could scarcely
continue. Petty thievlng cannot. In the
very nature of things, remain so. Those
neglected gutter children, who seemed
created to be criminals and begin that
way, do not continue IL long. At first IL Is
a potato or two snatched from a shop
door to pitch at the bead of a companion,
thaf fro, pefd 10 ahnn then nn
on to anything that man has made or
God has grown.
Abe grew confident Of his powers and
played for higher stakes. He had no con-
fidants or companions from whom TO fear
betrayal: he never robbed where there
wQs the slightest chance of capture or
detection: so in the usual infatuated fash
ion he never looked TO the end. but went
blindly forward, grasping madly at bub-
bles with thousand pitfalls at his feet.
Very early one morning. and long before
| was due at the office, | was surprised by
a visit at my home from little Molly. 1t
struck me that she was paler than usual.
even though the dirt and rags were prom
inent as ever, She kept one hand persist
emily I'm her breast while she tremulously
opened her negotiations.
You remember you promised TO help
me all you could about-about father?'
she began.
/ did remember. and said SO.
well, I've brought something for you.
know | can depend on you not doing
him any harm And you won't ask me any
questions or anything
Somewhat incsutiously I gave the re-
duired pledge. and holding out my hand,
received a gentemans gold lever with
fragment of a gold Albert still dangling
at the ring. 7 was about to say very
sharply-"Why, where did you get this?"
when / remembered my promise; and.
moreover. a glance into her scared face
supplied me with the whole truth.
That's all now, and I'll have TO go,
said Molly in, trembling eagerness TO be
gone.
stop a moment, Molly" 1 said. deeply
moved by her famine-stricken face and
grateful eyesS and / led her into the
kitchen without cnce ailuding TO the val
liable plunder she had placed I'm my
hands cup OF hot coffee. and thick
slice of bread and butter, were placed be-
fore her. and she was accommodated with
a seat close TO the fire. Molly took the
bread IN her hands without a word, and
slowly wolfed it up. sailing the scalding
coffee with many silent tear. / verify
believe the child was starving. and yet IL
was impossible TO help her out of the rut.
There were unknown capabilities for
good I'm her-there was love, the true
courage. and tact, and readiness which
were not there through any special train
ing: and with all these gifts, she was
bound to drift steadily To destruction. As
/ stood with my back 10 her gazing idly
as IL, seemed out ~ the window, l could
not help sighing over her fate.
A secret terror that | might detain or
question her, | believe. made her hurry
over the unexpected meal, too concerned
TO enjoy it But when she rose, needed
TO say nothing. The whole history of the
valuable had been as plainly put before
me by her scared face as IL IL had been
written there. She grasped my hand with
her cold fingers at the door, and was
gone; and then / went I'm to tho office and
looked over the nights arrivals as record
ed i'm the books. one waS-'Gentleman--
drunk-nsme unknown-watch and part
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