Waterbury Democrat., 1901-01-04
"Well. sir?" he said.

'f the lady should get out keep your eye on the house and put me down near there," ordered the major
 Right you are, sir" In the most disreputable part of the lower end of Beekman street the foremost hanson came to halt be- fore red brick fve-story building the major saw the face of his ward for a single moment as she stood on the ground and held up her fare to the cabman, his own otiver having refined in behind a wagon loaded with bales of hay.
 Goddard felt like a spy, but he told himself he had the right to follow her, fearing that she was being led into danser..
 T shall get down here," he said, hur- riedly, when Blanche had gone into the house. The cabman took his double fee reluctantly. Had l better wait about here, sir?" he asked, evidently the prey of curi- osity.
 'No, shall not need you" and the major was off. When he reached the building Blanche had entered he saw nothing of her. The entrance was very unclean. 4 barrel of rags stood at the foot of the stairway and three tattered boys were tossing pennies in 1 the doorway.
 "A lady came in here just now," he said to the first smutty visage that turned towards him.
 Went upstairs" said the owner of the face.
 Do you know which foor?" asked | Goddard.
 The boy did not, and shook his head.
 ''She asked for the Simpsons'," said another urchin. ''They are top floor back
 "Who are the Simpsons?" asked the major.
 | q don't know, sir," said the first boy who had spoken. "You can't miss it; it's as high as you can go.' { It then occurred to Goddard that he was unarmed, and as he did not doubt that Blanche had been beguiled into some sort of trap he felt his inability to defend her in an emergency, and yet he almost ran up the five flights of narrow, unswept stairs. Reaching the top, and seeing a door at the side of which stood bedstead which had been taken apart and mattress and ragged bed coverings, he bent his ear to listen. For a moment he heard nothing, and then suddenly from the room came the sound of weeping and the wailing of a woman's voice. This startled him, and he tried the door latch. It turned. Inc door opened into a cheerless room. Around the walls sat dozen old men and women as still and silent as Quahers at a meeting. A door in this room opened into another chamber, and there he saw throng of women and children, and thence issued the sounds of sobs and cries of grief. Bewildered, he went to the door and looked for Blanche. His eyes fell on the corpse of a woman covered to her wrinkled face with white sheet. Looking over the heads of this group Goddard saw Blanche seated on a low couch be- tween two sobbing young girls. She had an arm round the waist of each, and the major heard her trembling voice try to speak words o1 corsola- tion.
 "Oh,, Mrs. Goddard" the elder girl { said, "I cannot bear it-I simply can not give her up. She was all we had -all-all!'
 So much was Blanche concerned in the duty before her that sne did not | look up. A light broke upon the major. but he did not have the pres 1 ence of mind to retreat unnoticed, as he might easily have done. His relief l at finding his fears ungrounded was | so great that he felt weak all over. Suddenly the younger of the two girls with Blanche looked up. She pointed 1 at him. and touched her sister across Blanche's lap.
 "It must be the new doctor" she said
 Blanche stared at him in bewilder- ment for an instant. A slight flush | mantled her brow.
 "No, it is my husband" she said; i "excuse ue a moment ! She came to him at once.
 "Why did you come?" she asked, a look of embarrassment on her face. Fl am so surprised. I really do not understand how---''
 | He drew her to the side of the room away from several persons who were listening curiously.
 "I have no excuse for spying on you,' he said, lamely; ''none, except ! chat l was afraid you were in danger, and l came toto protect you"
 "I don't understand" she said. 'I really do not"
 For a moment he was reduced to saying:
 Pardon my foolishness, dear; do pardon me!'
 ''Oh, don't think I am finding fault" she said, quickly. T am glad you are here now, but"
 T may as well tell you that I have enemies, darling little girl, enemies who would entrap you-take your life, anything to take revenge on me. When first I saw that letter I did not like it's appearance, and when you l would not tell me about it my fears got the best of me-
 Ut was from Mary, there-the old CT of the two girls" replied Blanche. 1T knew her and her mother when-'' Blanche flushed a ittle-''when I used to visit this quarter when I was in