Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-06-12
CHAPTER XV.-CoNTISUED.

0oUrieht 1900. by A. N. Kellogg Newspaper Col
CHAPTER XV.-CoNTINUED.
From a good position, hidden by
truck loaded with luggage, he saw
Blanche alight from the train and sig
nal to hanson. Then, while her back
was turned towards him, he called an
other, and after he had taken his seat
ne pointed to Blanche's hanson which
was turning into the street.
II want to keep that lady in sight,"
he told the cabman; "do you under
stand?"
Perfectly, sir" with broad, pleased
grin. "Detective, sir?''
mo; do as tell you.'
"AI right, sir; pardon, sir.''
The two cabs preserved a mean dis
lance of half a block between each
other. 1t was cloudy day, as warm
as spring. The asphalt pavements
were wet and slick and the horses
often slipped to the ground. Blanche's
hanson turned into Fourth avenue
and headed down town. Below Coop
er Union it ran into the Bowery. And
along this thoroughfare, with the
double tracks of the elevated railway
overhead, the two vehicles forged
ahead as rapidly as the perpetual
stream of cars, wagons and cabs
would permit. They passed the City
Hall park and then ran INTO Beekman
street. Goddard saw Blanche's cab
man scanning the doors in search of
a number, and knew she was near her
destination.
The major raped on the top of the
cab, and the driver looked in at him
through the hole in the roof.
well, sir?" he said.
eff 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 a halt be-
fore a 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 driver having
refined in behind q wagon loaded with
bales of hay.
Goddard felt like spy, but he told
himself he had the right to follow her,
fearing that she was being led into
danger.
II shall get down here,' he said, hur-
~io11x- rChor P1oroho hol IN
the house. The cabman took his
double fee reluctantly.
Had I better wait about here, sir?''
he asked, evidently the prey of curl.
osity.
''No, I shall not need you," and the
major was off. When he reached the
building Blanche had entered he saw
very unclean. A barrel of rags stood
at the foot of the stairway and three
tattered boys were tossing pennies in
the doorway.
"A lady came in here just now" he
said to the first smutty visage that
turned towards him.
event 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. ....
II don't know, sir" said the first
boy who had spoken. "You can't
miss it; it's as high as you can CO."
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 door at the side
of which stood bedstead which had
been taken apart and a mattress and
ragged bed coverings, he bent his cal
to listen. For moment he heard
nothing, and then suddenly from the
room came the sound of weeping and
the wailing of woman's voice. This
startled him, and he tried the door
latch. 1t turned. Inc door opened
into a cheerless> room. Around the
walls sat dozen old men and women
as still and silent as Quakers 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 fol
Blanche. His eyes fell on the corpse
of woman covered to her wrinkled
face with white sheet. Looking over
the heads Of this. group Goddard saw
Z Blanche seated on a low couch be.
tween two sobbing .:,oung girls. She
had an arm round the waist of each
and the major heard her trembling
voice try to speak words OF consola:
ton. ~.
.sOh, Mrs. Goddard" the elder girl
said. 81 cannot bear it simply can.
not give her up. She was all we had
sll!'' 5s.#
So much was Blanche concerned IN
the duty before her that she did no.