The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-20

moment. and watched a knot of idlers
scattering crumbs to the futterinS
pigeons: then he moved round to the
| south side of the Cathedral, took his
! crumpled excursion bills from his pocket
spread them out smooth upon the grey
stones jutting out of the turf, and which
once formed part Of the foundations of
| Old St. Paul's, and began to write.
For a while he wrote on, until one or
two damp flakes OF snow began to fail
upon his paper, and then he rose and
| STROBE out into the streets again. In front
| of the great west door of the Cathedral
he hesitated; already the afternoon was
beginning to give place to evening, the
street Ian ps were lighted, and all down
Ludgate It'll quiverins splotches of light
from the shops lay upon the greasy pave
| ment: then he turned his steps northward;
he did not care to follow the streets where
he was likely to meet friends or colleagues
who. with the seasons greetings upon
their lips, would offer invitations which he
must refuse.
He went on. past the general postofce
and up the Goswell Road, and then cut
across through a labyrinth of narrow
streets giving on 70 ST. Luke's, and for a
while wandered about there. The snow
was thickening, the soft. white flakes had
ceased to fan, but in their place was a
thin, powdery, persistent downpour that
the chill wind which wilistled round the
corners dashed stingingly into his face and
left clinging to his clothes
He paused before toy-shop dec1ed out
| with gaudy German productions, with tin
sci Christmas tree ornaments, paper flags,
Japanese lanterns, and half a dozen cheap
dolls which stared fixedly out of their
round. waXen faces with great. wondering,
wide-open eyes, as though they We're all
thinking. My what awful weather.
In front of the shop a group of ragged
youngsters, needless of the falling snow.
churned now into a muddy slush at their
feet. glued their noses to the window,
steamy with their excited breath.
e q would
Liza? Cos my muvvers Goin' to buy me
one" asked a diminuuve specimen of
feminine humanity, who in happier cir
cumstances would have been pretty,
speaking with an air Of admiration of the
'3vhole collection.
THAT there with the pink at and the
yaller frock," said the connoisseur APP
pealed to.
q likes the little black 'un with the in,
gerubber face" volunteered the smallest
child In the group, but l ain got no
muvver to buy ne dolls. and she spoke
dlscontentedly. not as If being mOtherless
were cause for grief, but only a reason
for dissatisfaction
Carroll thrust his hand into his pocket
instinctively; that he had done so half
dozen times before that day and found ii
empty every time did not kill the accus-
toned habit, and again a dull, sinking
feeling grew up in his heart, and he
turned and STROBE away through the
swiftly-drivinE snow.
poor little thingsr' was all he said, and
he walked faster away from them.
The white dust was flying and whirling
around in all directions now, swiriiug
hiJher and thither. and sending pedes-
TRANS swiftly hOmeWard. Huge drifts
were forming in corners and doorways,
ana the Iamp-posts were becoming Should
ed with long, winding sheets, where the
snow chung closely to them. The heavy
throb of traffic was deadened by the thick
mass upon the ground. and by and by the
sound 4amost entirely ceased.
Then the omnihuses stopped running.
and only here and there a shadOwy cab,
looking like 4 phantom in the ali-pervad-
ing whiteness, made its slow and silent
way along.
II was an old-fashioned winter with q
vengeance, and London had suddenly be
come a deserted city. 1t was between
and / o'clock when the first lakes OF snow
began to fail, and by six the streets were
impossible and practically deserted Dy
the Strand was like an Arctic Plctutn ,5, nc
light from the street lamps was dimmed
ny The aCcumula tons OF snow -thtt hdd
been driven by the wind against the glass
aud stiu adhered there, and strange 81
lenCc was over 1t al.
into the protection of a deep doorway
in The Temple Carroll crept for shelter
and waited. listening to the quarters
chime for two whole hours, unit! zen
strokes heat forth.
'.Onlv n couple Of hours more" he NUT
tered as he stamped his numbed feet upon
the stones THAT is all for me, but God
help those whove got to endure the whole
night of IT!
How he killed the remaining time he
hardly knew. He had afterward a am
recollection of passing down on to the
Embankment and gazing at the black
river and the weird outline OF CleopatTas
Needle. wreathed in white and watched on
either side by a gaunt blurred, snowy
Sphinx.