The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-01-11

Nothing; but 1t has just struck me
| that l have seen either this girl or
| face like IL very recently"
"Where? OH where?'' The words were
thrown out with breathless eagerness
and suspense. which was almost heart
breaking TO have to look upon; but puzzle
myself / liked. I could not recall the
circumstances under which had seen the
young face and curly hair. j did not once
think OF the house with crimson blinds.
which may appear very stupid TO some.
but was afterwards no surprising matter
10 me.
II am sorry-IA~ee so many faces" I
stammered In apology, after long
pause; II may remember Ii by-and-by.
But tell me what the man is like. He is
more likely TO come In my way than the
child"
Handsome and elegant as any gentle
man I'm the land was the bitter reply.
Always exquisitely dressed-wears
thick black moustache. slightly pointed
and twisted at the ends. which gives him
military look. Always carries a silk
umbrella with smooth ivory head. and
wears a number OF flashing gold rings on
his fingers"
"Ah, I shall know him when we meet"
I quietly returned; "and as he Is not
likely 10 hide his beauty under a bushel.
that win probably be before many days
once l see him l shall not let him out
OF sight till trace out your lost ones. IL
he and they have not yet parted com
panyr
We shook hands and parted after a lit
tie further conversation. he leaving the
childs portrait I'm my care, with many
cautions as 10 its safe keeping. 1 looked
sharply for the handsome gentleman for
some days, Mr.. Blake calling upon me at
a
but I saw no one answering the descrip-
ton about our fashionable promenades.
But an incident at this juncture came In
my way which auickened my movements.
As an example of strange clue, as
striking II was simple. IL Is worth no.
ticing in these sketches.
A woman appeared at the office one
| evening as / was about 10 leave; and as
there was quite throng in the ''re-
cepton chamber" / fingered To take
| some OF the cases off their hands. The
| woman had her head covered with
| shawl; but when | took her aside to
| learn her complaint, she removed the
covering and showed face and brow
| battered and bruised into an almost un-
| distinguishable mass of swollen and
| discoloured flesh.
"Ah. some one has ill-uses you," I
| remarked. getting the book ready and
| dipping "a pen I'm ink. ''Waht Is your
name, ease?"
Laura Brunton."
"Married?"
Yes; married" The words were
spoken in n choking urst, and with a
depth OF woful bitterness and dispair
which it is utterly impossible to put down
on paper.
"Who assaulted you? Your husband?"
"a bruter she vehemently answered,
with flash of the eyes. dimly discerni-
bic In her battered face. which showed
that she was no common woman. And
ii has not been once. but every day for
months, am one mass of bruises from
head to foot. lie would have killed me
IL he dared"
stop "a moment please, till 1 get an
other pen." i gently nterposed, tug
ging out the used nib. which refused to
let the ink flow. and looking In vain for
another. ! might have got one by dis
turbing those at the other desks, but,
:,ressed for time. simply felt in my waist
coat-pocket for pencil. In doing so.
| found the pocket blocked by the fold
/ ing case containing the child's photo
| graph which I quickly took out. and
| laid on the desk, till I should get the
pencil below The moment I had done
so something like hiss from the lips
| of the battered woman attracted my at
tention, and I saw that her eyes were
liked I'm n species of horror upon the lit
tie case on the outside of which was
| the word "Georgina" in gilt old Eng
lish lettering. To my surprise. at the
same moment she hastily drew the shawl
| over her head. and began to back to-
| ward the door.
| stay! don't run away TIL you have
| completed the charge" / cried; but she
only shook her head. saying:
1T would do no good. Let me suffer;
I deserve IL all"
you might have stayed away then,
and saved our time" ] sharply returned.
II might: I wish to God ] had"' and
With these words passionately breathed
she was gone. She was not ten minutes
out OF the office till started. and cried.
Good gracious!-did I ever believe that
! could be so slow and thick-headed"
The truth was that for the first time
had suspected connection between the
little portrait and the woman's sudden re-
treat and now could only bite my nails
over my carelessness in letting her out
OF sight Mr. Blake and / were out most
of that night trying to follow up the clue,
but without success. II In possible we
might have traced ont the missing wo-
man before long, but the next day
brought us a new complaint. which did
more for us than any yet placed In our
hands.
order known as fast" appeared at the
ofAce- accompanied by another. whom he
introduced as "his lawyer"
81 have come TO complain OF being led
| into house ut the west end. near
| Coates Crescent. where | was induced 10
| stake money at q roulette wheel similar
20 those used on the continent till my
money, and watch, and rings were gone.
| Then the proprietor. az 1 took him 10 be
,-the same who decoyed me tn the place
| accepted my l. q. L. for sum after sum,
| an 1 find that II I were TO honor them
! should bc ruined.
, And YOU wish US TO save YOU from that
disagreeahie task?" I dryly remarked.
'Well. where is the house, What Is the
number"
II do not know the number. but 10 IS
| aslly distinguished for IL is the only
| one in the row rtted with crimson blinds.
| IL is. I'm fact neither more nor less than
| q gambling hell'
| "Ah, | remembe-," The words came
| out with more than ordinary excitement
on my part, the truth being that there
\ had shed uuou my mind not only nv