The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1902-08-29

| VIII power should he his only guard.
ian. But this! She recalled his flushed
features. his excited eyes. Instinc-
lively she shrank back from the win
dow. Had he seen her as she leaned
over her little charges: She forgot
that the musician and his homogeneous
companion had long since rounded the
corner and disappeared in the bablJl,.
Of east side tenement life.
The janitor entered the room. He
nolsily arranged the chairs and tables
for the meeting of the boys club In
the evening. Grace drew herself Ii
proudly. donned her wraps and with
few courteous words to the attendant
swept out of the mission rooms. feel
ing that she never wished to see them
again.
That evening. as the dinner gong
sounded in a certain residence over
looking the park. a young woman with
determined expression on her face
and contradictory trembling in Ii,
hands tied up two packages. One was
very small and contained jewelers.
box. The other held eleven photo
graphs, all Of one young man at vari-
GUS ages and In diverse garments, d
bundle Of notes and letters and some
faded flowers. She directed them with
care, then resolutely descended to the
dining room.
But her appetite had taken fight.
She toyed with her soup and sent the
fish away untasted. Beef Ia mode
she declared to be too heavy for this
season of the year.
Her father looked ut her keenly.
You ought to give up that mission
work, Grace. Can't you find some 9th,
er fad? Tenement air does not agree
with you"
Talking about tenements." broke in
the irrepressible Tom, I'VE had a good
one today on Fred Yerkcs. Another
bit of beef, father"
Grace, turning dizzy and faint.
clutched frantically at her napkin.
Was she TO hear the story of Frrd's
disgrace here. before the entire fam
ily? Wildly she thought of flight: then
taking II fresh grip on her napkin,
which 10y this time rcsembled a SNOW
ball, she determined to face the or
deal.
You SEE" continued Tom, Fred
made some foolish bet the other dar
with Cummings. | didn't hear what
it was all about, but anyway the
loser was to 20 down in the sluns
somewhere with one of those organ
grinders. do Il cake walk and pass the
hat"
Grace gasped.
Il should say so. Any fellow ought
to know better than to mix up with
Cummings. He's always putting up
game. But. having lost, Fred paid his
bet like man-went down this after
noon. with lot of us in tow to see
that he played fair. And he did. by
love. He put up jolly good cake
walk. and | guess that organ grinder
thought he'd struck klondike. We fel.
lows all Clipped in. But best Of all
was when Fred got through, and lit
tie chap marched right up to him.
yelling. Say. mister, yer toys is out
NV sight, but yer steps is bum, VERY
bum-SpeT
Everybody at the table laughed.
Grace wondered if that hysterical
treble was really her own voice. She
felt such ridiculous desire to cry in
stead. Finally she unrolled her nap
kin and decided TO try bit of beef
after all.
Half an hour later, when Tom
dashed upstairs 10 his room, he was
met in the dim entry by his sister.
She laid her hand affcctionately on his
shoulder.
Tom. dear. you know that sticlipim
the pearl one-you asked me for the
other day? Well, here it is. You may
keep it. II think it will look very
well with that tie"
Then. kissing him gently, she slipped
back into her room. while Tom hur
ricd on. mutterin%:
Girls are queer things-a fellows
sisters the uucrrrSt OF all. She turned
me down good and hard when l asked
for that pin before