Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1903-07-08

swered promptly.
"HOrrors !" Why didn't you
tell me I"
'eThere is no occasion for alarm.
Am ! not your protector I"
The girl smiled and cOlored
Aprettily at the new note that had
slipped into his voice.
"Tell me all about it, please, F"
she said.
eve are on our way to see four
povety- stunted Polish children"
he told her, 'swhO r now in the
charge OF the matron at the station.
These children, with their frail lit
tie mother, who was i'll and suffer
ing, were put out of their home
yesterday because they could not
pay rent"
'FYOu don't mean that they were
you don't mean, surely-what
do you mean when you say they
we're put out 4" faltered the girl.
The fact that she was on her way
to see these unfortunate hu man
beings brought the story close and
made it staTtlingly real.
al mean" replied Darrell, dis
tinctly, ''that the mother was
seized by the constable and his as
sistants and thrust out upon the
street, weak and suffering though
she was. l mean that the chill
dren were thrust out with her, and
that all FIVE of them we're left in
the chilly dampness Of the after.
noon, with their poor, pitiful
household belongings piled mp in
the street along side them"
Laura Kennedy's wide eyes
fixed themselves upon his. ''Oh !"
she cried, cit can't be! How
could any human being do such a
heartless, cold. blOOded, brutal
acts You can't mean IT."
"But l do. Indeed, l have only
painted the picture mildly az
that.n
"Was there anything worse 80
gasped the girl.
1.-THE mother was beaten and
knocked down by the constable
and his assistants when she resist
ed their efforts TO evict the children
from their little home. She lay
, PROSTATE and unconscious on the
! pavement in front Of the house,
surrounded by the budding, hall
clad children, until some kindly
; pedestrian saw the pitiful group
> and sent for aid. The woman was
, taken to a hospital, the children
to the police station"
Miss Kennedy said nothing fol
several moments after that, be-
p; cause Of a lump in her throat that
would not go down.
! When they reached the station
. the girl stood by, alertly Observan'
: of her surroundings, while Darrell
made inquiries at the sergeant
i, desk.
The l~ieutenent led them both t.
the e a of the building and they
, we're met by the matrOn Just out
! side the door of her room.
"The poor little creatures are il
! a pitiful state" she said, leading
= the way within. "It's little com
fort they've had in this life, poo
things"
care those the children =
asked Miss Kennedy in a strang
voice.
She stood looking toward tn
> corner where four dingy, scantl,
clad forms we're huddled.
eyes, miss. Get up, children
the lady and gentleman have com
il to see you"
The matrOn's command va
, made known TO the group by 3
interpreter and the figures detach
" ed themselves from the shadow
and stood up in full view.
The gray light from the window
which opened upon an alley, shoV
ed four pairs of big, dumb, patheI
ic eyes set in four small, pinCheC
poverty-b bitten faces. The eldel
OF the group, 3 girl, held th
!. youngest, q baby, in her arms.
Miss Kennedy stood lOOkin
!. down upon them, smitten to th
heart with the tragedy Of the
plight. The concentrated wretch
edness Of the spectacle seemed /
eat into hsr consciousness with
poignancy that was worse tia
pain.
She turned suddenly sick an
, faint as she gazed. "I-I thin
I'm 90 outside for a moment" sb
y gasped.
t. Darrell faced her in the hallway
She seized his arm in a grip th'
d vas almOst free.