Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1904-02-27
A STRANGE LEGACY.
"a e HEl1 "a r. siE ca En- e Sk saa


JoI ana gloom OF November even
ing. through the dank night air
and gathering fog. along greasy pave
ments and over slippery crossings.
across the great bridge. with the yawn-
ing darkness on either side and down
the mean streets OF Southern London.
YEARLY but steadily Mary MacAllis.
ter bent her way.
Three years Of hard work as Il typist
In q city ONCE. three years of lonely
struggle with fortune. had robbed
Mary's cheek Of the bloom 1t hoasted
when she was nineteen. but still she
strobe on her way. morning and even !
ing. backward and forward. TO and
from the city, where her work lay |
q brave, earnest.minded, stcady-eyed
woman. n typical figure Of London's
women workers.
Sometimes there would be suspi. |
cion Of moisture in the big gray eyes
when work was more than usually
irksome or employers more than usual.
~ irate and unreasonable.
Sometimes for moment her mind
would stray from the dark. close office
to the glorious fields and hedgerows
which from babyhood she had looked
upon rs hers In time to come. Now
and again as she ate her solitary meal
in her poor little room In the shabby
house in a third-rate street just be-
yond .the Elephant" the memory Of
the plenty in the old days brought
shadow for moment. and then the
memory OF Dick-her Dick-wOuld
chase the little cloud away. II Dick
could be brave and go away to Africa
20 win n fortune for her she would be
brave. too. Dick had faced the crash
which four years ago had ruined alike
his father and hers. quietly and I'M
mplainingly. She had refused his
Offer to release her from her engage
ment to him. and with mutual pro-
testations Of love and fidelity they had
parted-he to seek wealth across the
seas, she to earn her living us best
she could in the grcat world OF Lon
don.
Many n letter from Dick lay care.
fully folded I'm her little workbox, let.
tiers which she had read again ana
again when the struggle was hard and
her heart grew faint. They told OF
progress. slow but sure. until eighteen
months before. when the black cloud
Of war lowered. and ruin had for the
second time In his young life stopped
at Dick Herrick's door.
With the first clash Of arms his EN-.
ployment ceased, the land he had In.
vested his savings In was seized ny
A. L.
Wandered aud imprisoned rs the re.
suit OF his refusing to fight against
his own countrymen. Since then
since she had lived ut her present nd.
dress-no news had come to enlight-
en- her sorrow, to relieve her anxiety.
On her doorstep she met her land.
lady, Mrs. Bird, who had been shop
ping around the corner. Mrs. Bird
was well meaning. but rather massive.
and sometimes more than aggressive.
You are late this evening" Mrs.
Bird asserted tartly.
r., "Yes--I-I--am, rather" nervously
responded Mary; II was little be-
hind at the Office. and I've walked"
Walked. a night like this! Then
you'd no business. s'pose you caught
cold and got laid up;'
THE buses We're full and IL
couldn't afford cab, YOU know
Mary answered. smiling gently.
NO. in course, though you might
do that n night like this IL you didn't
20 saddnn' yourself with that foreign
fiddler man upstairs"
Mrs. Bird closed the door with an
angry little bang as she followed Mary
into the passage.
"Oh. hush, please. Mrs. Bird; think
how III the poor fellow has been
"Ill--course he has, and you. with
all YOU can do TO keep yourself, must
20 and look after him. Nonsense, that's
what | call IL. What do we pay rates
for, and keep up that there place round
the corner for, If 1t amt for such q
man.
But, you don't understand, Mrs
Bird; he Is not common man: II,
Is an artist and a gentleman. IT would
kill him 10 be sent to such n place
| know feel it-just as 1t woul,
Kill me TO he sent there. our crue
fogs have brought him TO deaths doc
and as he has lain insenslble-up Their
-deliriOus, raving-hls tongue has toll
me the tale Of his sunny home ava,
yonder in Italy, of the poverty whicI
drove him here 10 earn his bread, o
his music. which Is like life TO hin
And nuw-nOw he is better be patien
stll for little longer. ! will Civ
him all the attention ] can and say
you as much as possible, The none
that is owing you ! will pay, Willing
ly, n little AT time. See, here
some that ] have earned working lat
Take IL and let me have my own wa!
won't youf All, you will. Thank you
Mrs. Bird. As tend him and hel
him. poor fellow, so | pray that
woman's hand may help the man
love, should he need IT,"
She turned slowly, and mounted tn
stairs. Mrs. Bird looked after hi
moment irresolutely. ''Humph
shs muttered, that gals too good Il
this world"
"You are better-ah. I'm 10 gla'
Now lie still, or ! shall be angTy"