Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-10

They went on. walking quickly but with wary
| looks, searching for some opening to blind al
/ ley They had passed one or two as being too
near for the boy to have run down, when Mr..
Raglan stopped at the mouth Of dark passage
arched over like short tunnel. through which,
in spite Of the fog. paved court was visible.
Cry here" said Mr.. Raglan shortly, and with
an inward shudder Tom Crockcr followed him
/ through the darkness Of the archvay.
/ The fog was less dense when they got through,
and they could that they were in a small
court paved with rough cobbles and surrounded
! by high houses, varying one from the other only
in their stages Of dirt and dilapdaton. At the
farther end were stables and the smell of the
horses, tho rcek Of the cabbagewater from an
open window, the rotting refuse under foot and
on all sides, were enough to try even the steady
nerves Of Mr.. Raglan,
There was a knot of men at one Of the open
doors, and as the two stumbled into the court
five or six unpreposscssing faces were turned to-
wards them. But Mr.. Raglan took no notice
of them his eyes were directed towards figure
in the opposite corner-a ragged painting boy, ty.
ing piece of cord round the neck Of a dog,
dirty disgrace to the terrier breed.
Look" said Mr. Raglan with a jerk of his
head in the boys direction. Crocker looked,
Cant he sure" he whispered; these boys
look all alike"
He's out of breath" said Mr. Raglan; "we'll
see and with gleam in his sharp eyes, he ad.
vanced across the Shiny pavement
He had gone Just far enough to indicate the
spot for which he was making, when a man de-
tached himself from the group and came towards
him. a massive. truculent fellow with stubbly,
square jaw, his pipe in his mouth, his hands in
the pockets Of his corduroys.
They met about halfway across: the man with
the pipe stopped squarely in front of Mr.. Rag.
Ian, and as the latter made a side movement to
pass he stepped in front of him again.
For moment they stared at one another with
steady, impassive faces.
"Let me pass said Mr.. Raglan quietly, but
with suppressed anger in his voice
"Wot for?' said the man deliberately after
pause
mind your own" began Mr. Raglan furious.
": then checked himself, and said 81 want that
boy" with glance over his interlocutor's broad
shoulder.
"Wot for?" repeated the man, without deign.
ing to look in the direction indicated.
Again pause and the man of the world gave
in to the OF the slums.
He's stolen my watch!"
There was what the newspapers term "sen-
sation' among the loungers of the court; every
one turned to look at the boy. who. unconcerned
ly, continued his operations the dog.
" f aint bin outer the court"
why he's painting now," retorted Mr. Raglan
BILL said the big man, still keeping his eyes
on Mr.. Raglans face as the latter watched the
boys movements, come ere; gen man wornts
ter tork t yer.''
The boys raised his head, and Mr.. Raglan
gasped Crocker was watching. too and he
Qaspcd 1t was what most strangers did when
Bills face was first revealed to them with the
background of filthy slum. Angelic faces are
rare anywhere, but to find cherrbc sweetness in
every line of the features of ragged little gut.