Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-06-06

| A "Yes. He died long ago."
 "Where do you live now7' | "Oh," he said, q have been staying in north London, but will leave there soon. and I have not settled anything definitely at present. Where is the laundry you spoke of? I will call some day if may and learn how you are getting on"
 T will be so pleased. It is little place in James street. tho only one there. Ask for Mrs. Wrigley."
 Tt is lucky you understand laundry work or things might so hard with you"
 She laughed pitifully.
 ''I don't. They asked me if I was a washer or an ironer thought wash ing required least experience, so said l was a washer. am quick to learn and will watch the other women. If they find me out, I may be discharged" :"
 "Oh, cheer upv' he said pleasantly. q don't suppose you'll find 1t very hard"
 Her voice sank almost to whisper.
 'It is not the work dread, but the surroundings was schoolteacher before my marriage. My husband was an electrical engineer We put all our savings into little business, and then the end came"
 Mot quite the end. am only boy, | A,,x Tp-1 l,ad ,,ys o,I d of,o.,nh fo know that tho beginning of next week may be Q very different affair to the end of this. Goodby."
 They were passing the London hos pital, and he thought 1t prudent to alight at some distance from Johnson's l News.
 "Well, God bless you, anyhow" she said earnestly.
 "'E's got 'is 'ead screwed on tight, that lad" commented a man sitting next to her.
 Better than that, he has good heart" said Mrs. Wrigley. Most fortu- nate Mrs. Wrigley-to have encounter ed Philip in that hour. which she deem. ed the blaclest in her life.
 | He hastened through the familiar hustle of the busy thoroughfare with heightened expectancy. it is true, but devoid of the least fear that his meteor had been discovered. His mother would take good care of 1t. Why, the mere chance remark of the woman he had befriended showed that her gentle spirit watched over him wherever he went. Here was stranger, Q sad toll, CT among the millions, who went out ol her way to praise the goodness of one she had never seen. He laughed joy. ously. Mrs. Wrlgley should have fur ther cause to bless his mothers mem ory.
 He passed O'Brien's shop. He saw the old man seated behind the counter Should he go in7 No. Better keer wholly to himself at present. Yet he hes. itated. Which was the more judicious course, to remain hidden, unknown, ol or to drop quietly into the groove where he was recognized? With rare perspi cacity for one so young, he reflected that only five days had elapsed since he last saw the old pensioner. The period bulked largely in Philips life in o'Brien's 1t would be as naught.
 Yielding to the second thought, he en tered the shop.
 "Glory be to God, Phil. but it's miseli is glad to see yew cried his old friend "where have ye bin to, at all, at all Have yez heard what the murtherin war office is afthcr doin' to me? haven't had a sowl to sphake to about the throuble they've put on me in mt ovid age"
 This was not strictly accurate o'Brien had pestered the whole neigh borhood with tho story of his withheld | pension and the preposterous clain made on him by some rcd tape enthu siast in Pall Mall. But his plaint ef fectually stopped all further reference to Philips disappearance. As to thu "bit O shtone" that was "naythul alum nor lime," he hadn't Q word t say.
 Philip borrowed a spade, smal sweeping brush and strong sack with out evoking the slightest common from the pensioner, who discoursed in cessantly on the iniquity of the "gov ermint" and whose farewell remarl (. It with the attempt to rob him of T hundred gowlden sov'rins."
 Decidedly the boy was in luck's way He had secured some necessary imple ments without attracting any atten ton. Watching a favorable opportuni ty, he slipped unseen Into the gloom O Johnson's News. He tried the door O No. 3. 1t was locked. He Inserted th key and entered. The darkness withil was that of utter blindness. but h dumped his impedimenta on the foo and locked the door behind him.
 Then he groped his doubtful path | the mantelpiece where he had left candle and a box of matches. His boot erunched as he went on what he kne1 to be mostly diamonds. and he stun bled over the mattress In front of th frepiacc. Yes, the candle was therC Soon he had light. The tiny glear lifted the black curtain, and he survey ed his domain. A single glance show ed him that all things remained exactl as he left them on Saturday morning The packet of letters rested on th broken chair. the old sack was sture into the window and the rope-th: never to be forgotten rope-dangie from the hook to which he had fastel cd H.
 The kight brought a lump into h