The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-09-27

Il will be so pleased. II Is a little
place In James street. the only one
there. Ask for Mrs. Wrig,ey."
1T Is lucky you understand laundry
work or things might go hard with
you"
She laughed pitifuliy.
II don't They asked me il I was 3
washer or an ironer. ! thought wash
ing required least experience. SO said
I was a washer. I am quick 70 learn
and will watch the other women. If
they find me out. I may be discharged
.sOh. cheer up" be said pleasantly.
II don't suppose you'll ind 1t very
hard"
Her voice sank almost to q whisper,
1T /. not the work l dread. but the
surroundings was a schoolteacher
before my marriage. Ny husband was
an electrical engineer. We put all our
savings into n little business. and then
the end came"
but I've had ups and downs enough to
know that the beginning of next week
may be very different affair to the
end of this. Goodby."
They were passing the London hos
pital. and he thought II prudent to
alight at some distance from Johnson's
News.
well, God bless you, anyhow" she
said earnestly.
/ "'E's got is cad screwed on tight.
that lad" commented q man sitting
next to her.
Better than that, he has q good
( heart" said Mrs, wrigley. Most fortu-
nate Mrs. wrigley-to have encounter
! ed Philip In that hour. which she deem
! ed the blacklist In her life.
He FASTENED through the familiar
hustle OF the busy thoroughfare with
/ heightened expectancy. 1t Is true. but
! devoid Of the least fear that his meteor
had been discovered. His mother
would take good care Of II. 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. sad toll
er among the millions. who went out OF
her way to praise the goodness Of one
she had never seen. He laughed joy
ously. Mrs. Wrigley should have fur
Their cause TO bless his mothers mem
DRY.
He passed O'Brien's shop. He saw
the old man seated behind the counter.
Should he 20 Int No. Better keep
wholly to himself at present Yet he hes
itated Which was the moro Judicious
course, to remain hidden. unknown. or
or to drop quietly into the groove where
he was recognized? With rare perspi-
cacity for one 30 young. he rejected
that only i've days had elapsed since
he last saw the old pensioner. Tho
period bulked largely In Philips life;
in O'Brien's IL would be as naught
Yielding to the second thought. he en-
tered the shop.
"GIory be to God. Phil. but It's miself
is glad to see ys." cried his old friend.
"where have We bin to. at all. at all7
Have ven heard what the murtherin'
war ONCE is afther doin' to me? 1
haven't had a sowl to sphake to about
the throuble they've put on me IN me
ovid age"
This was not strictly accurate.
O'Brien had pestered the whole neigh
borhood with the story Of his withheld
pension and the preposterous claim
made on him by some red tape enthu.
siast I'm Pail Mall. But his pl1int Of.
fectually stopped all further reference
to Philips disappearance. As to the
''bit o. shtone" that was "naythur
alum nor lime," he hadn't word ia
say.
Philip borrowed q spade. q small
sweeping brush and a strong sack with
out evoking the slightest comment
from the pensioner, who discoursed In
cessantly on the iniquity OF the ''gov'
ermint" and whose farewell remark
dealt with the attempt to rob him Of "a
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 q favorable opportuni
ty. he slipped unseen into the gloom OF
Johnson's News. He tried the door OF
No. 8. II was locked. He inserted the
key and entered The darkness within
was that of utter blindness. but he
dumped his impedimenta on the nooI
} and locked the door behind him.
Then he CROPPED his doubtful path r
! the mantelpiece where he had left Q
candle and q box OF matches. His boots
crunched as be went on what he knew
to be mostly diamonds, and he STUN
bled over the mattress In front Of TIT
fireplace. Yes. the candle was there
Soon be had light. The tiny CLEAN
lifted the black curtain. and be survey
, ed his domain A single glance show
ed him that all things remained exacti.
, as he left them on Saturday morning
, The packet Of letters rested on tn
. bfoacn clair, tle 6s.l sack was sfdles
, into the window and the rope-tha
| never to be forgotten rope-dangiet
, from the hook to which he had fasten
ed IL.
The sight brought q lump into hi
throat. He sank to his knees. presses
down, he felt. by some superior power
! Mother" he said humbly. "forg1v,
: me and ask God to forgive me 70
, what would have done were you no
] watching over me-"
: In the spiritual exaltation Of the mo
ment he almost expected to ind tina
} sweet face peering at him benignantl
from out the dim background But b
could not see her. and he rose, revivi
fed by this spoken communion Wit
her. He had no shadow Of doubt a. .