Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-09

my wife, :
Mr.: crawshay was friend of Sir
Richard Gaunts'
Yes. left him thirty thousand pounds in
his will-why. heaven only knows. Did
you know poor Sir R.chard?''
Yes. Lady Betty replied. slowly. II
knew him very well. Good night. Mr..
Sarl. Please come and see me again--in
a scheme
Good night. Lady Betty. 1 hope we
shall be able to work together"
When the lawyer had left the room Lady
Betty reseated herself in the chair before
her desk and dipped her pen in the ink
But although she had several private let
tiers to write. she did not put the pen to
paper and the ink dried on the nib. She
placed the end of the penholder in her
mouth and stared at one Of the windows.
Thirty thousand pounds" she said to
herself. He must have been sreat
friend Of D;ck's.'
She recalled the unpleasant incident of
Lord Carfax's death. and her mind went
back to the days at Gaunt Royal. Then
she began to think of Sir Richard Gaunt.
and at once pulled up her thoughts with
a sharp jerk. This was matter that
she never allowed to obtrude itself In
business hours.
She dipped her pen in the ink again and
commenced to write. and in a few seconds
she was only thinking of the recipient of
her letter. woman who was shorthand
writer in Winnipeg. and who had been
literally rescued from the gutter. where
she had been found lying in drunken
sleep. Her mind resenbled highly
trained horse, which can be checked In
the middle of headlong gallop. turned
round and sent off in another direction.
When she had finished the letter she
sealed 1t up. addressed it and commenced
another And she occupied herself in this
way for an hour and a half. These let
tiers were not strictly business letters.
r~;A 81,
another. but they were all part of great
scheme for keeping in touch with those
who had left the home.
Then a servant came in with tray,
and the lifted covers revealed chop.
some boiled potatoes and spinach. Lady
Betty stamped her letters and handed
them to the girl to post; then she ate her
frugal meal and read an evening paper
which the servant had brought in on the
tray. Never for a moment did she leave
herself time to think about the past.
Then she left the table and seated her
self in an easy chair which was close to
the fire. She allowed herself ten min
utes' rest before resuming her work. and
have Jared on the feelings Of most char
liable women. She took cigarette out
of a box which lay on the mantelpiece,
placed it in tortoiseshell holder and lit
1t. 1t was a real pleasure to her, for 1t
was the only one she allowed herself in
the day. During these ten minutes she
refused to see any one. for she was &C
customed to interview women who looked
on smoking as the accompaniment of a
fast and vicious life.
When she had finished the cigarette she
rose to her feet and opened the window
to let the smell of smoke out of the room.
1t was cold night and north wind
blew hercely down the street. The view
from the window was similar to that
which may be seen in many of the slum
thoroughfares of London. The houses
were mean. ugly and dilapidated. They
rose straight from the edge of the pave
ment without any intervening rail or
strip of garden. The home itself was
like it's neighbors in this respect. The
tide of human misery flowed up to its
very doors.
The cold air would have sent many
women shivering back to the warmth OF
the fire. but Lady Betty, regardless OF
consequences, drew in deep breaths of 1t
and looked down the street. There were
few people to be seen. but from the hid
eOus wall of houses came all the sounds
of human life-the wailing of children,
the coarse laughter of women. the shouts
of men. now and then the distant sound
of blow, followed by scream. Through
broken window panes and fll-fitting doors
the noises of humanity filtered out into
the night
A wider thoroughfare ran at right
angles to the end of the street and this
was vivid blaze of light. Black figures
passed to and fro against the flare of
paraffin torches, confused murmur of
voices formed an obligato accompaniment
to the nearer and more distinct sounds.
A barrel organ tinkled far away in the
distance.
Then, from the other end Of the street,
a path loses it's way in the wilderness.
there came a few derisive yells and
shrieks of laughter.
A moment later Lady Betty saw man
walking slowly along the middle of the
road A few yards behind him marched
a dozen gutter urchins, pushing and jost-
ling each other. 1t was not an uncommon
sight, but the man in such cases usually
lurches from side to side and turns round
to pour out torrent Of filthy language.
This man, however, walked straight on
and appeared to be perfectly sober. 1t
was only when he came nearer that the
reason for the little crowd became ap-
parent. He was dressed in some long
dark garment that reached to his ankles.
His feet and head were bare. Possibly
he was some foreigner from the oriental
exhibition at Earrs Court.
As he came still closer and the glare of
a gas lamp fell upon his face Lady Betty
saw that he was lean and dark skinned.
His black hair descended almost to his
shoulders. and his beard and mustache
and whiskers were shaggy and unkempt.
He moved along slowly. apparently un-
conscious of the train of derisive follow
ers. His arms were folded and his mead
bowed on his breast.
Then he suddenly stopped. and raised
his face to the sky and stretched out
both hands toward the east.
"Woe unto you, accursed city,
His voice rang out like a clarion. above
all the mean noises of the night. The
boys fell back from him and giggled.
Doors and windows opened down the
street and towsled heads were thrust out.
Woe unto you. accursed city,! Again
4 h0 distinct
a bugle call for battle.
Go it, darkie!" shouted man, huskily,
from the vantage point of an upper WIN
dow "Give it 'em 'ot. Moses"
Ard the little boys danced and shrieked
with laughter.
Then a policeman appeared, mysterious
w. from nowhere as they do. In the worst
quarters of London. His burly form
moved steadily toward the tall figure with
the outstretched hands.
Move along, guv nor" he said, roughly
We can't ave this ere, you know
You're obstructin'."
The man slowly dropped his hands to
his side and returned down the street
into the darkness One Of the little boys
emboldened by the protection Of the law
threw q lump of mud at the retreatlng
figure Then the policeman threatened
and the crowd dispersed.
Lady Betty shut down the window and
returned to her letter writing.
But as she went to sleep that night she
still heard the ringing tones of the voice.
She could not understand why the words
of a religious fanatic should have left SC
deep an impression upon her mind.
II.