Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-11-24


pavement.
Richard cried the woman, with
horor-stricken agony. do you not
know me? 1t is Lucy, whom you
loved-whom you wronged!"
At these last two words her voice
rang tragical, intense.
They touched the man, for they
frightened him.
Should some friend pass and find
him, Sir Richard Wildfang, being
quietly harangued by this-this wo-
man, what scandals would go forth!
He turned, resolute and angry.
go, my good woman; I do not
know you; there is some mistake,
say. Leave go my arm. Quick!'
Then, as he heard carriage enter
ing the square, he flung her off, and
hurried, like the fiend and coward
that he was, away.
The woman fell. She was too weak
to walk-to bear such violence. The
child was thrown from her arms into
the frosty road, and lay there for a
moment, crying piteously.
With groan the mother rose, as
if with pain, took the child in her arms
again, and staggered weakly across
the road.
The distance was short, but it was
too far.
Her slight, fair hands clutched the
iron ratings and she sank upon the
pavement
The child, moaning fretfully, chung
to her scanty dress and called upon
her name.
Wearied at last by her silence, the
poor little fellow sank down beside
her and nestled, shivering, against her
bosom.
Half an hour passed Carriages
tramped along the frosty pavement,
ratified through the square, people
but the spot where the mother and
child was lying so quiet was dark, and
no one saw or noticed them.
Presently there came from around
the corner of Oxford street, a queer,
ill-shapen little man, deforme, dim
1nutive little creature-a hunchback.
The hunchback was more grotesuue
even than his fellow sufferers were,
with large head, pair of prominent
gray eyes, and shock of grizzled hair
AS he came around the corner at
sharp trot, his long arms swinging
like a monkeys, he pressed his bat
tered hat more firmly on his fore
head, and, striking his arms across
his chest to increase their warmth,
said to himself, with gruff chuckle:
It'll take little quiet, I think. All,
to think of the money as is being
spent tonight in gas for all them big
shops. I never see such heaps O. toys
and meat an feasting stuff. All!
think O. the grubbery as will be go.
ing on tomorrow; the plum-puddens
and the port and sherry wines! All,
well, the more the better, says old
Sam; and if he'd got chick or child,
kith Or kin, to jine him in feed, he'd
go in for cummut lively himself"
and he plunged one hand into his
pocket and dragged out handful of
coppers, with piece of silver or two
glittering among them.
After inspecting these with a
whistle of satisfaction he trudged on
again, shaking his head and mutter-
rs:
mo; III keep 'em. What should
do with plum-pudden and bunch O.
colored crackers? I'll keep 'em for
somebody as as a sight o. children
and wants a pudden bad.
Then, with another ram of the hat,
which was already quite far enough
on his gnarled forehead, the little
misshapen old fellow hurried on.
AS he entered Grosvenor Square two
young fellows anticipating tomorrow's
revelry, rolled past him, stopped, ond
staggering dangerously with the at
tempt, called back at him:
Hello, old crooked shanks, where's
Judy?"
"Ha," grinned the dwarf, chats it,
mirt you be thankful for your own
pretty shape, you young dog, and
don't go reviling your natural
brothers"
This was to himself, and with ap.
parent animation, but he shrank
nevertheless from the rude cruelty
and crossed the road, leaving the
lighted pavement to those who were
properly made and shaped.
'"The dark is good enough, almost too
good, for me-" he muttered, and he
trudged along quickly and cheerily as
ever.
Suddenly he stumbled over some
thing, and was precipitated with a
jerk on to his head.
'Hello!" he cried, picking up his
hat and rubbing it's napless surface
with anxiety. who's that lying there
an upsitting her majesty's subjects?"
A child answered him with a plant
i've wall.
''Mother!"