Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-11-23

u
pool on the white stone Of the door
step. Irene raised the lifeless body in
her arms
My dear Irenel" cried Lady Gar
land In horror, what are you doing p
let us fetch a policeman"
"A policeman! at this hour. Even
If we could find one, what could he do
for this poor boy? He wants a nurse
and doctor. not policeman"
Irene carried poor bleeding lifeless
Billy Watson into her bedroom and
laid him tenderly down upon her own
bed. Billy was not dead He was a
tough little subject, and had been ac-
customed to so many cuffs and blows
that 1t would probably have been hard
to XIII MIN outright, but he had been
severely mauled and knocked about,
although luckily for him the wound in
his head was not so serious as it might
have been.
But he was covered with bruises, and
had been roughly kicked and shaken.
He very soon recovered consciousness.
and by the next morning, when Irene's
new matron was installed by his bed
side and doctor had been summon
C0 " PiCSCIlDc LOT MIN, he was able to
give some sort of account of what had
happened to him.
1T was them chaps" he told Irene.
Il warn't goin' to do them arm. only
to go and see the gent in Victory
street as 'ad told me to call, and they
come and stopped me and beat me
about shameful"
Who were to men?" inquired Irene
Tell me who they are; do you know
them-could you identify them?"
Fast enough, miss--I knows EN-
well. But l amt goin' to give infor-
nation agin 'em. It's as much as my
life Is worth. they'll kill me next time
as it is" and Billy began to cry.
Don't cry, Billy. They shan't have
a chance of killing you.'
They'll unit me down, miss, and do
for me-" wept the respondent Billy;
las soon as liver 1 set foot in the
streets again. they'll murder me-ye
see they think l was goin' to tell the
police some'at as I knows on"
Suppose you were to be taken right
away into the country, Billy. as soon as
ever you got better. out of the way
of these wicked men? Would you be
a good boy?"
"Oh--h, miss" he gasped, adding
Immediately after in an undertone:
i've never seen the country, but rye
been told It's a beautiful place"
you shall see it. Billy" said Irene.
and her soft eyes filled with tears of
compassion over the sad fate of the
poor little London waif who had never
seen the country"
So that was how Billy Watson came
to be the first inmate in the new home
for convalescent children at Chatswell-
on Thames Billy was young thief
it is true. but he was by no means a
hardened offender and kindness soon
softened his heart. whilst gratitude to
the beautiful lady who had rescued and
preserved him. filed him with ardent
longings after better and more hon.
est life. Miss Gibbs. the matron, was
a good woman who knew how to get
at the better side of her young
charges. and when Billy got strong
again. she kept him employed in car
rying Goals and water and cleaning
knives and boots. and wedding the
garden paths. at a small weekly sal
airy, which was the first money Billy
had come by honestly since he had left
Mr.. McGillup's shop.
All this, however. came to pass in
time, and not Immediately; and Billy
was barely allowed to creep out of
doors and sit in a chair in the sun,
when Irene came down for few
hours from London to inspect her Cot
tage Home for the first time. 1t was
trying ordeal for her. The Cottage
was necessarily much altered both out
side and in, and 1t was no longer the
rose garlanded and daintily fitted
home of her happier days.
Still. when she looked at the four
little pale faces already installed be-
meath the low matched roof. she could
not give sigh or regret to the past
any longer. They all looked so happy
and were enjoying themselves so much,
and everything was beginning to work
so easily and so satisfactorily. that she
coulo not fail to be pleased with the
first re.,ults of her scheme.
After she had visited her mothers
grave. and gone to see a few humble
old friends in the village. Irene found
herself with half an hour on her hands
TO spare, before her return train was
due. So she went ard sat on the lawn
by Billy's side In the sun. and gazed
at the placid waters of the backwater.
at the white water-lilies sleeping on
the surface. and at the long rows of
willows that swept low over the shad-
owy stream. and then it was that Bill
ly broke in upon her sad memories
with the following remark:
Miss, there's some'at as I should
like to set hon my mind by telling
you. l promised you 1 would be
good boy. and so I will. 1 have led
bad life, miss. and been a wicked boy.
but l won't do them wicked things
any more. l can't abear to remember
them. Miss. there was great robbery
as very near came off as 1 was mixed
up in. l should like to confess about ii
all to you. and get ii off my con-
science"
Tell me about It. Billy: what sort
OF a robbery was it?'
1T was jewel robbery miss. II
was all along OF those three chaps as
nearly finished me the other day; they
got hold of me and tempted me. l
were then errand boy and did odd jobs
In a West. Enw jewelers. shop. and
these chaps paid me 'ansom to keep
watch and give them the tip when any
particular jewels was bought. so that
they might nab them. Well. il were a
long time sgo-it were last September
year. nearly two year ago now. and ii
were, l remember. on a very wet Sat
urday morning"
Irene turned round TO him with
sudden interest A wet Saturday morn
ing last September year. Could there
be any other but one wet Saturday at
that. to her. never forgotten date?
There cpm'd a gent TO the shop that
mornin' as bought some valuable
pearls. I was set to watch. and also
some diminds. knowed i'm perfectly
cause he had been several times about
these ere VERY pearls: he were lord.
and he were going to get married.
knowed I'm well. as says; he 'ad dark
curly hair, and reddish moustaches and
brown eyes"
Somehow her heart began TO beat