The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-21
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steadily. as softly, as unacceptable as shadow. Fate was closing around the old man-was closing around them all; on this very night when he had betrayed him. self and sent her to s7y on him, he went to meet Monks, the man who wanted Oliver Twist kept. out of the way.
 Nancy managed to hear what they said. She learned enough to make good guess at the secret
 When Sikes succeeded at last in enter ing London again Fagins old mask of friendship and servility was on him once more. By this time they knew that the inmates of the house had found Oliver, taken him in and nursed him through his wound; that he had told them his story; and that the tender hearted people had decided not to pursue the criminals. for fear, of getting the boy into trouble with the authorities. The spies who had learned all this for Fagin reported that Oliver was to stay with his new proteo- tors. But by this time. too. the girl Nancy. spying indefatigably on Fagin, had nearly all about Monks and his pur- pose.
 She had seen many children destroyed body and soul by Fagin, as she had been herself, and she had felt hardly an emo tion about it. But from the very begin ming there had been something about the utter innocence of Oliver that stirred her. It stirred that same small spring of re- maining good in her that made her Bill Sikes' slave, and made her staunch even to those who had wrecked her life that, though all the criminals of the gang mistrusted each other, they never mis- | trusted her.
 She resolved to save the boy. She went secretly to his new friends and told them what she knew. after she had made them swear not to take step that would harm | Fagin or Sikes. Her information was more than sufficient for them to ind | friends and relatives of Divers parents
 and these agreed to keep her secret, not to use the police even against Monks but to deal with him privately. as they had from the girl. They pledged them selves to do it in such way that Monks himself should not be able to suspect whence his betrayal had come. | They wanted to do something for her | They offered to find a home for her, to give her asylum in foreign country where she would be safe. She refused it. She refused every possible form of help
 It was too late, she said. She must go back to her life, such as it was, and so long as it might last.
 | Secretly though Nancy had acted, cau- tiousty though she had moved, 1t chanced that she was seen, and followed and spied upon by one of Fagin's men. The spy saw and heard enough to suspect that the
 girl was betraying Fagin and Silxes.
 Every evil thing that lay in Fagin's
 heart; every vile emotion that could be
 stirred and set into whirl by rage ana
 hatred and fear; every black purpose of
 which he was capable. were set to work | ing within him when the spy brought his
 news. When he met silxes. he tried to speak to him, but his passion was too great for words at first and he could only
 shake his trembling forefinger in the air.
 When at last he could control himself and told what had been learned, Sikes
 leaped up fiercely.
 | "Helrs fre!" he screamed. l "Bill, Bill!' cried the old man. "only
 wordl"
 l The housebreaker would not have list-
 ened, had he been able in his blind fury
 to open the door. He was delayed Ions
 enough to let Fagin come up with hiin Hear me speak a wordl' he panted. ''You won't be-
 | "Well?" demanded the housebreaker. | The day was dawning. There was light enough for each to see the others face. They exchanged one brief glance. There
 was that in the eyes of both that could not be mistaken.
 '1 mean" said Fagin, casting aside all disguise, not too violent for safety"
 Sikes leaped into the street without re- ply. Turning his head neither right nor left but looking straight before him, with | his teeth so set that the strained jaw seemed starting through the skin, he | sped to his dwelling, double-locked the door and lifted heavy table against it. 1 His entrance had awakened her. She raised herself with startled look. Bill" said she in a low tone of alarm, why do you look like that at me?'