The Holbrook news., 1914-10-31

nudged down to the Tombs at the visit ing hour, knowing that the girl would
 be there with him. Was she theref
 Was Napoleon at the battle of Wa
 terloo2 She was clinging to him in the reception room. which was against the rules at that; but all of the case hardened old key-swingers were let ting the rules sprint for the end book in that case. and turning their heads away, because lamping a scene like that wasn't just the kind of stuff they
 felt they were on the city payroll for.
 At last the two had to pry loose. caught her in the hall. trying to dry her eyes with a little wad of soaked handkerchief. told her who was. putting the mufier on the pipes for fear of soaring her; and says l when she had quieted down a bit;
 Little girl, nobody knows any bet ter than the old shield-hasher now talking to you what rough medicine this is that you're now taking; but it might be worse. It's In your poor lit tie hands to make it worse
 How is thatT she asked me in a gaspy kind of way.
 Why, by being at the station to- morrow, says I. Don't do that. It'll hurt all round. It always hurts. The boy, is all right He'll get his good time, and 1t won't be long before he'll be back at the flat, spicA and span, and fighting for his head to make the new and fine start.
 But don't be at the station tomor- row. That'd never do. It wouldn't do for anybody. How about 1t, little woman7'
 "Oh. yes, she was there. She couldn't help it. She was sitting on a bench in the waiting room when wa brushed through the swing door. I wicked her first, and pulled a quick play in getting the handcuffs of our wrists-for the boy and were, of course, coupled in the betting.
 Tt was against the regulation for me to unbracelet con once I'd geared myself to him. But I knew he wasn't going to make any run for 1t; and somehow I couldn't pipe myself trudging up to that girl on the bench with her man rigged to me like that
 When the boy saw the girl. and ierried up to why I turned him loose to go to her. he was there with a bit of a choke in telling me that he'd never forget that stun in me, and all like that Then he joined her.
 T ached to peek in the other direc- ton. But had to keep the of wick on that united con, and there was nothing for me to do but watch their get-together.
 Never mind, pal It was the worst ever ran into, and I've taken a lot of timber of that kind. Train time came, and l had to stake him to the arm-tap and wait him the eye-signal that time was up. didn't put the wristlets back on him and myself un- til after we'd got aboard.
 Last I saw of the girl she was pressed-httle, fragile slip of thing, believe told you-against the bars outside the gate, arm stuck through, Rnd waving a wet handkerchief at him, | and with a look in her eyes that I'd heap rather have one of my own | dead and buried than be wearing.
 "The young fellow didn't have much | of anything to say on the way up, and neither did l. There are times when you can't pull chirp out of your frame with derrick.
 T handed him over, got a receipt | for him, gave him the mitt-squeeze and | the pat on the shoulder-blade, and blew back to town. feeling like a wom- an what's been to see East Lynne
 Three months ago I was about to board the roller-me and and another bull-with three old-timers bound up the stream, when the sight of a box being lhted down from the baggage car hitched to a train just in on the cross-the-way track sort of held me.
 q knew the shape and color of the box. It was the kind they ship cashed- in lags in, back to their folks, if their tolks wants them.
 And then, taking a slant down the station to pipe if anybody was going to be on the job to receive the box con- taining the dead lag, l saw the girl. She was in black. and she had a baby in her arms.
 "She was so blinded with the crying that she would have stepped of the platform on to the track if I hadn't done a quick waddle and caught her round the waist
 She was about twenty-two. but she looked up at me out of the eyes of an old woman. The fat baby in her arms cooed and sang that improvised baby stuff. and the little mother lugged it along, tottering from one side of the platform to the other, me holding her up, while my matey watched our bunch of up-going lags.
 q hated to have her see the box. But that was what she was there for, and there was no Tagging her. When she reached the box. she pulled out three little white carnations from inside the