Evening star., 1914-02-08
appear through his doorway, for he received many odd
requests; but Monahan, resning work, wondered who

this Jim could be.
THE ring proved decoy worth while; for on the very
next night she again there, and A1onahan this
time advanced boldly and wished her Good evening
His salute was answered with little smile which
promptly drew generous return from his rugged,
weather-beaten face. The man discovered something
else-that there was great and wistfu onesomeness
in the brown eyes tnat looked up at him. and he
hungry know the cause. He walked the length
Of his beat with her she departed, and long after she
had disappeared the cadence of her voice cg to his
ears 1t a wonderful voice, Monahan decided;
full of refinement, soft and low, Just such voice as
Our Lady might have could she but spcak,-a very
fitting voice indeed
On Monahans next night off their acquaintance had
advanced far that she smiled his civilian garb, and
seemed glad that he could walk farther with her than
the lamp post the middle of the block that had hith
erto been the end Of their journey. And Nonahan
found himself bursting into speech, bubbng with it,
telling her little incidents Of his boyhood and prasing
his mother.
you'd like her, he rrImbed enthusiastically. "She's
wonderful mother, She is! DO YOU know I'd like to
have you and see her, | would?" and he fancied
that there again that lonely wisfu look in her
eyes she stared up at him. but she said nothing, at
which he little disappointed, and perhaps
trle hurt She walked silently for block two, and
Monahan didn't like that. He wanted to hear her
voice. He made reckless attempt at further conver
sation, following that desire.
do you KNOW he said, with his slight touch of
the gentle Irish infection, that it of my mother
thought when first you9 The girl, poor little
thing, has the nooralgy says to myself. And that's
all that ails my mother-nay the saints preserve her!
Otherwise she's just little strong
any of them and with heart that opens to everything
in Gods world. Does it hurt you much?'
She suddenly held the handkerchief closer to her
face, and Monahan thought she drew away from him
little 4Oh no. 1t doesn't hurt at ALL she said. at
isn't neuralgia
She glanced up at him again, and the light of
light betrayed his great sympathy he looked down
at her. She seemed to understand all at the
Grafton and desire to protect that weed from him in
food and she spoke almost desperately though she
desired to unburden herself to someone.
4It's physical pain that makes me hold my
face, she said hurriedy @Its something far worse,
something that makes people stare at me-and that
isn't all. Some of them taught
She started ahead, and Monahan followed.
Cant can't you tell me?" he asked, and then
sorry for instant lest he had been rude Not that
that l want to be buttin in but He cenchcd his
big, capable fists and forgot himself. "Damn em" he
burted. I'D like the backguard thatd laugh at
you! I'd knock his block off, that's what I'd do!'
you don't know, she said quietly @.And besides
that would do good. Some Of them can't help it.
suppose.
HE was not a man to stop when intent on anything,
and so as they walked, again asked her what it al
meant; until she, still hungcrng for sympathy, told
him. 1t very trite little story Of the poor-the
poor in the midst of whom Aonahan had been reared,
the respectable poor that have fight the allies, Temp
tation and the Wolf, the time in ncver-endng
battle. 1t the story, told in broken sentences of
a girl who had gone to the public schools until her
mother died, then had been hosekeeper for over
worked father, until premature blast in of the
excavations for skyscraper had oblterated him.
After that had come the struggle obtain work and
keep respectable against the odds of finding herself
equipped for good servants pay until at last she.
had found place nursemaid to proud wo1nan's
child A very proud she was too, a dainty
woman, around whose home all must be beautiful and