The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1921-06-02

Skies, the greatest ruffian of the whole
gang.
In order to close divers mouth, by
making him also criminal, he is taken
along on a HOUSEKEEPING attempt.
Protesting, he is put through a small
window that he may open the door to
his companions. He is firmly deter
mined to warn the people of the house,
but the burglary is a failure and Oh
iver wounded by stray shot, is left
in a ditch by the fleeing gangsters.
The next morning he crawls, injured
as he is, to the same house, where his
story is believed and he finds new and
lasting friends.
Again the lad is sought out by Fagin,
aided by a mysterious man who has
shown great emotion at chance sight
of Oliver in the street, and who now
plots with Fagin not merely for the
possession of the boy, but for his NOR
al ruin, which seems to be desired es-
pecially by this so-colled Monks.
Their whispered plottings are over
heard by Nancy, who atones for her
former kidnapping of Oliver by risking
! her life to inform his new friends of
his true parentage.
The interview between this scorned
street-girl and the beautiful Rose May
lie, adopted niece Of divers protect
ress, gives Dickens splendid oppor-
tunity to which he does not fail to do
full justice. "Coldly and harshly
treated by Mrs. Maylie's self-righteous
servants, the girl is in a defiant mood
when finally admitted, and remarks,
with a toss of the head, It's hard
matter to get to see you, lady. III
had taken offense and gone away, as
many would have done, you'd been sor-
ry for it one day, and not without
reason"
But "the kind tone of the answer
she received, the sweet voice, the gentle
manner, the absence of any accent of
haughtiness or displeasure took the
girl completely by surprise and she
burst into tears. ooh, lady, lady, she
said, clasping her hands passionately
before her face, If there was more
like you, there would be fewer like
me, there would, there would!"
Then comes the startling account
of what Nancy had overheard: Monks
has secured, by clever inquiry and
bribery, the locket and the ring; he
recognized Oliver; he alludes to his
fathers will and speaks of the gratifi-
cation 1t will be to him (Monks) to
make q common felon of his young
brother Oliver. He also says with
laugh that there Is some comfort In
the fact that his identity has been
kept from his latest friends, "since
how many thousands and hundreds Of
thousands of pounds they would give
to know who their two-legged spaniel
Is"
Rejecting all Roses efforts to place
her In some safe refuge from her hor-
rible associates, and refusing all re-
wards, the weeping girl returns to the
only life she has ever known, arrang-
ing to repeat her evidence to some dis
Greet man whom Rose Is to bring to
London Bridge.
Nancy keeps this appointment with
Rose and Mr.. Brownlow, but it costs
her her life, as suspicious Fagin has
had her followed and watched. Skies,
insane with rage, brutally disregards
her protestations that she has shielded
him and has remained faithful to him.
Disbelleving her, he beats her to
death with a club, then fees vainly
from the terrors of his own memory
Of the deed, and dies by an accident
as he is trying to escape arrest.
The gang is broken up by evidence
In Mr.. Brownow's hands. Fagin Is
tried and hanged.
AS to Monks, whose real name is
Leeford, Mr.. Brownlow proves to be
his fathers intimate friend, to have
had first-hand information Of all the
facts the dissolute son had tried to
conceal. Oliver is his half-brother,
natural son Of Edwin Leeford and Ag-
mes Fleming, to whom he had turned
in passionate love from his unhappy
and wretched home. His will left the
bulk of his property to Agnes Tin de-
fault of other atonement) and to their
unborn child. If boy, however, he
was only to inherit If he kept his
name unstained during his minority.
Rose is the younger sister Of the I'M
happy Agnes.
Monks takes the share given him
and leaves England. oliver is adopted
by Mr.. Brownlow; Rose marries Mrs.
Maylle's son, Harry, and the two house
holds enter on well-merited blessings
and happiness.
Copyright, 1919, by the Post Publishing
Co. (The Boston POST. Copyright in the
United Kingdom, the Dominions. its Col
onies and dependencies, under the copy
right act, by the Post Publishing Co.,
Boston, Mass, u. 8. A. All rights re-
served.