Evening star., 1923-11-06
HER STORY.

~ ed Its way In cuiious'
detected manner through the
heart of New York's East Side.
fine drizzle fell, through which the
street lamps showed as through
mist; and. with the pavements slip
merry. the emaciated-looking horse the
shafts Jerking and lifting up at IN
tervals around it's ears. appeared haro
nut to II to preserve its footing.
The cabman on his perch drove with
hts coat collar turned up and his chin
on his breast. He held the reins list
lessIy. permitting the horse TO choose
its own gait At times he lifted the
little trap door in the roof OF the cap
and peered into the interior, occa-
sionaily his hand, tentatively, hesitat-
ingly, edged toward bulge In MS
coat pocket-only to be drawn back
again in a sort of panic haste.
The cab turned into a street wnere,
in spite of the drizzle, hawkers with
their pushcarts under flaring, splitting
gasoline banjoes were doing thrlv-
ing business. The horse Went more
slowly. There was very little room
With the pushcarts lining the curbs
on both sides and the overflow. of
pedestrians from the sidewalks into
the street, 1t was perhaps oVertaXlng
the horses instinct to steer a sale
course for the vehicle it dragged be
GluQ IL. I1dilwdS diciA6, eiAS -
wheel of the hanson bumped none
too gently into one of the pushcarts,
nearly upsetting the latter. me
hawker, with a frantic grap, saved
his wares from disaster by an un-
comfortably narrow margin, anu,
this done, hurled an impassioned HOOD
of lurid oratory at the two-Wheeier.
The cabman lifted his chin from ms
breast. stared stonily at the hawker,
slapped the reins mechanically on the
roof of the cab as an intimation to
the horse to proceed, and the cab
wended it's way along again;
At the end of the block IT turned
the corner and drew up before small
building that was nested in between
two tenements. The cabman cnmped
down from his perch and stood Tor
moment surveying the three g1lded
balls that hung over the dingy door
way and the lettering-"Paul Veniza.
Pawnbroker"-that showed on the
duly lighted windows which con-
He drew his hand across his eyes;
then, reaching suddenly inside the
cab, lifted a bundle in his arms, and
entered the shop. A man behind the
quick ejaculation. The cabman went
on into rear room The man from
behind the counter followed. In the
rear room a woman rose from q table
where she had been sewing and took
the bundle quickly from the cabmans
arms, as it emitted a querulous little
cry.
The cabman spoke for the first time.
shes dead" he said heavily.
The woman, buxom, middle-aged.
stared at him, white faced. her eyes
filling suddenly with tears.
she died an hour ago" said the
cabman, in the same mOnotonouS
voice. II thought mabbe you'd look
after the baby girl for bit. Mrs.
Veniza-you and Paul"
"Of course" said the woman in a
Iynina wanted n hefnra
but-but your wife wouldn't let the
wee mite out of her sight"
shes dead now" said the cabman.
HAn hour ago"
Paul Veniza, the pawnbroker.
crossed to the cabman's side. and,
placing his hands on the others
shoulders, drew the man down into
chair.
Hawkins" he said slowly. we're
getting on in years. fifty each of US,
and we've known each other for a
good many of those fifty" He cleared
his throat you've made mess of
things. Hawkins.
The woman, holding the baby.
started suddenly forward. a red flush
>dyeing her cheeks.
Paul" she cried out sharply. How
can you be SO cruel at such an hour
as thiS?"
The pawnbroker shook his head He
had moved to the back of the cab
mans chair. Tall. slight, grave and
kindly faced. with high forehead and
the dark hair beginning to silver at
the temples, there seemed something
almost esthetic about the man.
TT is the hour" he said deliber-
ately; "the one hour in which 1 must
speak plainly to my old friend, the
one hour that has come into his life
which may mean everything to him.
His right hand slipped from the cab
mans shoulder and started, tenta-
lively, hesitantly, toward a bulge In
the claimants coat pocket--but was
drawn back again, and found it's
place once more on the claimants
shoulder. II was afraid Hawkins,
when you married the young wife.
] was afraid of your curse"
The cabman's elbows were on the
table: he had sunk his chin in his
hands. His blue eyes, out of a wrin-
killed. face of wind-beaten tan, roved
around the little room, and rested
finally on the bundle in the woman's
''That's finished now" he said
DULY.
II pray God it is." said Paul veniza
earnestly; but you said that before
when you married the young wife,
Cod! The claimants lips scarcely
poved He stared straight in front of
There was silence in the little.
plainly furnished room for a moment:
then the pawnbroker spoke again:
II was born here in New York, you
know. after my parents came from
Italy. There was no money. nothing
only misery. 1 remember 1t is
like that. Hawkins, isn't it, where
you have just come from. and where
you have left the young wife,"
"Paul!' his wife cried out again.
e'How can you say such things. It
IT is not like your Her lips quiv-
cred She burst into tears, and buried
her face in the little bundle she snug
gled to her breast.
The cabman seemed curiously un-
moved-as though dazed. almost de-
tached from his immediate surround
ings. He said nothing.
The pawnbroker's hands still rested
on the cabmans shoulders, a strange
gentleness in his touch that sought
somehow it seemed, to offer sympathy
for his own merciless words.
st have been thinking of this for
long time, ever since we knew that
Claire could not get better" he said.
1--WE knew you would bring the little
one here. There was no other place,
except an institution. And SO have
been thinking about it. What Is the
little ones name
The cabman shook his head
"She has no name" he said.
shall it be Claire. then?" asked
Ehe pawnbroker gently.
The cabman's fingers. where they
rested on his cheeks, gathered a fold
of flesh and frightened until the blood
fled, leaving little white spots. He
nodded his head.
Again the pawnbroker was silent
for little while.
MY wife and / will take little
Claire-on one condition" he said at
last, gravely. And that condition is
that She is to grow up as our child.
and that, though you may come here
and see her as often as you like, she