The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1895-02-02 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

HOW JOHN COLLINS GOT MARRIED.  A COM2LETS STORY.  John dollins was out of work. in common with many others, for reasons nob neceseary to ether upon, he bad been for some time. Hs was &Image out of money fifty cents fa not meek. But he was nob out of hope. He was so determined to put his shoulder to the wheel that be could not believe that there would nut soon his wheel to shoulder. Now on this Saturday afternoon, with evory. thing at • standstill, he knew that there would be no use in standing before closed doors or of loitering in empty yards, so he made up his mind to have • holiday, and all that sweet, sonny afternoon to pretend to himself that he had nothing to worry about. There was music in the park, there were seats to sib upon. A man could eat five ciente' worth of soda crackers as well there as elsewhere. in fret, they made quite a neat little lunch. O Sunday be would buy paper and get eve item in the columns beaded t' help wanted, mules," by heart; but this afternoon his programme we., the park. Accordingly, he went home, climbed t.o the top door of a touement-house, where he liad hired a hall bedroom of a washerwoman, who did not need all the rooms at her end of the flat, and dressed himself in Ills Sunday suit. The suit was not a fine one at best, and it was by no MIMI/ new, bet John was • handsome man, and there is a good deal in that. He blacked his boots, turned his cuffs, thanked fortune that he still had a clean collar, and set off parkward—he was just in Limo for the music.  The sky was blue, the grass was green, the perk was Just as muoli his tia lb Was anybvidy'e, and after the crowd hod dispersed and the musicians descended from their pavilion, he bethought him to walk about awhile, and took his wny toward the reservoir. Thera we. nob 4. 50..1 there, and hs bognn to saunter alloi,b the brink, eating his crackers, when his attention was attracted to the singular conduct of a young girl who was creeping nlimg toward the reservoir, looking over her shoulder, as though she expected to be followed. Now and (hen she lifted a handkerchief that she hold crushed up in one hand, to her eyes, and it was evident that she was crying. " Whab can she be doing John asked him. self. In a minute more it flashed upou hint that she intended to drown herself.  Ho woe about to spring forward to seise her, when he reflected that until lie wee sure Mot she was actually a would-be suicide, it would hardly do to lay hands upon her, and to, eta'. coaling himself as beet he oould, he waited. And now he observed the girl more cloeoly. She WM young. She was small, and her features were pretty. She hail that peculiar, attenuated look that comet to most women with worry and poverty, bob her clothes write not ragged, and she had a very respectable oil. She worb one kid glove he noticed6—a left one. At first she stood behind- a stone parapet, that guards the edge of the reservoir, crying and looking over. Then the folded her hands, and put her face upon them, and John fancied that elle prayed After this, by dint of scrambling olio perched upon the stones end see alert). 'Lim drew nearer. _ _  last she moss to her feet, and John was there below her, though alio did nob dream of it. "Good-bv, you dear, pretty world," he limn] her say. wonder where I tun ring to," and she miide preparations to jump into the water. _  Instead of accomplishing this, she was lifted landward by two big hands, and mks touched ground she began to sob. "Oh, why couldn't you lob me?" she said. " Awl now you'll pub me in prison, I suppose, for being too unhappy to live. "I'm nob a policeman," said John. " Oh, tank goodness I" said the girl. " You'll lot me go, then ?" 'Nob yet," said John. "You see, although l'in nob n policeman, I'm • man, and hat nittkem to my ditty to take care of women folk when they imed it. You seem to." "You mean to be very kind," said the Oil. "hut you are nob. I suppose you have no idea what lb is to he all alone in a big city, without anoney awl without work ?" "Olt," eild John, " but, I have. I haven't. had any work for three weeks, and that is ley cash im hand." And he exhibited his half-dollar,  - " Oh," r.lre said, wills an air of greater emit. donee. " Well, yes, you do know something Manua lb, only you are nob a woman." P.ld