Year: 1874

Grog Lane sin-haunted, sln-cursed
Grug Lane was wrapt m silence and
moonlight In the garbage stre~n street,
an reeklng gutter and foul doorway, over
dilapIdated tenement and broken pave
ment. the sweet light Of the full moon lay
serene and calm Ii Was early morning.
too early for pedestrian travel. t"o late for
the presence Of the staggering. reehng
drunken men, Who were Won I" nil the
thoroughfare from morning until night
Too early even for the low t~lttering ot
the house swallow, which even here Ia tins
miserable apology Of an abiding place Tor
man found nest and food. Silence, deep
unbroken solitud4, reigned supreme.


At that point where the lane dIverged,
and went to form a street, radlatlng INTO
one of the great business thoruughtares of
New York, stood solitary policeman. In
his wearied manner and careleSsness, was
to be traced lack If the ordinary excite
ment which contributed To render Grog
Lane notorious for its record AT the police
station He had rclapsed INTO semi
somnifer"as condition, against friendly
lamp-post, when he was awakened from
his temporary rest, 10y the sound Of foot
steps coming down the steeet, and rs he
placed himself upon the alert to challenge
the late pedestrian. he became conscious
of that individuals evident intention to
address him. In this Inference he became
correct. for as the man ~ho habIted IN a
large, slouch hat and dark blue cloak
which completely enveloped his form
reached him. he came to a stand-still and
said


Is this Grog Lane.


Yes.


The inquiry was not followed by any
further attempt at conversation, the
stranger beng evidently desirous Of pur-
suing his way, but the policeman curlosl-
ty had been aroused, and he saw that
the man was about to pass on, he said 10
him


You are not looking for any one in
the lane n


Yes" and passed on, his recedlng
steps being provocative Of an intense desire
upon the part Of the policeman to follow
him.


Meanwhile the stranger Was no laggard
in his quick strides over the broken pave
ment Whether he was familiar with the
place. OF whether he had some idea Of the
exact location Of the place where he was
going, it would have been difficult to as
certain, for As he walked on, he looked
neither to the right nor left, but kept his
eyes steadily fixed upon the ground, never
raising them until he came to that portion
Of the lane which was intersected Oy a
low. narrow street. Then he stood for a
moment in perplexed doubt, and cast a
ouick glance along the lane, his eye read
ing the large, lettered signs and resting
upon one finally, which the bright moon
light enabled him to declpher. He pro-
ceeded to the building from which 1t was
pendant, observed with a satisfied CLEAN
in his eyes, that an old coat hung upon a
wooden shoulder frame, projecting from
the second-story, and then knocked at the
door of the house loud and long.


II was q dilapidated looking old house,
one of the multifarious cheap John
shops so common In the lowest streets of
New York. From the sign which was
hung above, it was to be seen that Z" Mar
tin Gibbs" was second hand furniture
dealer and the dirty windows allowed a
partial vision of heaps Of molly accumula-
tions Of all kinds of clothing, and the like
within the store. On either side of the
place was low gr"ggery, the building
having but one mode of entrance, the
double wooden suffered front door, at
which the midnight visitor knocked with
A presistency which Indicated determin-
alton to gain an entrance and too loudly
to admit of any desire to exhibit caution
His efforts were not rewarded with success,
however, for some time, the appearance
Of a dim light in the shop, and the rattling
Of rusty bolts finally being made evident
to him as he impatiently tapped the pave
ment with his foot.


"Who is there, and what do you want T.
was the abrupt query of q man, who par
t,ally opening the door, held lamp i'll his
other hand, and peered out at his mid
night visitor, curiously and surlily. He
WAS An old man, bent and thin, more it
seemed from first view, from some occu-
patton which required continual stopping
than from age itself, and as the loose
skirts of the faded old dresslng-gown in
which he was habited revealed his spare
form. He looked the very picture of that
low cunning class Of jews who are wont Ia
infest certain cheap bartering localities In
New York.


"Open the do,,r and let me in, instead
Of keeping me here ali night, was the un-
civil and gruf reply Of the visi, tor whc
pushed BY the old man, entered the shoT
and stood in silent morOseness a. his hos'
locked the door muttering


"You well we'll Who would have
thought itf


He bungled over heap Of old clothes
held the dim lamp 10 that his visitol
might see the way before him, and led him