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A BELLE OF CANADA CITY.
By BIIET II.VRTE.
(Copyright, 1899, by Bert Harte.)
Cissy was tying her hat under her round
chin before a small glass at her window.
The gave upon a background of
serrated mountain and olive shadowed
canon, with a faint additional outline of
a higher snow level—the only dreamy
suggestion of the whole landscape. The
foreground was a glaringly fresh and un
picturesque mining town, whose irregular
attempts at regularity were set forth with
oil the cruel uncompromising clearness
of the California atmosphere. There was
the straight Main street with its new brick
block of “stores,” ending abruptly against
a tangled bluff; there was the ruthless
clearing In the sedate pines where the
hideous spire of the new church imitated
the soaring of the solemn shafts it had
displaced, with almost irreligious mock
ery. Yet this foreground was Cissy’s
world—her life, her sole girlish experience.
She did not, however, bother her pretty
head with the view just then, but moved
her cheek up and down before the glass,
ihe better to examine by the merciless
.glare of the sunlight a few freckles that
starred the hollows of her temples. Like
others of her sex, she was a poor critic
of what was her real beauty and quarrel
ed with that peculiar texture of her
healthy skin which made her face as elo
quent in her sunkissed cheek as in her
bright eyes and expression. Nevetheless
she tvas somewhat consoled by the ravish
ing effect of the bowknot she had Just tied,
ami turned away r.ot wholly dissatisfied
Indeed, as the acknowledged belle of Can
ada City and the daughter of its princi
pal hanker, small wonder that a certain
frank vanity and childlike imperiousness
were among her faults—and her attract
ions.
She bounded down the stairs and into
the front parlor—for their house possessed
the unheard-of luxury of a double draw
ing room, albeit the second apartment con
tained a desk and was occasionally used
by Cissy’s father in private buisness in
terviews with anxious seekers of “ad
vances” who shunned the publicity of the
bank. Here she Instantly flew Into the
arms of her bosom friend. Miss Piney
Tibbs—a girl only a shade or two less
pretty than herself, who, always more or
less ill at ease In these splendors, was
awaiting her impatiently. For Miss
Tibbs was merely the daughter of the ho
tel keeper, and, although Tibbs was a
Southerner and had owned "his own nig
gers," in the Slates, she was of inferior
position and a protege of Cissy's.
“Thank goodness you've come,” ex
claimed Miss Tibbs, “for I’ve bin sittin’
here till I nigh took root. What kep ye?”
“How does It look?” responded Cissy,
as a relevant reply.
The "It” referred to Cissy's new hat,
and to the young girl the coherence was
perfectly plain. Miss Tibbs looked at “it”
severely. It would not do for a protege
to be too complaisant.
“Hem! Must have cost a heap o' mon
ey."
“It did," said Cissy. ‘‘Came from the
bert milliner in San Francisco."
"Of course,” said Piney with half-as
sumed envy, "when your popper runs the
bank and just wallows in gold!"
' .VFver mind, dear," said Cissy cheer
fully. "9o'il your popper some day. I'm
goin' to get mine to let your popper into
something—ditch stocks and such. Yes!
True, O king! Popper'll do anything for
me,” she added a little loftily.
Ijoyal as Piney was to her friend she
was by no means convinced of this. She
knew the difference between the two men,
and hod a vivid recollection of hearing her
own father express his opinion of Cissy's
respected parent as a "gold shark" and
"quartz miner crusher.” It did not, how
ever, affect her friendship for Cissy. She
only said: "Let s come!” caught Cissy
around the waist,' pranced with her out
into the veranda, and gasped out of breath,
"Where are we going first?"
Down Main street," said Cissy prompt
ly.
"And let us stop at Markham’s store.
They’ve got some new things in from
Sacramento,” said Piney.
"Country styles,” returned Cissy with
a supercilious air. "No! Besides, Mark
ham's head clerk Is gettin’ too presump
tuous. Just guess! He asked me—while
1 was buying something—if I enjoyed the
dance last Monday.”
"But you danced with him,” said the
simple Piney in astonishment.
“Rut not in his stole among his cus
tomers," said Cissy sapiently. "No!—
were goin' down Main street past Se
ramp's. Those Secamp girls are sure to
be al their windows, looking out. This
hat will just turn ’em green—greener than
ever.”
"You’re just horrid, Ciss!” said Piney
with admiration.
"And then, continued Cissy, "we’ll just
sail down past the new block to the par
son’s and make a call.”
"0, I see," said Piney archly. "It'll be
just almut the time when the new engineer
of (he mill works has a clean shirt on and
I? smoking his cigar before the office.”
Cissy tossed her hat disdainfully. "Much
anybody cares whether he’s there or not! I
haven't forgotten how he showed us over
the mill the other day in a pair of overalls
just line a workman.”
"But they say he's awfully smart end
well educated, and needn't work, and I'm
*ure Its very nice of him to dress just
like the other men when h’s with ’em.”
urged Piney.
' Bah! That was just to show that he
didn't care what we thought of him —he s
that conceited! And it wasn’t respeotf ;1,
considering one of the directors was there,
ail dressed up. Don’t tell me! Y’ou can
s,f 't in his eye—looking you over without
blinking and then turning away as if he'd
Kot enough of you. He makes me lited.”
Piney did not reply. The engineer had
teemed to her to be a singularly attractive
young man, yet she was equally impresa
ri with fit sy's superior condition which
roull tinil llaws in such perfection. F 1-
iowitiß her friend down the steps of the
veranda. they passed Into the starting
Raveled walk of the new garden, only
recently recovered from the wild wood;
•t accurate diamond and heart shaped
'"O' of vivid green sel in white quartz
'Orders, giving it tne appearance of elab
jr,a!'l.' iced confectionery. A few steps
"no.! brought them to the road and the
ool' ti side-walk” to Main street, which
' Uriel civic improvements to the hills d'.
, 11 Mr. Trixit’s very door. Turning
?°"'h Ibis thoroughfare they stopped
'" inn. and otherwise assumed a con-
I”° u * '-'lf artificial air. For it was th?
or Winn Canada City lounged listlessly
? r ‘‘ shops, its saloons. Its oflh cs an I
ill., 1 < ven held lazy meetings In (he
I >be roadway—and the passage
I! '“' Prtnepal street of its two pret-
J, f s’lr,.. nuts an event to be viewed as
a, 1 o.vlo procession. Hats llew off
Ittti passed; pine* was freely given;
II - barrels and sacks removed from
~W i' b n pavement and preoccupied In
,irjr. '' l hastily summoned to (he front
j. |r 'h* homage to Cissy Trlslt and
p,,,.-' they went by. Not but tint
1 1 *'v. in the fierce and unretens
i "f ns youth, hud seen fairer and
f ,l ' i'd tuces, more gayly bedlsen*
! tv, . 11 "roughfares but never iny
t , it* It and lnnlcent. Th* y sto-sl
i*tis<’lousljr, reverencing tiitlr
a tiers, *!*<:- and daugntera. In
>• „ ‘" "oils homo*.- to tits pair and
t , , ' ~ i the whoh some breath of
f>, I noniaa grafted from the
It b’l. ,:| lllirr I mil- I ■
Rny ruatlad by, 1 am afraid tiwi
feelimr—few 5 "° r Pin<?y appreciated this
r women dIJ a * 'hat time-in
aiTV s r UnS ladle * a slight
so” said ,s, eUr - Really ' stare
nlei■enriaKp* SSy ' wuh Wes dilating with
!? v e,riotlon ; "we'll have to uk-
£ e , back l *wei next time." Piney. proud
hVown ™ reft !S ,ed frorn ( T-sv and in
ner own, answered, "We will—sure."
triumnhsT aS ° nly one interruption to this
ts to T 8 an ‘ l that was so slight
cdrls i Y noticva by <'e of the two
fhe milt ih €V I>assed t,le new works nt
new engineer—as Piney ha<J
Mst S smlT aS leaning against the door-
Hom hm°h 5 3 , pipe ' He look hi* hat
a* ?L h , h ' ad and hi 9 pipe from his mouth
' ! 'eyapproachetl, greeted them with an
thiit afternoon." yet with a glance
crhicnl ? al ® tly observant and tolerantly
had , Tde ' e! “ W Cissy . when they
ever P , 'u didn ' t 1 te “ > ou? Did you
ever see such conceit in your born days'
1 hope you did not look at him.”
of h‘^;^ S °l? U 8 of having done so and
erthrni 8 hlushcd under his scrutiny, nev
mmh tU ? y asserted that she had
Bm A, ked at,dm "*o se who it was.”
out cissy was placated by passing the
Secamp s cottage, from whose window the
hree strapping daughters of John Secamp,
lately an emigrant from Missouri, were
househoM w- surm,sed . lightening the
-u U n S wcn if UtleS by sazinK at the-to them
thi t<?d wonders of the street. Whether
he'ltu°u plexion ’ a - tlll bearing traces of
nr fhi ka i h ! dUSt and inofheient nourishment
of the plains, took a more yellow tone from
f^s5 i>e ,K laCl< l 0f Clssy ’ s b at I cannot sav;
Cissy thought they did; perhaps Piney
” a A "t. arer ,he trutb when she suggested
W , ere ° ,lly "looking” to enable
them to make a home-mude copy of 'he
nat next week.
n,T h i e ‘ r . ProSTess forward and through the
nm S n lr t lS °u the towa was of the same tri
umphal character. Teamsters withheld
their oaths and their uplifted whips as the
in,? t ß!r iu passeo hy; weary miners toil
d tl ! h " s ‘ookP-l up with a pleasure
that was half reminiscent of their past;
younger skyiarkers stopped in their horse
piay with half smiling, half apologetic
laces; more ambitious riders on the higti
ay urged their horses to greater speed
under the girl’s inspiring eyes, and “aque
ro Hilly, charging them full tilt, brought
up ws mustang on its haunches and rigid
a swee P ; ng bow of his som
brero. withm a foot of their artfully sim
ulated terror! In this way they at last
reached the clearing in the forest, the
church with its ostentatious spire, and
Bev. Mr. Windibrook’s dwelling—other
wise humorously known as "the parson
age —where Cissy intended to call.
Rev. Mr. Windtbrook had been selected
V bis ecclesiastical superiors to minister
to the spiritual’ wants of Canada CUy us
leing vyhat was called a "hearty" man.
Certainly, if considerable lung capacity,
absence of reserve, and power of hand
shaking and back-slapping were necessary
to the redemption of Canada City, Mr.
Windibrook’s ministration would ’ have
been successful. But, singularly enough,
the rude miner was apt to resent this fa
miliarity, and it is recorded that Isaac
Wood.othe wise known as "Grizzly Wood ”
cnee responded to a cheerful back-slap
from the reverend gentleman by an osten
tatiously friendly hug which nearly dls
located .the pastor’s ribs. Perhaps Mr.
Wtndlbrook was more popular on account
of his admiring enthusiasm of the pros
perous money-getting members of his
flock, and a singular sympathy with their
rr,e hods, and Mr. Trixit’s daring specula
tions were an especially delightful theme
to him.
"Ah, Miss Trixit,” he said as Cissy en
tered the little parlor, “ond how is your
dear father? Still startling the money mar
ket with his fearless speculations? This
Brother Jones," turning to a visitor, "is
the daughter pf our Napoleon of finance
Montague Trixit. Only last week in that
deal in ‘the Comstock,’ he cleared fifty
thousand dollars! Yes, sir,” repeating it
with unction, “fifty—thousand—dollars!—
in about two hours, and a single stroke of
the pen! I befieve I am not overstating,
Miss Trixit,' ’he added, appealing to Cissy
with a portentous politeness that was as
badly fitting as his previous "heartiness.”
Cissy colored slightly, "I don’t know,”
she Said simply. She was perfectly truth
ful. She knew nothing of her father’s bus
iness—except the vague reputation of his
success.
Her modesty, however, produced a sin
gular hilarity In Mr. Windibrook, and a
playful push. "You don’t know? Ha. but
I do. Yes, sir”—to the visitor—"l have
reason to remember it. I called upon him
the next day. I used, sir, the freedom of
an old friend. ‘Trixit,’ I said, clapping my
hand on his shoulder, 'the Lord has been
good to you. I congratulate you.'
” 'Hm!' he said without looking up.
’What do you reckon those congratulations
are worth?’ Many a man, sir, who didn't
know his style would have been staggered.
But I knew my man. I looked him straight
in the eye. 'A new organ,' I said, ‘and as
good a one as Sacramento can turn out.’
"He took up a piece of paper, scrawled
a few lines on it to his cashier, and
said, ’Will that do?’ ” Mr. Windibrook’s
voice sank to a thrilling whisper. "It
was an order for *1,000! Fact, sir. That
is the father of tills young lady.”
”Ye had better luck fhan Bishop Briggs
had with old Johnson, the Excelsior bank
president,” said the visitor, encouraged
by Wlndlhrook's "heartiness” Into a hum
orous retrospect. ’’Briggs goes to him
for a subscription for anew fence round
the buryin’ ground—the old one havin'
rotten away. ‘Ye don’t want no fence,’
sez Johnson short like. ‘No fence round
a buryin’ ground?’ sez Briggs, starin’.
’No! Them as is In the buryin’ ground
can’t get out, and them as isn’t don’t
want to get in, no how! So you kin just
travel—l ain’t givin’ money away on use
lessnesses!” Ha! ha!”
A chill silence followed, which checked
even Piney s giggle. Mr. Windibrook evi
dently had no "heartiness” for non-sub
scribing humor. "There are those who
can jest with sacred subjects,” he said
ponderously, “but I have always found
Mr. Trixit, though blunt, eminently prac
tical. Your father is still away,” he add
ed. shifting the conversation to Cissy,
"hovering wherever .fie can extract the
honey to store up for the provision of age.
An industrious worker.”
•He's still away," said Cissy, feeling
herself on safe ground, (hough she was
not' aware of her father's entomological
habits. "In Sail Francisco, I think.”
She was glad to get away from Mr.
Windibrook’* "heartiness” ond console
herself with Mrs. Windibrook’s constitu
tional depression, which was partly the
result of nervous dyspepsia and her hus
band's boisterous cordiality. "I suppose,
dear you are dreadfully anxious about
vour’ father when he is from home?" she
said to Cissy a sympathetic sigh.
Cissv conscious of never having fell a
moment's anxiety, and accustomed to his
absences, replied naively, Why. Oil.
ondel Mrs. Windibrook, "on account
o' his great business responsibilities, you
Snow; so much depend* upon him.” Again
(■issv did not comprehend; she could not
understand why this masterful man. her
father who was equal to her own, and. It
seemed, everybody'* needs, had any re
sponsibility—°r s not as infantine and
,on* n as 'the sunshine or the air *he
hrea led Without lain* hi* confidante
b or even his associate—he had since her
* ,it*arh no other *xp*ri*nce; youlh
alive to .he Importance of their
1, seemed to her. however, only a
, at' and result of being his daughter flhe
r V, v'.vttelv and a lltll* Impatiently,
smiled talked io her about her
r,l;'y u l ws mih tiresome to alw.y.
* :* fiiiff'tlon# a Non! h*r “Pop
h*v''‘’J!T,eri„V. she availed herself
P<* r %*iihc/vik'h inflation *o Into
;f'!,7rd'rind ■£ th* ne. summer house
,1 h.l h-en pul up among |h P<e*.
srs
THE MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY, DECEMBER HI, 1S0!>.
bearing chiefly upon the vicissitudes of
others, gave the young girl the comforting
glow of comparison.
Touching the complexion of the Secamp
girls, Mrs. Windtbrook attributed it to
their great privations i,n the alkali desert.
"One day," continued Mrs. Windibrook,
"when tbeir father was ill with fe'Per and
ague, they drove the cattle twenty miles
to water through that dreadful poisonous ;
dust, and when they got theta? their lips
were cracked and bleeding and their eye
lids like burning knives, and Mamie Se
camp’s hair, which used to be a beautiful
brown like your own. my dear, was
bleached into a rusty yellow.” “And they
will wear colors that don't suit them."
said Cissy impatiently. "Never mind,
dear,” said Mrs. Windibrook ambiguously,
"I suppose they will have their reward.”
Noir was the young engineer discussed in
lighter vein, "It pains me dreadfully to
see that young man working with the
common laborers and giving himself no
rest, just because he says he wants to '
know exactly 'how the thing Is done,’ |
and why the old works failed," she re
marked, sadly. “When Mr. Windibrook I
knew he was the son of Judge Masterton 1
and had rich relations, he wished, of 1
course, to be civil, but somehow young !
Masterton and he didn’t ’hit off.’ Indeed,
Mr. Windibrook was told that he had de
clared that the prosperity of Canada City
W'as only a mushroom growth, and. it
seems too shocking to repeat, dear, that
they say he said that the new church, our
church—was simply using the Almighty
as a big bluff to the other towns. Of
course. Mr. Windtbrook couldn’t Vee him
after that. Why, he even said your fa
ther ought to send you to school some
where and not let you grow up in this
half-civilized place.”
Strangely enough, Cissy did not hall
this corroboration of her dislike to young
Masterton with the liveliness one might
have expected, l’erhaps it was because
Piney Tibbets was no longer present, hav
ing left Cissy at the parsonage and re
turned home. Still she enjoyed her visit
after a fashion, romped with the younger
Windibrook:* and climbed a tree in the
security of her sylvan seclusion and the
promptings of her still healthy, girlish
blood, and only came back to cake and tea
and her new hat, which she had prudently
hung up in the summer house, as the
afternoon was waning. When they return
ed to the house, they found that Mr.
Windibrook had gone out with his visitor
and Cissy was spared the advertisement
of a boisterous escort home which he gen
erally insisted upon. She gaily took leave
of the infant Windibrook and his mother,
sallied out through the parsonage gate
into the empty road, and once more be
came conscious of her new hat.
The shadows were already lengthening,
and a cool breeze stirred the deep aisl s of
the pines on either side of the highway.
One or two people passed her hurriedly,
talking and gesticulating, evidently so pre
occupied that they did not notice her.
Again, a rapid horseman rode by without
plancing round, overlook the previous pe
destrians, exchanged a hurried word with
them, and spurred swiftly away as one of
them shouted after Jiim: '’There's ano'.h"r
dispatch confirming it.” A group of men
talking by the roadside never Poke 1 ur>
as she passed. Cissy pouted sljghtly at
this want of taste, which made aom 1 late
election news or the report of a horse race
more enthralling than her. new hat and its
owner. Even the tollers IB the ditches had
left their work and were cmgregited
around a man who was reading aloud from
a widely margined "extra'' of the Canada
City Press. It seemed provoking, os she
knew her cheeks were glowing from her
romp and was conscious that the wis
looking her best. However, the Secamps'
cottage was just before her. and the gills
were sure to be on the lookout! She
shook out her skirts and straightened her
pretty little figure as she approached the
house. But to her surprise, her coming
had evidently been anticipated hy them,
and they were actually—and unexpectedly
—awaiting her behind the low whit'-wash
ed garden palings! As she marvd them
they burst Into a shrill discordant laugh,
so full of Irony, gratified malice, and mein
exaltation that Cissy was for a moment
startled. But only for a moment; she had
her father's reckess audacity and to e
them down with a display of such pink
cheeks and flashing eyes that their laugh
ter was checked and they remiinel open
mouthed as she swept by thtm.
Perhaps this incident prevented her from
noticing another but more passive one. A
group of men standing before the new mill
—the same men who had so solicitously
challenged her attention with their bows
a couple of hours ago—turned as she ap
proached and suddenly dispersed. It was
not until this was repeated by another
group that its oddity forced itself upon
her still angry consciousness. Then the
street seemed to be full of <hose excited,
preoccupied groups who melted away as
she advanced. Only one man met her cu
rious eyes—the engineer—yet she missed
the usual critical smile with which he
was wont to greet her, and he gave her a
bow of such profound respect and gravity
that for the first time she felt really un
easy. Was there something wrong with
her hat? That dreadful, fateful hat! Was
it too conspicuous? Did he think it wis
vulgar? She was eager to cross the street
on the next block, where there were largo,
plate-glass windows which she and Piney
—if Piney were only with her now!—had
often used as mirrors. But there was a
great crowd on the next block, and it was
congregated around the bank—her fath
er’s bank! A vague terror, she knew not
what, now began to creep over her. f
would have turned Into a side street, but
mingled with her fear was a resolution
not to show it—not to even think of it—
to combat it as she had the horrid laugh
of the Secamp girls—and she kept her way
with a beating heart, but eroct head with
out looking across the street. There was
another crowd before the newspaper office
—also on the other side—and a bulletin
loards, but sho would not try to read it.
Only one idea -was in her mind, to reach
her own home before any one should meet
or speak with her. For the last intel
ligible sound that had reached her wgs
the laugh of the Secamp girls, and this
was still ringing in her ears, seeming to
voice the hidden strangeness of ail she
saw and stirring her, as that hod, with
childish indignation. She kept on with un
moved face, however, and at last turned
into the planked side terrace—a pari of
her father’s munificence—and readied the
symmetrical garden beds and graveled
walk. She ran up the steps of the veran
da, and entered the drawing room through
the open French window. Glancing
around the familiar room, at her father's
closed desk, at the open piano with the
piece of music she had been practicing
that morning, the whole walk seemed only
a foolish dream that had frightened her.
She was Cissy Trixit, the daughter of
the richest maR in the town! This was her
father's house —the wonder of Canada
City!
A ring at the front door bell startlel
her; without waiting for the servant to
answer it she stepped out on the veranda
and saw a boy whom she recognized us a
waiter at the hotel kept by idney’s fa
ther. He was holding a note In his hand
and staring Intently at the house and g.w
din. Seeing Cissy, he transferred his star -
to her. Snatching the note from him sho
tor> it o|en and read lit l’ltney's well
known scrawl; ’’Dad won't let me tome
to you now, dear, but I’ll try to slip out
late 10-nlght." Why should she want to
come? H!)n had wild nothing about coming
now—and why should her father prevent
her? Cissy mished the note between her
fingers art! faced the boy.
"What aie you staring at-Idiot?”
Th-' b.y grinned hysterlcally-a Hill*
tr ghtc ed at Cissy’s straightened brows
sttd mapping eyes,
"t!ei away—there’s no tinswer.”
Th* lay ran off and Cissy returned to
the drawing room Then It occurred to
ter Ihal the servant had tail answered the
ts !l t*iis rang again furiously. Tlieir was
no r* sponw She galled down ins base-
ment staircase and heard only the echo
of her voice in the depths. How still the
house was! Were they oil out—Susan—No
rah—the cook. The Chinaman and the gar
dener? She ran down into the kitchen; the
1 aek door was open, the tires were burning
dishes were upon the table, but ihc kitch
• n was empty. Upon the tloor lay a damp
copy of the "Extra." She picked it up
quickly. Five blaek headlines stared her
in the face: "Enormous Defalcation!”
“Montagu Trixit Absconded!” "iWO.OCO
M ssing!" "Run on ihc Bank!"
She threw the paper through the op. n
door as she would have hurled back the
accusation from living lips. Then, til a
revulsion of feeling, lest any one should
find her there, she ran upstairs and locked
herself In her own room.
So that was what it all meant; All!
from the laugh of the Secamp girls to the
turning away of’ the townspeople as she
wem by. Her father was a thief, who had
stolen money from the hank end run away,
leaving her alone to tear it! No! It was nil
a ilea— wicked, jealous lie! A foolish lie—
for how could he steal money from Ills
own bank? Cissy knew very little of her
father—perhaps that w as why she believed
in him. She knew still less of business;
but she knew that he did. She had ofien
heard them say It—perhaps the very ones
who now colled him names. He. who hail
made Canada City what it was! He, whom
Windibrook said only to-day had, like
Moses, touched the rooks of the Canada
with his magic wand of finance, and
streams of public rredlt and prosperity
had gushrd from It! She would never speak
to them ogaln. She would shut herself up
here—dismiss all the servants hut the
Chinaman, and wait until her father re
turned.
There was a knock, and th® entreating
voice of Norah, the cook, outside the door.
Cissy unlocked it ami flung it open indig
nantly.
"Ah! It's yourself, miss, and I r.evir
knew ye kem hack till I met that gos
soon of a hotel waiter in the street." said
the panting servant; “sure it was only an
hour ago while I was at tne woorrek in the
kitchen, and Jim rushes in and sez: 'For
the love of God, if iver ye want to see a
blessed cint of tho money ye put In the
masther’s hank, off wid ye now and draw
it out, for there’s a run on the bank!' "
"It was an Infamous fie,” said Cissy
fiercely.
"Sure, miss, how was ol to know? And
if the masther has gone away it’s ownly
takln’ me money from the other drills
down thare that’s (Irawin' it out and di
vidin’ it betwixt and between them.”
Cissy had a very vague idea of what a
"run on the "bank" meant, but Norah's
logic seemed to satisfy her feminine rea
son. She softened a little.
“Mr. Windibrook is in the parlor, miss,
and a jintlemen on the veranda,' ’cotuln
ued Norah, encouraged.
Cissy started. "I'M come down,” shi
said briefly.
Mr. Windibrook wa* waiting beside the
piano with his soft hat in one han I aid
a large white handkerchief in the o'.her.
He had confidently expected to find Cissy
in tears, and was with boisterous
condolement, but was a little taken aback
as the young girl entered with a pale face,
straightened blows and eyes that shone
wtih audacious rebellion. However, it was
too late to change his attitude. "Ah, my
young friend,” lie said a little awkwardly
“we must not give way tu our emotions,
but try to recognize in our trials the ben
enis of a great lesson. But., he added
hurriedly, seeing her stand still silent but
erect before him. "I see that you do!"
He paused, coughed slightly, cast a glince
at the veranda—where Cissy now for the
first time observed a man standing in an
obviously assumed attitude of negligent
abstraction—moved toward the hack rco.n,
and in a lower voice said: "A word with
you in private.”
Without replying, Cissy followed him.
“If,” said Mr. Windibrook with a sick
ly smile, “you are questioned regarding
your father's affair*, you may jeerieraber
his peculiar and utterly unsoifcite<rkii'i of
a certain sum toward anew organ—o
which I alluded to-day. You can say that
he always exprescsd great liberality to
ward the church, and It was no surprise
to you.”
Cissy only slarcd at him with dangerous
eyes.
“Mrs. Windibrook,” continued the rev
erend gentleman, in his highest, hearti
est voice, albeit o little hurried, “wished
me. to say to you that until you heard
from—your friends—she wanted you to
come and stay with her. Do come! Do!”
Cissy, with her bright eyes fixed upon
her visitor, said; "I shall stay her.e.”
"But,” said Mr. Windibrook, Impatient
ly, “you cannot. That man you see on
the veranda is the sheriff's officer. The
house and all that it contains are In the
hands of the law.”
Cissy's face whitened in proportion as
her eyes grew darker, but she said, stoutly;
"1 shall stay here till my popper tells me
to go.”
“Till your popper tells you to go?” re
peated Mr. Windibrook, harshly, drop
ping his heartiness and his handkerchief
in a burst of unguarded temper. "Your
papa is a thief escaping from Justice, you
foolish girl—a disgraced felon, who dare
not show his face again in Canada City—
and you are lucky—yes, lucky, miss—lt you
do not share his disgrace!”
“And you’re a wicked, wicked liar!"
said Cissy, clenching her little fists at
her side and edging toward him with n
r ' long bantam-like movement as she ad
vanced her freckled cheek close to his
with an effrontery so like her absconding
father that he recoiled before it. “And
a mean, double-faced hypocrlt, too! Didn’t
you always praise him? Didn’t you call
him a Napoleon and a—Moses? Didn’t
you say he was the making of Canada
City? Didn't you get him to raise your
salary—and start a subscription for your
new hou-e? O you—you—stinking beast!”
Here the stranger on the veranda, still
gazing abstractedly at the landscape, gave
a low and apparently unconscious mur
mur as if enraptured with the view. Mr
Windibrook, recalled to an attempt at dig
nity, took up his hat and handkerchief.
“When you have remembered yourself and
your position. Miss Trixit,” he said lofti
jy, “the offer I have made you—"
“I despise it! I’d sooner stay In the
woods with the grizzlies and rattle
snakes!" said Cissy pantlngly, “Go and
leave me alone. Do you hear?” She stamp
ed her little foot. “Are you listening!
Go.”
Mr. Windibrook promptly retreoted
through the door and down tho steps into
the garden. At which the stranger in the
veranda reluctantly tore himself away
from the landscape and slowly entered the
parlor through the open French window.
Here, however, he became equally absorb
ed and abstracted In the condition of bis
beard, carefully stroking his shaven
cheeks and lips and pulling his "goatee.”
After a pause he turned to the angry
Cissy, standing by the piano, radiant with
glowing cheeks and flashing eyes, and said
slowly: “I reckon you gave the i>erson
as good a* he sent. It kinder settle*, a
man to hear the frozen truth about him
self sometimes, and you've helped old
tfhadbelly considerably on the way to sal
vation. Hut he wa * right about one thing,
Miss Trixit. The house 1* in the hand*
of the law. I’m representing it as deputy
sheriff—mebbe you might remember me—
Juke Poole —when your father was ad
rlressln’ the lu*t cltlaens’ meeting, alttln’
next to him on the platform— I’m in pos
session. It isn't it job I’m hankerin' much
arter; I'd a lief rather hunt hose thieves
or track down road agents than this kind
o’ fancy, underhand work. Bo you'll e*-
cue me, miss, If I ain’t got the style.”
Its paused, rubbed Ills chin thought
fully, and then said slowly and wtrii great
deliberation, "Kf there’s any little thing
here, mbs—any keepsakes or such trifles
rz you keer for In tail tickler, things
you wouldn’t like airangets |o hv.~ you
Just make s little pile of them sna drop
'em down wsnewhsrw outside tho hack
dour. There ain’t no Inventory taken
nor scalin' up of anythin* done Just yet,
though 1 have to see there ain't anything
disturbed. But I kulkilate to walk out on
the veranda for a spell nn.l loolt nt the
landscape." He pa used again and said
with a sigh of satisfaction, "it's a
mighty ixxity view out thar, it just takes
me every time."
As he turned and walked out through
the French window. Cissy did not for a
moment comprehend him; then, strangely
enough, his act of rude courtesy for the
first time awakened her to the full sense
of the situation. This house—her father's
house—was no longer hers! If her father
should never return she wanted nothing
from It—nothing! She gripped her beating
heart with the little hand she hud clench
ed so valiantly moment ago. Suddenly
her hand dropped. Someone had glided
noiselessly into the bark room, a figure
in a blue blouse—a Chinaman, their house
servant, Ah Fe. He east a furtive glance
at the stranger on the veranda and then
beckoned to her stealthily. She came to
ward him wonderingly. when ho suddenly
whipped a note from his sleeve and wiiii
a dexterious movement slipped It Into her
fingers. She tore it open. A single glance
showed her a small key Inclosed in a line
of her father's handwriting. -.. Drawing
quickly back into the corner she read as
follows; “If this reaches you In time,
take from the second drawer of my desk
an envelope marked 'private contracts' and
give It to the bearer." There was neither
signature nor address.
Putting her finger to her lip, she cast a
quick glance nt the absorbed figure on the
veranda and stepi>ed before the desk. She
fitted the key to the drawer and opened
it rapidly but noiselessly. There lay the
envelope, ond omong other ticketed papers
a small roll of greenbacks—sttch as her
father often kept there. It was his motley;
she did not scruple to take it with the
envelope. Handing the latter to the Chin
aman. who made it instantly disappear up
his sleeve like a conjuror's act. she
signed him to follow her into the hall.
"Who gave you thnt note, Ah Fe?" she
whispered, breathlessly.
“Chinaman."
"Who gave it to him?"
“dhinanian.”
“And to him?”
“Ncllee Chinaman.”
"Another Chinaman?”
‘Yes—heap Chinaman—alle same us
gang.”
"You moon it passed from one China
man’s hand to another?"
"Allee some.”
"Why didn't the first Chinaman ’who
got it bring It here?"
"S'pose Mellkan man want to cotchee
lettel. He spotty Chinaman. He follee
Chinaman. Chinaman pnssro lettel next
Chinaman. He no get. Mellkan man no
habe got. Sabe?"
"Then this paekoge will go back the
same way?"
"Alice same.”
"And who will you give It to now?”
"Allee same man blingee me lettel. Hop
Ll—who makee washee."
An Idea here struck Cissy which made
her heart jump and her cheeks flame.
Ah Fe gazed at her with an Infantile
smile of admiration.
‘How for did that letter come?” she ask
ed with eager, questioning eyes.
"Lettee me see him.” said Ah Fee.
Cissy handed him the missive; he exam
ined closely some half a dozen Chinese
characters I hot were scrawled along the
length of the outer fold and which she
had Innocently supposed were a part of
the markings of the rice paper on which
the note was written.
"Heap Chinaman velly much wnikee—
lcpgee way! S'pose you look." He pointed
through the open front door to the pros
pect beyond. It was a familiar one to
Cissy—the long Canada, the erest on crest
of serried pines, and beyond the dim snow
lines. Ah Fe's brown finger seemed to
linger there.
“In the snow," she whispered, her chek
whitening like that dim line, but ii> r~ey s
sparkling like the sunshine over If.
"Allee same, John," said Ah Fe plain
tively.
"Ah Fe,” whispered Cissy, "take me
with you lo Hop Li.”
“No good," said Ah Fe stolidly. "Hop
Li he givee this"—he indicated the envel
ope In his sleeve—"to next Chinamin. He
no go. S'pose you go with me. Hop LI
—you no makee nothing—allee same dam
foolee!”
"I know; but you Just take me there.
Do!"
The young girl was Irresistible. Ah Fe’s
face relaxed "All lltee!” he said, with a
resigned smile.
“You wall here a moment,” said Cissy,
brightening. She flew up the staircase.
In a few minutes she was back again.
She had exchanged her smart rose-sprig
ged chintz for a pathetic little blue check
frock of her school days; the fateful hat
had given wny to a brown stray "flat,”
bent like a frame around her charming
face. All the girlishness—and. Indeed, a
certain honest boyishness of her nature
seemed to have come out In her glowing,
freckled cheek, brilliant, audacious eyes,
and the quick stride which brought her to
Ah Fe's side.
''Now, let's go,” she said, "out the back
way and down the side streets.” She
paused, cast a glance though the drawing
room at the contemplative figure of the
sheriff’s deputy on the veranda, and then
passed out of the house forever.
(To Be Continued Next. Week.)
THE CHIMNEY StVEEP.
Horrible Cruelties Prnctleed Upon
Children in England Thirty Years
Ago.
From Good Words.
Under the inlluence of the new human
ity It Is hard for the people of this gen
el atlon to believe the stories that are told
of sufferings Inflicted on children In this
country but a few years ago. Were they
not only too well authenticated we would
say that it was Incredible that law could
have been so lax, religion so useless and
humanity so dead as to make these things
possible. At the beginning of the Queen’s
reign there were many ocrupatlons in our
land In which the little ones were ruth
lessly tortured, but perhaps for cruelly and
hideousness this one of chimney sweepers
was never equalled. How long It had con
tinued we cannot tell, but It Is not mcuh
more than twenty years since It was final
ly stamped out. I remember when I was a
boy at school In the seventies hearing
about this and being told thnt little
children were then being sent up chimneys
to sweep them, and It must have been
this thar Induced me to try climbing up
and sliding down chimneys of a house
build ng mar, lo the great destruction of
my clothes and—of less consequence In my
guardian's eyes—bruises and scratches in
numerable on my body and legs. I now s* e
that this must have been about the year
1878, when the question of this employ
ment of children was for the last time
brought up In Parliament arid the abomi
nation put an end to. A parliamentary
c< mml.tie had been appointed a few years
before, and this proved up to the hilt the
ail gatlons of the friends of the children
regarding the dfgredatlon and suffering of
those employed In this work. One fact
they stated was that out of 384 children
they had examined only six could write
and tsnnty-six could read, though very
Imperfectly.
To find the ovll, however. In full swing
and unobstructed activity, we have to go
back another thirty years, to the time
when Lord Hhafieslatry brought the mat
ter before Parliament and carried on a
vigorous crusade until he induced the Is-g
-lelature ’•• tutus the Chimney Sweeper*
blit of 185#
Id thnt year he stated In the House of
Commons that lo hla personal knowledge
a child of four and a half was being set t
up dally to sweep chimneys lie bad Seen.
DON'T WORRY AND WORK SO MUCH TO KEF.P CLEAN. BUT GO TO YOUR
GROCER AND GET
TREPOLINE,
THE UNRIVALED CLEANER AND POLISHER,
IT CLEANS EVERYTHING QUICKLY, EASILY, BEAUTIFULLY.
THEPOLINE MANUFACTURING COMPANY. ATLANTA. NEW YORK.
I l fappy New Year
I/IRI Custave,Eckstcin&Co.
This Year, "The End of this Century,” will find the old house,
Gustave Eckstein & Cos., as alive as ever to the wants o( their
kind patrons, "The People of Savannah." No ctfort will be spared lo cater
to "Public Favor” and make this Favorite SDrc tti; Most Popular Shopping
Place of Any in the City.
Embroideries
hvery lady knows our reputation on Embroideries.
No need for words of comment. Nicer and Better
Than Ever at sc, at 10c, at 15c, at 25c. There
are Cambrics, Swiss and Nainsooks. Lovely New
Insertings and Beautiful Work in A1 lovers.
1900 MUSLIN UNDERWEAR.
No “sweat shop” goods here, all clean and fresh.
Gowns at 39c, at 50c, at 75c, at sl, and up to $3.50.
Skirts at 39c, at 50c, at 75c, at $1 and up to $4.00,
Drawers at 25c, at 35c, at 39c, at 50c and up to $2.00.
Chemises at 25c, at 35c, at 50c, at 75c, at 85c and up.
Infants' Dresses 50c to $3.50
Decided Reductions in Rich Black Silk Crepons,
Decided Reductions in Fancy '.Vinter Dress Goods.
Decided Reductions in Fine All-Wool Goods at 39 cents.
Decided Reductions in Blankets, Robes ami Comforters.
Decided Reductions in Flannels and Warm Underwear.
Men’s Neckwear 50c,35c,25c
All Jackets, Gapes, Furs, Suits,
Skirts, Wrappers, Waists Must
Be Sold. Art Squares, Rugs
and Table Covers Sacrificed.
No disappointment here! Every Ready-made
garment for Ladies and Children at any price.
Mall orders filled promptly and with care!
Prices strictly the same as if here in person.
GUSTAVE ECKSTEIN & CO.
lie sal<l, ihe little ones when off work
sleeping, quite naked, on heaps of soot.
They were never washed, for their owners
xajil: “What's the good?" They often eon
traeted a loathsome and painful disease,
which went by the name of “sooty can
cer." 11 was shown that over all the coun
try children from four to elgh* years of
age were constantly employed In this
work. The majority of them were orphans,
the rest were bartered or sold by brutal
isuents.
Torture for Little Ones.
They had to lie taken young and (rain
ed to their hideous work of pushing their
way through long, narrow, tortuous pass
ages choked up with soot. To clean this
away they had to move up and down by
pressing every Joint of their bodies
against the hard and often broken sur
faces of the chimneys. To prevent their
hands and knees from streaming with
blood the children were rubbed with brine
before a w rong Hie to harden the flesh.
To drive them up the chimneys when they
hesitated burning straw was applied to
their feet, and this was also found useful
to bring them around if they fainted or
stuck in ihe flue. That Is no fancy pic
ture that Dickens draws In the beginning
of “Oliver Twist" of the sort of masters
the children had. The reader will reimm
ter that Gamfleld, after stunning his don
key (o make It stand still, walks up to the
workhouse gate, whereon was a notice
that £5 and Oliver Twist were offered to
any one who would apprentice him to any
railing.
Gamfield reflects that this would Just
suit him, and steps In before the board
to make his offer. “If the parish vould
itke him to learn a light, pleasant trade
In a good, ’spectable enlmbley sweepin'
blznlss, I wants a 'prentice and am ready
to take him." The board thought a little.
“It's a nasty business,” said one gentle
man. “Young boys have been Bmothered
In chimneys before now," said another.
“That's pcause they damped the straw
afore they lit It In the cblmbiey to make
’em come down agin." said Gamfield;
“that’s all smoke and no blaze; vereas
smoke ain't, o' no use at all In making a
boy come down, for It only sends him to
sleep, and that’s what he likes. Boys Is
very obstlnlt, and very lazy, gen'lmen,
and there's nothink like a good hot btaz *
to make 'em come down with a run. It's
humane, too, gen'lmen, acause, even if
they've stuck in the chlmbley roasting
their feet makes ’em struggle to hextri
cate thelrselves." The board, however,
maintained that It whs a nasty trade, and
seeing that It was so they beat down
Gamfield to £3 ten shillings, and agreed to
give him Oliver with that. Such were
the guardians and masters the children
en had. Later In the same book wo
flr.d Bill Sikes and his friends complain
ing bitterly of recent legislation which had
nduced the supply of diminutive children
that were needed by them In their "bus
iness” to (Hit through the small apertures
of windows to open for them Ihe doors
of houses they meant to rob. It Was their
cturom to hire boy* from the master
chimney sweepers at so much per “job.”
Purchased Prom Their Masters.
Teed Shaftesbury himself had actually
lo buy many of the boys from their mat
ters that h* might rescue them and have
them educated and art up in life lie In
terested other# In them. SIS) hrfof legle
Istlon did anything many were saved from
lh*lr terrible life. But though then- w< re
human* men In England it is surprising to
lesrn bow strong wag tb* opposition
against any legislative Interference wtthl
the children’s tot. Petitions were sent la
Parliament against Shaftesbury's Mil. Tha
Insurance companies of London and other
elites clamored against it. Pamphlets and
articles were written to destroy H, and It
needed ull Shaftesbury's solemn eloquence,
hacked up by the terrible facts he pro
duced, to obtain a majority In 1840.
But though the evil was then scotched
it was by no means killed. It went on
more secretly, but now and again the pub
lic were sta riled by hearing of u hoy a
death tn u flue. There seemed to be a
recrudescence of the evil about 1873, for in
that year there were several fatalities.
In October, 1872, a boy was sent up tha
flue of a fernery In Staffordshire. Not ap
pearing in fifteen minutes, the flue wad
hastily ojvned and the boy found dead..
Soon after another very similar death took
place at Canterbury, but this time public
opinion was roused, and the master was
sentenced to six months' Imprisonment.
This had the most salutary effect. It
was seen that the Iniquity would be no
longer tolerated, and other methods ha<J
to be employed for sweeping chimneys.
The legislation of 1876 made that form of
child torture and degradation a thing of
the past.
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11