diff options
Diffstat (limited to '23517-8.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 23517-8.txt | 3175 |
1 files changed, 3175 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/23517-8.txt b/23517-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1c0ca93 --- /dev/null +++ b/23517-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3175 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Angel of the Tenement, by George Madden +Martin + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Angel of the Tenement + + +Author: George Madden Martin + + + +Release Date: November 16, 2007 [eBook #23517] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ANGEL OF THE TENEMENT*** + + +E-text prepared by David Garcia, Tamise Totterdell, and the Project +Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net) from +page images generously made available by Kentuckiana Digital Library +(http://kdl.kyvl.org/) + + + +Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this + file which includes the original illustration. + See 23517-h.htm or 23517-h.zip: + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/3/5/1/23517/23517-h/23517-h.htm) + or + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/3/5/1/23517/23517-h.zip) + + + Images of the original pages are available through + Kentuckiana Digital Library. See + http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;xc=1&idno=B92-235-31281121&view=toc + + + + + +THE ANGEL OF THE TENEMENT + +by + +GEORGE MADDEN MARTIN + + + + + + + + +[Illustration] + + + +New York +Bonnell, Silver & Co. +1897 + +Copyright by +Bonnell, Silver & Co., +1897. + + + + +CONTENTS. + + + CHAPTER PAGE + + I. The Advent of the Angel 1 + + II. The Entertainers of the Angel 16 + + III. Introduces the Little Major 26 + + IV. The Angel Becomes a Fairy 37 + + V. The Angel Rescues Mr. Tomlin 55 + + VI. The Major Superintends the Angel's Education 72 + + VII. Miss Ruth makes the Acquaintance of Old G. A. R. 90 + + VIII. The Angel meets an old Friend 99 + + IX. Mary Carew is Tempted 111 + + X. The Major Obeys Orders 122 + + XI. Tells of the Tenement's Christmas 125 + + + + +THE ANGEL OF THE TENEMENT. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +THE ADVENT OF THE ANGEL. + + +The ladies of the Tenement felt that it was a matter concerning the +reputation of the house. Therefore on this particular hot July morning +they were gathered in the apartment of Miss Mary Carew and Miss Norma +Bonkowski, if one small and dingy room may be so designated, and were +putting the matter under discussion. + +Miss Carew, tall, bony, and more commonly known to the Tenement as Miss +C'rew, of somewhat tart and acrid temper, being pressed for her version +of the story, paused in her awkward and intent efforts at soothing the +beautiful, fair-haired child upon her lap and explained that she was +stepping out her door that morning with her water-bucket, thinking to +get breakfast ready before Miss Bonkowski awoke, when a child's +frightened crying startled her, coming from a room across the hall which +for some weeks had been for rent. + +"At that," continued Miss Carew, moved to unwonted loquacity, and +patting the child industriously while she addressed the circle of +listening ladies, "at that, 'sure as life!' says I, and stepped across +and opened the door, an' there, settin' on this shawl, its eyes big like +it had jus' waked up, an' cryin' like to break its heart, was this here +baby. I picked her right up an' come an' woke Norma, but it's nothin' we +can make out, 'ceptin' she's been in that there room all night." + +Many were the murmurs and ejaculations from the circle of wondering +ladies, while Miss Bonkowski, a frowzy-headed lady in soiled shirt waist +and shabby skirt, with a small waist and shoulders disproportionately +broad; and with, moreover, a dab of paint upon each high-boned +cheek,--nothing daunted by previous failures, leaned forward and putting +a somewhat soiled finger beneath the child's pretty chin, inquired +persuasively, "And isn't the darling going to tell its Norma its name?" + +Miss Bonkowski spoke airily and as if delivering a part. But this the +good ladies forgave, for was not this same Miss Norma the flower that +shed an odor of distinction over the social blossoming of the whole +Tenement? Was not Miss Bonkowski a chorus lady at The Garden Opera +House? + +So her audience looked on approvingly while Miss Norma snapped her +fingers and chirruped to the baby encouragingly. "And what is the +darling's name?" she repeated. + +The little one, her pitiful sobbing momentarily arrested, regarded Miss +Bonkowski with grave wonder. "Didn't a know I are Angel?" she returned +in egotistical surprise. + +"Sure an' it's the truth she's spakin', fer it's the picter of an angel +she is," cried Mrs. O'Malligan, she of the first-floor front, who added +a tidy sum to her husband's earnings by taking in washing, and in +consequence of the size of these united incomes, no less than that of +her big heart, was regarded with much respect by the Tenement, "just +look at the swate face of her, would ye, an' the loikes of her illegant +gown!" + +"Won't it tell its Norma where it came from? Who brought the dearie here +and left it in the naughty room? Tell its Norma," continued Miss +Bonkowski, on her knees upon the bare and dirty floor, and eyeing the +dainty embroidery and examining the quality of the fine white dress +while she coaxed. + +"Yosie brought Angel--" the child began, then as if the full realization +of the strangeness of it all returned at mention of that familiar name, +the baby turned her back on Norma and pulling at Mary Carew's dress +imperatively, gazed up into that lady's thin, sharp face, "Angel wants +her mamma,--take Angel to her mamma," she commanded, even while her baby +chin was quivering and the big eyes winking to keep back the tears. + +"Sure an' it shall go to its mammy," returned Mrs O'Malligan soothingly, +"an' whir was it ye left her, me Angel?" + +"Yes, tell its Norma where it left its mamma," murmured Miss Bonkowski +coaxingly. + +"Yosie bring Angel way a way," explained the baby obediently. "Yosie say +Angel be a good girl and her come yite back. Where Yosie,--Angel wants +Yosie to come now," and the plaintive little voice broke into a sob, as +the child looked from one to the other of the circle beseechingly. + +The ladies exchanged pitying glances while the persevering Miss Norma +rattled an empty spool in a tin cup violently to distract the baby's +thoughts. "And how old is Angel?" she continued. + +Again the tears were checked, while the grave, disapproving surprise +which Miss Bonkowski's ignorance seemed to call forth, once more +overspread the small face, "Didn't a know her are three?" she returned +reprovingly, reaching for the improvised and alluring plaything. + +"Yes, yes," murmured Miss Bonkowski apologetically, "Angel is three +years old, of course, a great, big girl." + +"A gwate, big girl," repeated the baby, nodding her pretty head +approvingly, "that what Yosie say," then with abrupt change of tone, +"where her breakfast, her wants her milk!" + +"An' she shall have it, sure," cried Mrs. O'Malligan promptly, and +retired out the door with heavy haste, while Miss Bonkowski hospitably +turned to bring forth what the apartment could boast in the way of +breakfast. + +Meanwhile the other ladies withdrew to the one window of the small room +to discuss the situation. + +"That's it, I'm sure," one was saying, while she twisted up her back +hair afresh, "for my man, he says he saw a woman pass our door yesterday +afternoon, kinder late, an' go on up steps with a young 'un in her arms. +He never seen her come back, he says, but Mis' Tomlin here, she says, +she seen a woman dressed nice, come down afterwards seemin' in a hurry, +but she didn't have no child, didn't you say, Mis' Tomlin?" + +Thus appealed to, timid little Mrs. Tomlin shifted her wan-faced, +fretting baby from one arm to the other and asserted the statement to be +quite true. + +"An'ther case of desartion," pronounced Mrs. O'Malligan, having +returned meanwhile with a cup filled with a thin blue liquid known to +the Tenement as _milk_, "a plain case of desartion, an' whut's to be +done about it, I niver can say!" + +"Done!" cried Miss Bonkowski, on her knees before Mary and the child, +crumbling some bread into the milk, "and what are the police for but +just such cases?" + +The other ladies glanced apprehensively at Mrs. O'Malligan, that lady's +bitter hatred of these guardians of the public welfare being well known, +since that day when three small O'Malligans were taken in the act of +relieving a passing Italian gentleman of a part of his stock of bananas. +Mrs. O'Malligan had paid their fines in the City Court, had thrashed +them around as many times as her hot Irish temper had rekindled at the +memory, but had never forgiven the police for the disgrace to the family +of O'Malligan. And being the well-to-do personage of The Tenement, it +should be remarked that Mrs. O'Malligan's sentiments were generally +deferred to, if not always echoed by her neighbors. + +"An' is it the polace ye'd be a-callin' in?" she burst forth volubly, +reproach and indignation written upon the round red face she turned upon +Miss Norma, "the polace? An' would ye be turnin' over the darlin' to the +loikes of thim, to be locked up along with thaves an' murtherers afore +night?" And, as a chorus of assenting murmurs greeted her, with her +broad, flat foot thrust forward and hands upon her ample hips, Mrs. +O'Malligan hurried on. + +"The polace is it ye say? An' who but these same polace, I ask ye, was +it, gettin' this Tiniment,--as has always held it's head up +respectable,--a-gettin' this Tiniment in the noospapers last winter +along of that case of small-pox, an' puttin' a yellow flag out, an +afther that nobody a-willin' to give me their washin', an Miss C'rew +here as could get no pants to make, an' yerself, Miss Norma, darlint, +an' no disrespect to you a-spakin' out so bold, a-layin' idle because of +no thayater a-willin' to have ye. An' wasn't it thim same polace +crathurs, too, I'm askin' ye, as took our rainwather cistern away along +of the fevers breakin' out, they made bold to say, the desaivin' +crathers,--an' me a-niver havin' me washin' white a-since, for ye'll +aisy see why, usin' the muddy wather as comes from that hydranth +yirselves!" + +Mrs. O'Malligan glanced around triumphantly, shook her head and hurried +on. "An' agin, there's little Joey. Who was it but the polace as come +arristin' the feyther of the boy for batin' of his own wife, and him +sint up for a year, an' she a-dyin' along of bein' weakly an' nobody to +support her, an' Joey left in this very Tiniment an orphan child! Don't +ye be a-callin' in no polace for the loikes of this swate angel choild, +Miss Norma darlint, don't ye be doin' it! An' the most of thim once +foine Irish gintlemen, bad luck to the loikes of thim!" + +Mrs. O'Malligan paused,--she was obliged to,--for breath, whereupon Miss +Bonkowski very amiably hastened to declare she meant no harm, having +absolutely no knowledge of the class whatever, "except," with arch +humor, "as presented on the stage, where, as everybody who had seen them +there knew, they were harmless enough, goodness knows!" And the airy +chorus lady shrugged her shoulders and smiled at her own bit of +pleasantry. "But for the matter of that, I still think something ought +to be done, and what other means can we find for restoring the lost +innocent?" and Miss Norma tossed her frizzled blonde head, quite +enjoying, if the truth be told, the touch of romance about the affair. +For once she seemed to be meeting, in real life, a situation worthy of +the boards of The Garden Opera House, in whose stage vernacular a +missing child was always a "lost innocent." "If we do not call on the +police, Mrs. O'Malligan, how are we to ever find the child's mother?" + +Here Mary Carew looked up, and there was something like a metallic click +about Mary's hard, dry tones as she spoke, for the years she had spent +in making jeans pantaloons at one dollar and a half a dozen had not been +calculated to sweeten her tones to mellowness, nor to induce her to +regard human nature with charity. + +"Don't you understand?" she said bluntly, "all the huntin' in the world +ain't goin' to find a mother what don't mean to be found?" + +"But what makes you so sure she don't?" persisted Miss Bonkowski, +letting the child take possession of spoon and cup, and quite revelling +in the further touch of the dramatic developing in the situation. + +Unconsciously Mary pressed the child to her as she spoke. "It's as plain +as everything else that's wrong and hard in this world," she said, and +each word clicked itself off with metallic sharpness and decision, "the +mother brought the child here late yesterday, waited until it was asleep +in the room over there, then went off and left it. Why she chose this +here particular Tenement we don't know and likely never will, though I +ain't no doubt myself there's a reason. It ain't a pretty story or easy +to understand but it's common enough, and you'll find that mother never +means to be found, an' in as big a city as this 'n', tain't no use to +try." + +"I will not--cannot--believe it," murmured Norma--in her best stage +tones. Then she turned again to the child. "And how did it come here, +dearie? Has baby a papa--where is baby's papa?" + +The little one rattled the tin spoon around the sides of the cup. "Papa +bye," she returned chasing a solitary crumb intently. "Yosie sick, +mamma sick, Tante sick, but Angel, her ain't sick when she come way a +way on--on--" a worried look flitted over the flushed little face, and +she looked up at Norma expectantly as if expecting her to supply the +missing word, "on,--Angel come way a way on--_vaisseau_--" at last with +baby glee she brought the word forth triumphantly, "Papa bye and Angel +and mamma and Tante and Yosie come way a way on _vaisseau_!" + +"You see," said Mary Carew, looking at Norma, and the others shook their +heads sadly. + +Miss Bonkowski accepted the situation. "Though what a vasso is, or a +tante either, is beyond me to say," she murmured. + +"But what is goin' to be done with her, then?" ventured little Mrs. +Tomlin, holding her own baby closer as she spoke. + +There was a pause which nobody seemed to care to break, during which +more than one of the women saw the child on Mary's knee through dim eyes +which turned the golden hair into a halo of dazzling brightness. Then +Norma got up and began to clear away the remains of breakfast and to +clatter the crockery from stove and table together for washing, while +Mary Carew, avoiding the others' glances, busied herself by awkwardly +wiping the child's mouth and chin with a corner of her own faded cotton +dress. + +Submitting as if the process was a matter of course, the baby gazed +meanwhile into Mary's colorless, bony and unlovely face. Perhaps the +childish eyes found something behind its hardness not visible to older +and less divining insight, for one soft hand forthwith stole up to the +hollow cheek, while the other pulled at the worn sleeve for attention. +"What a name?" the clear little voice lisped inquiringly. + +Poor Mary looked embarrassed, but awkwardly lent herself to the caress +as if, in spite of her shamefacedness, she found it not unpleasant. + +The baby's eyes regarded her with sad surprise. "A got no name, +poor--poor--a got no name," then she broke forth, and as if quite +overcome with the mournfulness of Mary's condition, the little head +burrowed back into the hollow of the supporting arm, that she might the +better gaze up and study the face of this object for pity and wonder. + +Poor Mary Carew--would that some one of the hundreds of un-mothered and +unloved little ones in the great city had but found it out sooner--her +starved heart had been hungering all her life, and now her arms closed +about the child. + +"I reckon I'll keep her till somebody comes for her," she said with a +kind of defiance, as if ashamed of her own weakness, "it'll only mean," +with a grim touch of humor in her voice, "it'll only mean a few more +jean pantaloons a week to make any how." + +"We'll share her keep between us alike, Mary Carew," declared Norma, +haughtily, with a real, not an affected toss, of the frizzed head now, +"what is your charge, is mine too, I'd have you know!" + +"Sure, an' we'll all do a part for the name of the house," said Mrs. +O'Malligan, "an' be proud." And the other ladies agreeing to this more +or less warmly, the matter was considered as settled. + +"An' as them as left her know where she is," said Mary Carew, the click +quite decided again in her tones, "if they want her, they know where to +come and get her--but--you hear to what I say, Norma, they'll never +come!" + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +THE ENTERTAINERS OF THE ANGEL. + + +It was one thing for the good ladies of the Tenement to settle the +matter thus, but another entirely for the high-spirited, passionate +little stranger,--bearing every mark of refined birth and good breeding +in her finely-marked features, her straight, slim white body, her +slender hands and feet, her dainty ways and fearless bearing,--to adapt +herself to the situation. The first excitement over, her terror and +fright returned, and the cry went up unceasingly in lisping English +interspersed with words utterly unintelligible to the two distracted +ladies, begging to be taken to that mother of whom Mary Carew +entertained so poor an opinion. + +It was in vain that good woman, with a tenderness and patience quite at +variance with her harsh tones, rocked, petted, coaxed and tried to +satisfy with vague promises of "to-morrow." In vain did Norma, no less +earnestly now that the touch of romance had faded into grim +responsibility, whistle and sing and snap her fingers, the terror was +too real, the sense of loss too poignant, the baby heart refused to be +comforted, and it was only when exhaustion came that the child would +moan herself to sleep in Mary's arms. + +So passed several days, the baby drooping and pining, but clinging to +Mary through it all, with a persistency which, while it won her heart +entirely, sadly interfered with the progress of jean pantaloons. + +As for the more material Norma, whose time, free from the requirements +of her profession, had hitherto been largely given to reshaping her old +garments in imitations of the ever-changing fashions, finding that the +baby clung to Mary, she bore no malice, but good-naturedly turned her +skill toward making the poor accommodations of their room meet the needs +of the occasion, and in addition appointed herself maid to her small +ladyship. And an arduous task it ultimately proved, for, as the child +gradually became reconciled and began to play about, a dozen times a day +a little pair of hands were stretched toward Norma and a sweet, tearful +voice proclaimed in accents of anguished grief, "Angel's hands so-o-o +dirty!"--which indeed they were each time, her surroundings being of +that nature which rubbed off at every touch. + +Indeed so pronounced was the new inmate's dislike to dirt, that Mary, +sensitive to criticism, took to rising betimes these hot mornings and +making the stuffy room sweet with cleanliness. Not so easy a task as one +might imagine either, in an apartment which combined kitchen, laundry, +bedroom, dining-room and the other conveniences common to housekeeping +in a 12 × 15 space, as evidenced by the presence of a stove, a table +with a tub concealed beneath, a machine, a bed, a washstand, two chairs, +and a gayly decorated bureau, Norma's especial property, set forth with +bottles of perfumery, a satin pin-cushion and a bunch of artificial +flowers in a vase. And in putting the room thus to rights, when it is +considered that every drop of water used upon floor, table or window, +had to be carried up four flights of stairs, the sincerity of Mary's +conversion to the angelic way of regarding things cannot be doubted. + +Nor, if Mary's word can be taken, were these efforts wasted upon her +little ladyship, who, awakened by the bustle on the very first occasion +of Mary's crusade against the general disorder, sat up in the crib +donated by Mrs. O'Malligan,--the last of the O'Malligans being now in +trousers,--and hung over the side with every mark of approving interest. +And happy with something to love and an object to work for, Mary +continued to scrub on with a heart strangely light. "And I couldn't +slight the corners if I wanted to," she told her neighbors, "with them +great solemn eyes a-watchin' an' a-follerin' me." + +It was on a morning following one of these general upheavals and +straightenings that the three sat down to breakfast, the two ladies +feeling unwontedly virtuous and elegant by reason of their clean +surroundings. The Angel seeming brighter and more willing to leave +Mary's side, Norma put her into one of their two chairs, and herself +sat on the bed. But no sooner had the baby grabbed her cracked mug than +her smooth forehead began to pucker, and, setting it down again, she +regarded Norma earnestly. "Didn't a ought to _say_ something?" she +demanded, and her eyes grew dark with puzzled questioning. + +"And what should you say, darling?" returned Norma, leaning over to +crumble some bread into the milk which a little judicious pinching in +other directions made possible for the child. + +The baby studied her bread and milk intently. "Jesus"--she lisped, then +hesitated, and her worried eyes sought Norma's again,--"Jésus"--then +with a sudden joyful burst of inspiration, "Amen," she cried and seized +her mug triumphantly. + +"It's a blessing she is asking," said Norma with tears in her eyes, "I +know, for I've seen it done on the stage, though what with the food +being pasteboard cakes and colored plaster fruit, I never took much +stock in it before," and she laughed somewhat unsteadily. + +"Bread and butter, come to supper," sang the baby with sudden glee, +"that what Tante says.--Where Angel's Tante?" and with the recollection +her face changed, and the pretty pointed chin began to quiver. A moment +of indecision, and she slipped down from her chair. "Kiss Angel bye," +she commanded, tugging at Mary's skirts, "her goin' to Tante," the +little face fierce with determination, every curl bobbing with the +emphatic nods of the little head, "kiss her bye, C'rew," and the wild +sobs began again. + +So passed a week, but, for all the added care and responsibility, the +longer this wayward, imperious little creature, with the hundred moods +for every hour, was hers, the less was Mary Carew disposed to consider +the possibility of any one coming to claim her. Not so with the +blonde-tressed chorus lady, who combined more of worldly wisdom with her +no less kindly heart. Patiently she tried to win the child's further +confidence, to stimulate the baby memory, to unravel the lisped +statements. But it was in vain. Smiles indeed, she won at length, +through tears, and little sad returns to her playful sallies, but the +little one's words were too few, her ideas too confused, for Norma to +learn anything definite from her lispings. + +But Norma was not satisfied. "My heart misgives me," she murmured in the +tragic accents she so loved to assume,--one evening as she pinned on her +cheap and showy lace hat and adjusted its wealth of flowers, preparatory +to starting to the Garden Opera House, "my heart misgives me. It seems +to me it is our duty, Mary, to do something about this,--to report +it--somehow,--somewhere"--she ended vaguely. "Hadn't I better speak to a +policeman after all?" + +Mary Carew drew the child,--drowsing in her arms,--to her quickly. "No," +she said, and her thin, bony face looked almost fierce, "no, for if you +did and they couldn't find her people, which you know as well as I do +they couldn't, do you s'pose they'd give her back to us? They'd put her +in a refuge or 'sylum, that's what they'd do, where, while maybe she'd +have more to eat, she'd be enough worse off, a-starvin' for a motherin' +word!" + +Miss Bonkowski, abashed at Mary's fierce attack, made an attempt to +speak, but Mary, vehemently interrupting, hurried on: "I know whereas I +speak, Norma Bonkowski, I know, I know. I've gone through it all myself. +I ain't never told you," and the knobby face burned a dull red, "I was +county poor, where I come from in the state, an' sent to th' poor-house +at four years old, myself, and I know, Norma, the miseries whereas I +speak of. And the Lord helpin' me," with grim solemnity, "an' since He +sent you here huntin' a room, an' since He helped me get the machine, +hard to run as it is, somehow I'm believin' more He's the Lord of us +poor folks too,--an' Him a-helpin' me to turn out one more pair of pants +a day, I'll never be the means of puttin' no child in a refuge no-how +an' no time. An' there it is, how I feel about it!" + +Miss Bonkowski turned from a partial view of herself such as the +abbreviated glass to her bureau afforded. "Well," she said amiably, +"coming as I did from across the ocean as a child," and she nodded her +head in the supposed direction of the Atlantic, "and, until late years, +always enjoying a good home, what with father getting steady work as a +scene-painter, as I've told you often, and me going on in the chorus +off and on, and having my own bit of money, I don't really know about +the asylums in this country. But I have heard say they are so fine, +people ain't against deserting their children just to get 'em in such +places knowin' they'll be educated better'n they can do themselves." + +Mary's pale eyes blazed. "Do you mean, Norma Bonkowski," she demanded +angrily, "that you'd rather she should go?" + +Miss Bonkowski shrugged her shoulders somewhat haughtily. "How you do +talk, Mary! You know I don't,--but neither do I believe she is any +deserted child, and it's worrying me constant, what we ought to do. Poor +as I am, and what with father dying and the manager cutting my salary as +I get older,--I'll admit it to you, Mary, though I wouldn't have him +know I'm having another birthday to-day--" with a laugh and a shrug, +"why, as I say, I am pretty poor, but every cent I've got is yours and +the child's, and you know it, Mary Carew," and the good-hearted +chorus-lady, with a reproachful backward glance at her room-mate, +flounced out the door, leaving the re-assured Mary to sew, by the light +of an ill-smelling lamp, until her return from the theatre near +midnight. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +INTRODUCES THE LITTLE MAJOR. + + +While the fine, embroidered dress in which the Angel had made her +appearance was all Mrs. O'Malligan had claimed it as to daintiness and +quality, after a few days' wear, its daintiness gave place to dirt, its +quality thinned to holes. + +Upon this the Tenement was called into consultation. The Angel must be +clothed, but what, even from its cosmopolitan wardrobe, could the house +produce suitable for angelic wear? Many lands indeed were represented by +the inmates who now called its shelter home, but none from that country +where Angels are supposed to have their being. + +"On my word," quoth Miss Bonkowski to the ladies gathered in the room at +her bidding, and Miss Norma gave an eloquent shrug and elevated her +blackened eyebrows as she spoke, "on my word I believe her little heart +would break if she had to stay in dirty, ragged clothes very long. Such +a darling for being washed and curled, such a precious for always +cleaning up! It makes me sure she must be different,"--Miss Norma was +airy but she was also humble, recognizing perhaps her own inherent +shrinking from too frequent an application of soap and water--"she's +something different, born and bred, from such as me!" + +But at this the ladies murmured. Miss Bonkowski had been their pride, +their boast, nor did their allegiance falter now, even in the face of +the Angel's claims to superiority. + +Miss Bonkowski was not ungrateful for this expression of loyalty, which +she acknowledged with a smile, as she tightened the buckle on the very +high-heeled and coquettish slipper she was rejuvenating, but she +protested, nevertheless, that all this did not alter the fact that the +Angel must be clothed. + +"As fer th' dirt," said the energetic Mrs. O'Malligan, on whose ample +lap the Angel was at that moment sitting in smiling friendliness, "sure +an' I'll be afther washin' her handful uv clothes ivery wake, meself, +an' what with them dozens of dresses I'm doin' fer Mrs. Tony's childers +all th' time, it's surely a few she'd be a-givin' me, whin I tell her +about th' darlint, an' me a niver askin' fer nothin' at all, along of +all mine bein' boys. Sure an' I'll be a-beggin' her this very day, I +will, whin I carry me washin' home." + +And Mrs. O'Malligan being as good as her word, and Mrs. Tony +successfully interviewed, the good Irish lady returned home in triumph +bearing a large bundle of cast-off garments, and at once summoned the +Tenement to her apartments. + +The first arrived ladies were already giving vent to their appreciation +of the Tony generosity when Miss Carew and Miss Bonkowski arrived, +Mary's bony face, in deference to the angelic prejudices now ruling her, +red and smarting from an energetic application of the same soap as +ministered to her room's needs, but beaming with a grim pride as she +bore the radiant Angel, wild with delight at getting out of her narrow +quarters. + +Yielding to the popular voice, though not without reluctance, Mary +placed her darling in Mrs. O'Malligan's lap, and the process of +exhibiting and trying on the garments began at once. + +For a time her small ladyship yielded graciously, until seeing her +pretty feet bared that the little stockings and half worn shoes might be +fitted, she suddenly cast her eyes about the circle of ladies, and won +by the pretty, dark beauty of young Mrs. Repetto, the Tenement's bride +of a month's standing, imperiously demanded that lady to take the pink +toes to market. + +Overcome with having the public attention thus drawn upon her, pretty +Mrs. Repetto in the best Italian-English she could muster, confessed her +inability to either understand or comply, whereupon the baby, bearing no +malice in her present high good-humor, proceeded to take them herself. + +"This little pig went to market," the angelic accents declared, while +her ladyship smiled sweetly upon Mrs. Repetto, and Mary Carew +breathlessly motioned for silence with all the pride of a doting +parent. + +"This little pig stayed home--" the ladies on the outskirts pressed near +that they too might hear. + +"This little pig had bread and cheese," whereupon Mrs. Repetto +recovering, went down on her knees to be nearer the scene of exploit. + +"This little pig had none;" the interest now was breathless, and as the +last little pig went squeaking home the ladies nearest fell upon the +darling and covered her with kisses. + +"An' it's jus' that smart she is, all the time," declared Mary Carew +proudly, "an' 'taint like she's showin' off, either, is it, Norma?" + +When at last the trying on was over, and the Tony generosity was +sufficiently enlarged upon, the ladies, as is the way with the best of +the sex, fell into a mild gossip before separating. And while racy bits +of Tenement shortcomings were being handed around, the small object of +this gathering, too young, alas, to know the joys denied her because of +her limited abilities to understand the nature of the conversation, +slipped down from Mrs. O'Malligan's lap, and eluding Mary's absent +hold, proceeded to journey about the room, until reaching the open +door, she took her way, unobserved, out of the O'Malligan first floor +front and leaving its glories of red plush furniture and lace curtains +behind her, forthwith made her way out the hall door into the street. + +The hot, garbage-strewn pavements and sunbaked gutters swarmed with the +sons and daughters of the Tenement. Directly opposite its five-storied +front was the rear entrance to the Fourth Regiment Armory. And there, at +that moment, a sad-eyed, swarthy Italian,--swinging his hand-organ down +on the asphalt pavement in front of the Armory's open doors, was +beginning to grind out his melodies. And with the first note, children +came running, from doorstep and curb, from sidewalk and gutter, while, +at the same moment, in the open door of the Armory appeared a small, +chubby-cheeked boy, who had upon his head a soldier cap so much too +large for him as to cover the tips of his ears entirely, and who, +moreover, wore, buckled about his waist, a belt gay as to trimmings and +glittering with silver finishings. If the Fourth Regiment boasted a +Company of Lilliputian Guards here surely was a member. + +The Angel, in the Tenement door, was enchanted. How different a world +from that upstairs room under the roof! She kept step to the music and +nodded her head to the fascinating little boy in the Armory door. And +the sharp eyes of that young gentleman had no sooner espied the nodding +little creature in the doorway opposite, than heels together, head +erect, up went a quick hand to the military cap. The Angel was being +saluted, and while her ignorance of the fact prevented her appreciating +that honor, the friendliness of the little boy was alluring. Down the +steps she came, her little feet tripping to the measure of the music, +her skirts outheld, and flitting across the pavement and over the curb, +she made for the group of children in the street. Cobblestones, however, +being strange to the baby feet, up those dancing members tripped and +down the Angel fell, just as a wagon came dashing around the corner of +the streets. + +Out rushed the small boy from the Armory door, and, scattering the crowd +around the organ, caught the fallen Angel by the arm, and raised his +hand with an air of authority, as, with a grin, the driver on the wagon +drew up his horse and surveyed the group, and the sad-eyed Italian, +recognizing the superior attraction, shouldered his organ and moved on. + +"Hello," cried the man on the wagon seeing the child was not hurt, "yer +can soak me one if it ain't little Joe! Where'd yer git dem togs, kid? +What'r' yer goin' in fer anyhow, baby perlice?" + +The region in the neighborhood of Joey's waist swelled with pride, and +his chubby face bore a look of wounded dignity. "There ain't no perlice +about this yere, Bill, it's a sojer I be, see?" + +Being pressed by Bill to explain himself, Joey unbent. "Yer see, Bill, +Dad ain't never showed up fer to git me--seen anything of Dad since he +got out, Bill?" + +Bill nodded. + +"What's he up to now?" queried Joey. + +"Shovin' the queer," admitted Bill laconically, "nabbed right off an' in +the cooler waitin' his turn, yer won't be troubled by him fer quite a +spell, I'll give yer dat fer a pointer, see?" + +Joey saw, and for the space of half a second seemed somewhat sobered by +the intelligence. "I guessed as much," said he, "yer see, after he got +nabbed first, mammy she--yer didn't know as mammy took an' died, did +yer, Bill?" and Joey faltered and let the Angel take possession of his +cap and transfer it to her own curly head while the Tenement children +applauded with jeering commendation, seeing there was a standing feud +between Joey and the rest of the juvenile populace over its possession. + +"No," Bill allowed, he did not know it, but, seeing that she was always +ailing, Bill was in no wise surprised. + +"An'--an' since then, I'm stayin' over ter th' Arm'ry wid Old G. A. R. +Yer know him, Bill, Old G. A. R. what takes care of th' Arm'ry. He was +there afore yer left th' grocery." + +Bill remembered the gentleman. + +"I stays wid him an' he drills me an' makes me scrub, hully gee, how he +do make me wash meself, Bill! An' there's one sojer-man, th' Cap'n, he +give me these togs, he did, an' he tol' Old G. A. R. to lem'me eat along +wid him over ter Dutchy's Res'traunt," nodding toward a cheap +eating-house at the corner, "an' he'd stand fer it. They calls me major, +all of 'em to th' Arm'ry, Bill, see?" and Joey was waxing voluble +indeed, when he turned to see the mob of jeering children make off up +the street, his cap in their midst, while the wailing Angel was being +rescued from under the horse's very hoofs by Mary Carew. + +Joey put his spirit of inquiry before even his cap. "Is she er Angel, +say?" he inquired of Miss Carew, turning his back on Bill without +ceremony who with a grin and a nod to the group of Tenement ladies at +the door, drove off, "I heerd yer had er Angel over there, but I didn't +know as it was straight, what they was givin' me, see?" + +"That's what she is, the darling yonder," declared Miss Bonkowski from +the curbstone, nodding airily, "you've got it straight this time, Joey. +And if what Peter O'Malligan says about your picking her up just now is +so, you're welcome to come over some time and play with her." + +"Yes, it's true," supplemented Mary Carew, trying to pacify the +struggling Angel in her arms who, gazing after the children, showed a +decided inclination to descend to human level and mingle with them of +earth, "it's true an' that's jus' what she is,--the Angel of this +Tenement, an', as Norma says, you're free to come over and play with +her, though there ain't many of you I'd say it to;" and with that the +tall, gaunt Mary bearing the baby, followed Norma into the house and up +the narrow, broken stairs, and along the dark halls past door after door +closed upon its story of squalor and poverty, until, at last, panting +with the child's weight, she reached their own abode under the roof. + +"Which," as Mary had been wont, in the past, to observe, "was about as +near Heaven as the poor need look to get." But now, for some reason, +these bitter speeches were growing less frequent on Mary Carew's lips +since she opened her door to entertain an Angel. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +THE ANGEL BECOMES A FAIRY. + + +July passed, and in August, the heat in the room beneath the roof set +the air to shimmering like a veil before the open window, and Mary +Carew, gasping, found it harder and harder to make that extra pair of +jean pantaloons a day. And, as though the manager at the Garden Opera +House had divined that Miss Bonkowski had left another birthday behind +her, like milestones along the way, that lady's salary received a cut on +the first day of August. + +At best, the united incomes of the two made but a meagre sum, and there +was nothing for it now but to reduce expenses. The rent being one thing +that was never cut, the result was a scantier allowance of food. +Moreover, the mortals seeing to it that their heavenly visitant had her +full craving satisfied, it was small wonder that the bones in Mary's +face pressed more like knobs than ever against the tight-drawn skin, or +that the spirits of the airy, hopeful, buoyant Norma flagged. Indeed, +had not the warm-hearted, loving little creature, repaid them with quick +devotion, filling their meagre lives with new interests and affections, +despair or worse--regret for their generous impulse--must now have +seized their hearts. + +Invitations, too, grew rare, from the other ladies of the Tenement, +bidding the little stranger whose simple friendliness and baby dignity +had won them all, to dine or to sup, for hard times had fallen upon them +also. A strike at a neighboring foundry, the shutting down of the great +rolling-mill by the river had sent their husbands home for a summer +vacation, with, unfortunately, no provision for wages, a state of +affairs forbidding even angels' visits, when the angel possessed so +human a craving for bread. + +Even Mrs. O'Malligan, whose chief patron, Mrs. Tony, together with her +children and their dozens of dresses, had gone for a summer outing, had +no more on her table than her own family could dispose of. + +But the Angel,--"'Eaving bless her," as Mrs. Tomlin was wont to observe +when the Angel, coming to see the baby, would stand with grave wonder, +touching the pallid little cheek with a rosy finger to make the baby +smile,--the Angel noted nothing of all this. Even the memory of +"_Mamma_" was fading, and Mary, Norma, the Tenement, the friendly +children swarming staircase and doorway, were fast becoming her small +world. + +With instinct born of her profession, the chorus-lady had long ago +recognized the wonderful grace and buoyancy of the child's every +movement, and to her surprise found that the baby had quite a knowledge +of dancing. + +"Who taught you how, my precious?" she would ask, when the child, as if +from the very love of motion, would catch and spread her skirts, and, +with pointed toe, trip about the room, "tell your Norma who taught the +darling how to dance?" + +The baby glancing over her shoulder, with the little frown of +displeasure that always greeted such ignorance on Norma's part, had but +one reply: "Tante," she would declare, and continue her measured walk +about the floor. So, for pastime, Norma began teaching her the figures +of a dance then on the boards at the Opera House, to which her little +ladyship lent herself with readiness. The motions, sometimes approaching +the grotesque in the lean and elderly chorus-lady as she bobbed about +the limited space, courtesying, twirling, pirouetting, her blonde hair +done up in kids,--herself in the abbreviated toilet of pink calico sack +and petticoat reserved for home hours, changed to unconscious grace and +innocent abandon in the light, clean-limbed child, who learned with +quickness akin to instinct, and who seemed to follow Norma's movements +almost before they were completed. + +"It is wonderful--amazing!" Miss Bonkowski would exclaim, pausing for +breath, "it is _genius_," and her voice would pause and fall reverently +before the words, and the lesson would be resumed with greater +enthusiasm than before. + +But many were the days when, Norma away at rehearsal and Mary Carew, +hot, tired, alas, even cross,--totally irresponsive to anything but the +stitching of jean pantaloons,--the Angel would grow tired of the stuffy +room and long for the forbidden dangers and delights of Tenement +sidewalks. Then, often, with nothing else to do, she would catch up her +tiny skirts and whirl herself into the dance Norma had taught her, in +and out among the furniture crowding the room, humming little broken +snatches of music for herself, bending, swaying, her bright eyes full of +laughter as they met Mary's tired ones, her curls bobbing, until +breathless, hot and weary she would drop on the floor and fall asleep, +her head pillowed on her soft dimpled arm. + +But on one of these long, hot mornings when the heat seemed to stream in +as from a furnace at the window and even the flies buzzed languidly, the +Angel was seized with another idea for passing time. Her vocabulary of +Tenement vernacular was growing too, and she chattered unceasingly. + +"C'rew, didn't a fink Angel might go find her mamma?" she demanded on +this particular morning. + +"To-morrow," said C'rew, and the click in her tired voice sounded even +above the whirring of the heavy machine, for C'rew's head ached and her +back ached, and possibly her heart ached too, for herself and Norma and +the child and poor people in one-windowed tenement rooms in general. + +"Didn't a fink she might go play with little Joey?" + +"No," said Mary decidedly, and she leaned back wearily and pushed her +thin, colorless hair off her hot, throbbing temples, "no, you played +down on the pavement with Joey an' th' rest yesterday, an the sun made +you sick. But," with haste to avert the cloud lowering over the baby +face, "if you'll be real good an' not worry her, you can go down an' see +Mrs. O'Malligan." + +Fair weather prevailed again on the pretty face, and at Mary's word the +Angel was at the open door, tugging at the chair placed crossways to +keep her from venturing out unobserved, and with a sigh and a guilty +look at the pile of unfinished work, Mary rose and carried her down to +the good Irish lady's door, and, with a word, hurried back. + +Mrs. O'Malligan, big, beaming and red, smiled a moist but hearty welcome +from over her tubs toward the little figure in the faded gingham +standing shyly in the open doorway. "An' it's proud to see ye I am, me +Angel," she declared, "though there's never a childer in call to be +playin' wid ye." + +But the Angel, nothing daunted, smiled back in turn, and climbed into a +chair, and the two forthwith fell into friendly conversation, though it +is doubtful if either understood one-half of what the other was talking +about. + +Presently Mrs. O'Malligan, with many apologies, went out into the back +court to hang out the last of the family wash, and on her return, +stopping short in the doorway, her jolly red face spread into a +responsive smile. "The saints presarve us," she cried, "would ye look at +the child?" for in the tub of blue rinsing water sat the gleeful Angel, +water trickling from her yellow hair and from every stitch of clothing, +while her evident enjoyment of the cool situation found a response in +Mrs. O'Malligan's kind and indulgent heart. + +"Angel take a baf," was the smiling though superfluous explanation +which came from the infant Undine. + +"An' it's right ye are," laughed Mrs. O'Malligan, "an' sure I'll be +afther givin' ye a rale wan meself," and filling an empty tub with clean +water, the brisk lady soon had the baby stripped to her firm, white skin +and standing in the tub. + +And what with the splashings of the naughty feet, and the wicked tumbles +into the soap-suds every time the mischievous little body was rinsed, +and Mrs. O'Malligan's "Whist, be aisy," and "It's a tormentin' darlint +ye are," they heard nothing of the knocks at the door or the calls, nor +knew that Miss Bonkowski, in street dress and hat, had entered, until +she stood beside them with an armful of clean clothes. + +"Was there ever such luck," she cried excitedly, "to find her all washed +and just ready! Mary said she was here, and so I just brought her clean +clothes down with me to save a trip back upstairs. Wipe her quickly, +please," and with hands and tongue going, Miss Norma explained that one +of the children in the juvenile dance on the boards at The Garden Opera +House had been suddenly taken ill, and a matinée advertised for the next +day. + +"And it happens lucky enough," she went on, addressing the ladies who, +catching wind of the excitement, had speedily gathered about the +doorway, "it just happens I have been teaching her this very dance, and +if she don't get frightened, I believe she will be able to take the +place." + +So saying, Miss Bonkowski gave a pull out and a last finishing pat to +the strings of the embroidered muslin bonnet the child had worn on her +first appearance, and taking her, clean, dainty, smiling and expectant, +into her arms, Miss Norma plunged out of the comparative coolness of the +Tenement hallway into the glare of the August sun. + +But all this while the little brain was at work. "Goin' to Angel's +mamma,--her goin' to her mamma," suddenly the child broke forth as Norma +hurried along the hot streets, and the little hand beat a gleeful tattoo +as it rested on Norma's shoulder. + +Norma paused on the crowded sidewalk, to take breath beneath the shade +of a friendly awning. "Not to-day, my angel," she panted, "to-day your +Norma is going to take her precious where there are ever so many nice +little girls for her to dance with." + +"Angel likes to dance with little girls, Norma," admitted the baby, +while Norma made ready to thread her way across the street through the +press of vehicles. + +"I'll not say one word to her about being frightened," reflected the +wise chorus lady, "and she's such an eager little darling, thinking of +other things and trying to do her best, maybe she won't think of it. If +she can only keep the place while that child is sick,--what a help the +money would be!"--and the usually hopeful Norma sighed as she hurried in +the side entrance of the handsome stone building known to the public as +The Garden Opera House. + + * * * * * + +The next afternoon, at The Garden Opera House, as the bell rang for the +curtain to rise, Mary Carew, in best attire of worn black dress and +cheap straw hat, was putting the Angel into the absent fairy's cast-off +shell, which consisted of much white tarlatan as to skirts and much +silver tinsel as to waist, with a pair of wonderful gauzy wings at sight +of which the Angel was enraptured. + +Miss Bonkowski being, as she expressed it, "on in the first scene," Mary +Carew had been obliged to forsake jean pantaloons for the time being and +come to take charge of the child, who in her earnest, quick, +enthusiastic little fashion had done her part and gone through the +rehearsal better even than the sanguine Norma had hoped, and after +considerable drilling had satisfied the authorities that she could fill +the vacancy. + +As for the Angel, in her friendly fashion she had enjoyed herself +hugely, accepting the homage of the other children like a small queen, +graciously permitting herself to be enthused over by the various ladies +who, like Norma, constituted "the chorus," and carrying home numerous +offerings, from an indigestible wad of candy known as "an +all-day-sucker," given her by her fairy-partner, to a silver quarter +given her by the blonde and handsome tenor. + +"She is the most fascinating little creature I ever met in my life," +the prima donna had cried to the excited Miss Bonkowski, who had never +been addressed by that great personage before,--"did you ever see such +heavenly eyes,--not blue--violet--and such a smile--like the sun through +tears! Who is she,--where did she come from? Such grace,--such poise!" + +The Angel's story was recited to quite an audience, in Miss Bonkowski's +most dramatic manner. But long before the chorus lady had finished, the +great singer, lending but a wandering attention after the few facts were +gathered, had coaxed the child into her silken lap, and with the mother +touch which lies in every real woman's fingers from doll-baby days +upward, was fondling and re-touching the rings of shining hair, and, +with the mother-notes which a child within one's arms brings into every +womanly woman's voice, was cooing broken endearments into the little +ear. + +Meanwhile the Angel gazed into the beautiful face with the calm and +critical eyes of childhood. But what she saw there must have satisfied, +for, with a sigh of content, she finally settled back against the +encircling arm. "Pretty lady," was her candid comment. "Angel loves +her." + +Flattered and praised as she had been, it is doubtful if the great +singer had ever received a tribute to her charms that pleased her more. +"Bring her to my room to-morrow to dress her," she said to Miss +Bonkowski in soft, winning tones that were nevertheless a command, +unpinning the two long-stemmed roses she wore and putting them in the +baby fingers, "and bring her early, mind!" And so it was that Mary +Carew, nervous and awkward, was there now, doing her best to dress the +excited little creature, whom nothing could keep still a second at a +time. + +"Thank you, ma'am," Mary managed to breathe as the great personage, +turning the full radiance of her beauty upon the bewildered seamstress, +took the necklace of flashing jewels from her maid's fingers and bade +her help Mary. + +The great lady laughed. "You're nervous, aren't you?" she said +good-humoredly, too human not to be pleased at this unconscious tribute +on Mary's part. + +"If the child can only do it right, ma'am," said Mary, in a voice she +hardly knew for her own, overcome this by graciousness no less than by +the splendor. + +"Right," said the lady, clasping a bracelet upon her round, white arm, +and settling her trailing draperies preparatory to going on, "right! Of +course she will, who ever heard of an Angel going wrong!" and laughing +she sailed away. + +"Now," cried Miss Bonkowski, rushing in a little later, "give her to me, +quick, Mary! If you stand right here in the wings you can see nicely," +and the excited lady, wonderful as to her blonde befrizzlement, gorgeous +as to pink skirt, blue bodice and not the most cleanly of white waists, +bore the Angel, like a rosebud in a mist of gauze, away. + +Left alone amid the bustle and confusion Mary stood where Norma had +directed, gazing out upon the stage like one in a dream. Never in all +her colorless life had she been in the midst of such bewildering +splendors before. Was it any wonder that Norma Bonkowski was different +from the rest of the Tenement when she shared such scenes daily? + +Still further dazed by the music and the glimpses she could catch of the +brilliantly lighted house, Mary held her breath and clasped her hands as +she gazed out on the stage where, across the soft green, from among the +forest trees, into the twilighted opening, glided the fairies; waving +their little arms, tripping slowly as if half-poised for flight, +listening, bending, swaying, whirling, faster, swifter, they broke into +"The Grand Spectacular Ballet of the Fairies," as the advertisements of +the opera phrased it. Faster, swifter still, noiselessly they spun, +here, there, in, out, in bewildering maze until, as the red and yellow +lights cast upon the stage changed into green, their footsteps +slackened, faltered, their heads, like tired flowers, drooped, and each +on its mossy bank of green,--the fairies sank to sleep. + +All? All but one; one was left, in whose baby mind was fixed an +unfaltering supposition that she must dance, as she had done alone, over +and over again at the rehearsals for her tiny benefit, until the music +stopped. So, while Norma Bonkowski wrung her hands and the stage +manager swore, and all behind the scenes was confusion and dismay, the +Angel danced on. + +The prima donna whose place it now was, as the forsaken princess, lost +in the forest, to happen upon the band of sleeping fairies, waited at +her entrance, watching the child as, catching and spreading her fan-like +skirts of gauze, she bent, swayed, flitted to and fro, her eyes big and +earnest with intentness to duty, her yellow hair flying, all +unconscious, in the fierce glare of the colored lights, of the sea of +faces in the house before her. + +With a sudden flash of intuition Norma Bonkowski flew to the manager. +"Stop the music, make them stop," she begged. + +He glared at her savagely, but nevertheless communicated the order to +the orchestra, and as the music waned to a mere wailing of the violin, +the little dancer, rosy, hot, tired, whirled slower, slower,--then sank +on her bed of green, and like her companions feigned sleep with the +cunning pretence of childhood. + +But not even then could the prima donna make her appearance, for, in the +storm of applause which followed, the revived efforts of the orchestra +were drowned. + +The face of the manager broadened into smiles, Norma Bonkowski fell +against Mary Carew with tears of relief, and the prima donna with +good-natured readiness stepped upon the stage, lifted the now frightened +child who, at the noise, had sprung up in alarm, and carried her out to +the footlights, the other children peeping, but too well drilled, poor +dears, to otherwise stir. The audience paused. + +"Wave bye-bye to the little girl over there," whispered the prima donna +with womanly readiness, nodding toward the nearest box, filled with +children eagerly enjoying "The Children's Opera of the Princess Blondina +and the Fairies." + +Though frightened and ready to cry, the Angel waved her hand obediently, +and the prima donna, nodding and smiling in the unaffected fashion which +was half her own charm, carried the child off the stage amid applause as +enthusiastic as she herself was used to receiving. + +It had all taken place in a very few minutes, but as the smiling singer +said, handing the Angel over to the manager, even in those few moments, +"She has made the hit of the season," then, turning, re-entered the +stage, her voice, with its clear bell-like tones, filling the house with +the song, "Blondina Awakening The Fairies." + +Nor did it end with this, for the Angel was forthwith engaged, at what +seemed to Norma and Mary a fabulous price, to repeat her solo dance at +every Wednesday and Saturday matinée during the further run of the +opera. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +THE ANGEL RESCUES MR. TOMLIN. + + +It was on the afternoon that Mary carried back her week's completed work +that Norma, receiving an unexpected summons to the Opera House, was +obliged, though with many misgivings, to leave the Angel in the charge +of Joey. "But what else could I do," she reasoned afterward, "with Mrs. +O'Malligan out and Mrs. Tomlin sick, and nobody else willing, it +appeared, to see to her?" + +True, she had cautioned Joey, over and over again about keeping the +child away from the window, and about staying right in the room until +her return; but, notwithstanding, Norma could hardly have gotten to the +corner before Joey, promptly forgetting his promise, and finding the +room a dull playground, was enticing his charge into the hall and +straightway down the stairs. + +At the bottom of the second flight, the two children came upon Mr. +Tomlin entertaining two gentlemen callers. Only the week before, the +Tenement had been called upon to mourn with the Tomlins, whose baby had +been carried away in a little coffin after the fashion of tenement +babies when the thermometer climbs up the scale near to one hundred. And +since then, Mrs. Tomlin, refusing to be comforted, had taken to her bed, +thus making it necessary for her husband to receive his company in the +hall. + +The callers, who, together with their host, were sitting on the steps, +moved aside to allow the children to pass. The larger of the gentlemen +was unpleasantly dirty, with a ragged beard and a shock of red hair. The +other was a little man with quick black eyes and a pleasant smile. +Passing these by, the Angel paused on the step above Mr. Tomlin and +slipped her arms around his neck. + +"Pick a back, my Tomlin," she sweetly commanded in the especially +imperious tones she reserved for Mr. Tomlin's sex, "get up, horsey." + +The good-natured giant, for such her Tomlin was, shouldered her as one +would some precious burden liable to break, grinned, stood up and +obediently trotted the length of the hall and back. + +Joey, meanwhile, legs apart, stood eyeing the visitors attentively. +"Keep up that kind of talk," the dirty gentleman was urging, "and we've +got him. He's worth any three of ordinary strength, and he's a favorite +with the men, too." + +Here the horse and his rider returned. "What a got in a pocket for +Angel?" the young autocrat proceeded to demand when lifted down. Of all +her masculine subjects in the Tenement, Mr. Tomlin was her veriest +slave. + +He produced a soiled but gay advertising picture. Her ladyship put out +her hand. "But you must give us a dance fer it," coaxed Mr. Tomlin, +anxious to display the talent of the Tenement. "She's the young 'un as +dances at the Op'ry House, the kid is," he explained to his visitors, +"they've had her pictoor in the papers, too. Miss Bonkowski, the +chorus-lady upstairs, she's got one of them, came out in a Sunday +supplement, though I can't say I see the likeness myself." + +At this, the two gentlemen, who had seemed decidedly bored than +otherwise at the interruption, deigned to bestow a moment of their +attention upon the beautiful child in the faded gingham dress. + +"She got skeered to the theyater the other day," put in Joey, "an' most +cried when they clapped so, an' they promised her anything she wanted if +she wouldn't next time----" + +"And her didn't cwy," declared the baby, turning a pair of indignantly +reproachful eyes upon Joey, "her danced, her didn't cwy." + +"Ain't yer goin' to dance fer us now?" coaxed Mr. Tomlin. + +"No," said the Angel naughtily, then relenting at sight of her Tomlin's +face, "her'll sing, her won't dance." + +The pleasant gentleman, thinking, perhaps to please Mr. Tomlin, or maybe +to get rid of them the sooner, produced a red ribbon badge. "Ef ze will +sing," he said, showing his white teeth as he smiled, "ze shall hav it." + +Turning to view this new party, her ladyship treated him to a brief +examination, but evidently approving of him, began to sing with no more +ado: + + "Je suis si l'enfant gaté + Tra la la la, tra la la, + Car je les aime les petits patés. + Et les confitures, + Si vous voulez me les donner + Je suis trčs bien obligé, + Tra la la la, tra la la, + Tra la la la, tra la la." + +Only a word here and there could have been intelligible, but their +effect upon the pleasant gentleman was instantaneous. He broke into a +torrent of foreign exclamations and verbosity, showing his teeth and +gesticulating with his hands. + +A strange light came into the baby's face and she held out her arms to +the little man entreatingly. "Oui, oui," she cried, a spot of red +burning on each cheek, "you take Angel to her mamma, take Angel to her +mamma!" + +But here the door of the Tomlin's room opened hastily, and the neighbor +who was sitting with the sick woman thrust out her head. "She's talkin' +mighty wild an' out her head," she said, "you'd better come to her." + +Mr. Tomlin rose hastily, while the dark little man, yielding to the +child's entreaties, took her in his arms. + +But the red-headed gentleman laid a dirty hand on Mr. Tomlin's arm. +"Just as I was saying," he said, as if resuming a broken-off +conversation, "no doctor, no medicine. Why? No work, no wages. Why? The +heel of the rich man grinding the poor to the earth." + +Mr. Tomlin hesitated. + +"It's entirely a meeting of Union men. No violence advocated. A +mass-meeting to discuss appointing committees to demand work." + +"Ze outcry of ze oppressed," put in the pleasant gentleman, looking out +from behind the Angel's fair little head, and showing his white teeth in +his smile, "in zer union ees zere only strength." + +Mr. Tomlin's door opened still more violently. "She's a-beggin' as +you'll get her some ice," announced the neighbor, "she says she's +burnin' up." + +"God A'mighty!" burst forth the giant, "I ain't got a cent on earth to +get her nothin'," and he turned toward the two men fiercely, his great +brows meeting over his sullen eyes, "yes, I'll come, you can count on +me," and he went in the door. + +"Liberty Square by the statue, four o'clock," called the dirty gentleman +after him, while the pleasant gentleman put the Angel hastily down. +"Adieu, mon enfant," he cried, showing his teeth as he smiled back over +his shoulder, and followed his companion down the stairs. + +In time Joey and his weeping charge also reached the bottom. Not a word +of the conversation had escaped the sharp ears of the Major. "It's past +two, now," he soliloquized, "an' he said Liberty Square, four o'clock. I +know where the statoo is. Yer follows the cars from front of th' arm'ry +an' they goes right there, 'cause that's where the Cap'n's office is. +Don'tcher cry no more, Angel," with insinuating coaxing in his tones, +"I'll take yer there if yer wanter go." + +The Angel slipped her hand in his obediently, and the two forthwith +proceeded to leave the neighborhood of the Tenement behind them, +undeterred by the friendly overtures of Petey O'Malligan and his +colleagues to join in with their pastimes. + +"We ain't got no time fer foolin'," confided Joey, hurrying her along, +"there'll be flags an' hollerin', an' we wanter get there in time." + +On reaching the car line the small Major was obliged to slacken his +speed, for, while, in a measure, the Angel had caught the spirit of his +enthusiasm, yet her legs refused to keep pace with his haste. + +"Ef yer was still ter heaven, Angel," the Major pondered, as they stood +on the street corner getting breath, "yerz wouldn't need ter use yer +legs at all, would yer? Yer'd jus' take out an' fly across this yere +street, waggins an' trucks an' all, wouldn't yer?" + +The Angel cast her eyes upon him doubtfully. + +"That's what my mammy tol' me about Angels," Joey declared stoutly. + +"Angel didn't a never fly," nevertheless the baby stated with +conviction. + +Joey looked disappointed, and even unconvinced. Then his face +brightened. "That's 'cause you was too little, like that canary at th' +Res't'rant what ain't got its feathers yet. You was too little fer yer +wings to have growed afore you come away," and his lively imagination +having thus settled the problem, the two continued their way. + +"Yer see how it is," he observed presently, evidently having been +revolving the subject in his busy brain, "ef Mis' Tomlin had th' doctor +an' some ice, she'd get well, she would, an' Mr. Tomlin, he's goin' to +this yere meetin' to see about work, so's he can get 'em fer her. But +'tain't no use fer workin' men to beg for work these yere days," he +added with a comical air of wisdom. "I heerd Old G. A. R. say, I did, to +a man what comes ter talk politics wid him, that beggin' th' rich people +to help yer was jus' like buttin' yer head agin a brick wall, so what +good's it goin' ter do if he does go?" + +The Angel nodded amiably, and slipped her hand in Joey's that she might +the better keep up. They had passed the region of small shops and were +passing through a better portion of the city. Before a tall stone house, +one of a long row, a girl stood singing, while a boy played an +accompaniment on a harp. As Joey and his charge reached them, a lady, +with a group of children clustered about her, threw some pennies out +the window to the young musicians. + +"Did yer see that, Angel," demanded Joey, "did yer ketch onter that +little game? We c'n do that. I c'n whis'le an' you c'n sing, an' we'll +make 'nough to get Mis' Tomlin th' ice ourselves. If yer do," continued +the wily Joey, "I tell yer what,--we'll go home on the cable cars, we +will." And he hurried his small companion along the sunny sidewalks, +still following the line of the cable cars, until they came to a +business street again, this time of large and handsome stores. Here, +before the most imposing, Joey paused, and cast a calculating eye upon +the stream of shoppers passing in and out. "Now, Angel, sing," he +commanded. + +The footsore, tired Angel, hot and cross, declined to do it. "Her wants +to sit down an' west," she declared. + +"We'll sit down out there on ther curbstone an' rest soon as yer sing +some," promised the Major. So, taking up their stand on the flagging +outside the entrance of the big store, the bare-headed Angel, in her +worn gingham frock, highbred and beautiful as a little princess, +despite it, struck up with as much effect as a bird's twitter might +make. Finding that his whistle in no way corresponded to the song, Joey +wisely contented himself with holding out his soldier's cap. + +Two such babies, one with so innocent, and the other with so comically +knowing a smile, could not but attract attention. Some laughed, some +sighed, some stopped to question, many dropped pennies and some put +nickels, and even a dime or two into Joey's cap, while one stout and +good-humored woman opened the paper bag she carried and put a sponge +cake in each hand. But at this point, seeing that the policeman in +charge of the crossing had more than once cast a questioning eye upon +them, Joey decided to move on. "We'll have ter hurry anyhow," he +observed, "ter get to ther speakin' in time. If you'll come on, Angel, +'thout restin', I'll tell yer what,--I'll buy yer a banana, I will, +first ones we see." And the weary Angel, thus beguiled, dragged her +tired feet along in Joey's wake. + + * * * * * + +The slanting rays from the setting sun were falling across Liberty +Square, on the statue of that great American who declared all men to be +created equal, on the sullen faces of hundreds of idle men who stood +beneath its shadow, listening to speech after speech from various +speakers, speeches of a nature best calculated to coax the smouldering +resentment in their hearts into a blaze. + +On the outskirts of the park-like square a small boy was urging a +smaller girl to hurry. "Angel's legs won't go no more," the diminutive +female was wailing as her companion dragged her along. + +Meanwhile the impassioned words of the last oration were being echoed +and emphasized by mutterings and imprecations. The mob, in fact, was +beginning to respond, just as its promoters had intended that it should, +and as their dangerous eloquence continued to pour forth, the emotions +of the crowd accordingly grew fiercer, louder, until from sullen +mutterings, the applauding echoes grew to clamor and uproar. And +following the impassioned harangue of the last speaker upon the +program--a red-haired gentleman, unpleasantly dirty--the cheers gave +place to groans, the groans grew to threats, to curses, and the +confusion spread like the roar of a coming storm. + +Suddenly above the noise, came the measured tramp of feet. In the +momentary lull succeeding, "The police, the police," a voice rang out on +the silence, and the single cry swelled to a roar from hundreds of +throats, and as suddenly died away to an expectant silence. At that a +voice, loud with authority, rang out upon the stillness, "In the name of +the Commonwealth," the measured words declared, "I command you to +immediately and peaceably disperse!" + +The answer came in a chorus of jeers, hoots, yells of derision, and the +howling mob began to seize whatever promised to be a weapon of defense +or attack. Growing in numbers as dusk fell, the crowd now was spreading +back into the surrounding streets. Merchants who had not already done +so, were hurriedly closing their stores. The cars were blocked, and foot +travellers fleeing in all directions. From the thickest of the crowd, a +mighty creature of bone and muscle, a giant in height and breadth, +grasping an iron support twisted from a bench, had forced his way out to +the street, and now was using it to pry up the bricks from the sidewalk, +which in turn were seized by his companions. + +Above the uproar and confusion the voice of authority, ringing out its +words of command, was heard again. + +Head and shoulders above the crowd, the giant stood erect, waving his +iron bar above his head. "At 'em, men," he cried, "at 'em before they +fire!" + +But as he paused, another cry arose, a frightened, childish wail, that +came from a very diminutive female clinging to his knees. "My Tomlin," +it cried. + +The giant's arm dropped, and as the crowd swept on and left him +standing, Mr. Tomlin looked down to behold the Angel, and holding fast +to her, the badly frightened but defiant personage of Joey. + +The giant caught the Angel up in his arms. "Hold on to my coat," he +cried to Joey, and speedily, such of the crowd as had not swept by in +their charge against the police, fell back on either side before Mr. +Tomlin's mighty fist. Fighting desperately, he reached the edge, and +seizing Joey, dragged him across the car tracks as the crash of stones, +the breaking of glass, the sharp crack of firearms, told of the meeting +of the forces behind him. + +Howls of rage, of pain, of defiance answered, followed by further +crashing of stones and splintering of glass in street lights and car +windows, and not until they were several squares removed from the scene +of action did Mr. Tomlin pause. He then laid a heavy hand on Joey. "By +all that's--" he began. + +But Joey was ready for him, and hastily began to pour his earnings from +his jacket pocket in a pile upon the flagging. "Me an' Angel made it +a-singin' on the street fer to get ice fer Mis' Tomlin," the wily one +explained. And the tender-hearted giant, gazing from one small figure to +the other, forthwith began to sob like a child. + +And, oh, the rejoicings of the distracted Tenement when the lost Angel +was returned! And how Joey was seized and violently threatened to be as +violently forgiven. Mrs. Tomlin, given ice to her heart's content, fell +asleep, blessing the Angel for having rescued her husband from the +almost certain hands of the law. And when, next day, it was learned that +various and sundry of Mr. Tomlin's friends, among them the red-haired +gentleman and his dark companion, had been arrested, while Mr. Tomlin +was safe at home, the Angel became more than ever the pride and idol of +the Tenement. + +"There's some'n' mighty wrong," Mr. Tomlin was heard arguing soon after, +"for a man with the bone and muscle to 'em as I've got, wantin' work an' +willin' to do anything, yet havin' to starve--but whatever it is as is +wrong, I'm thinkin' mobs ain't the way to right it." + +"An' if he'd only hed th' sinse to make the furrin' gintleman as could +talk the gibberish to question th' Angel choild," said Mrs. O'Malligan +indignantly, "sure an' we moight have larned all about her by this +toime, entoirely, for there's mony a thing she's tried to tell us an' +can't for the want of a worrud. But foind me a man of yer as does any +thinkin' 'thout his woman there to prompt him," she quoth +contemptuously, "an' I'll foind ye a polaceman as isn't a meddler in +other folks' affairs, as this yere mob is jist anither provin' of." + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +THE MAJOR SUPERINTENDS THE ANGEL'S EDUCATION. + + +"It's a nice, cool morning," said the ever sanguine Miss Bonkowski to +Joey, one day late in September, "so, if you will give me your solemn +promise--" and Miss Norma paused impressively, emphasizing her words +with nods of her blonde head, "not to go to any speakings, nor yet to +the dock to fish, nor to any fires, or to a procession, even if it's +right around the corner," and Miss Norma drew breath as she finished the +enumerating of his various exploits, "why, Angel here can play with you +until Mary Carew comes down to get her." + +The Major--his cap a little more battered, his belt somewhat the worse +from constant wear, but clean as to face and hands, having just emerged +from the morning inspection of the Armory janitor, better known to the +neighborhood as Old G. A. R.--treated Miss Bonkowski to a salute and a +confidential wink, and edged up to the smiling Angel's side. "Yer jus' +leave her wid me," he responded reassuringly, "an' I ain't goin' to do +nothin' as ain't square." + +And Miss Norma, whose faith in human nature, phoenix-like, ever sprang +up anew from the blighted hopes of former trust, accordingly turned her +darling over to Joey and hurried off. "For she's obliged to have some +one to play with and to get some fresh air somehow," the chorus-lady +argued for her own re-assuring, though it remains a mystery as to how +she could deceive herself into considering the garbage-scented +atmosphere of the neighborhood as fresh, "and Joey's by far the best of +the lot around here." + +Meanwhile, the small subject of all this solicitude, in clean frock and +smiling good-humor, responded at once to Joey's proposal, and the two +sat down on the curbstone. In the constant companionship of their two +months' acquaintance, the little Major's growing interest in the Angel +had assumed almost fatherly proportions. Hitherto this zeal had taken +itself out in various expeditions for her entertainment similar to the +one ending in Mr. Tomlin's rescue. To-day it was produced in the shape +of a somewhat damaged peach purchased with a stray penny. But the Angel, +in her generous fashion, insisting on a division of the dainty, Joey at +first stoutly declining, weakened and took half, seeing to it, however, +that his was the damaged side. + +"When yer was up there," he observed unctiously as he devoured his +portion--and he nodded his round little head toward that foggy and smoky +expanse about them, popularly believed by the population about the +Tenement to be the abode of angels--"when yer was up there, yer had +these kinder things every day, didn't yer?" + +If her small ladyship's word could be taken for it, in that other life +still remembered by her, she had everything, even to hoky-poky ad +libitum, to her heart's content, though her testimony framed itself into +somewhat more halting and uncertain English. + +"What did yer do up there, anyhow?" queried Joey curiously. + +"Danced," the Angel declared, daintily devoting herself to her portion +of the peach, "her danced and--her danced." + +This earthly vocation seemed to fail to appeal to Joey's imagination. +"Nothin' else?" he demanded anxiously. "Didn't yer never do nothin' +else?" + +But the Angel had fallen to poking the green contents of the gutter with +a stick, and seemed to find the present more fascinating to contemplate +than the past. + +"Didn't yer never go nowhere?" persisted Joey. + +"Her went to school," the Angel admitted, or so it sounded to Joey. + +"What 'ud yer do at school?" he inquired. + +"Danced," was the Angel's unmistakable announcement. + +Joey looked disgusted, but soon recovered and fell to revolving a new +idea in his fertile young brain. + +"I know where there is a school," he remarked. "I've never went, but I +hung on ter the window-sill an' looked in, an' if yer went ter school +up there, yer oughter be goin' down here, see!" And forthwith Joey +arose. + +Amiable as her small ladyship usually was, on this occasion, seeing +determination written on Joey's small countenance, she rebelled. "Angel +yants to stay here," the young lady declared, continuing to poke at the +contents of the gutter. + +"I don't wanter make her cry," argued Joey wisely, then cast about in +his mind for an inducement. "They have parties to that school, they do," +finally he observed, "fer I seen 'em settin' 'round tables an' eatin' +one day." + +The guileless infant rose to the bait at once, and dropped her stick and +slipped her confiding hand in Joey's. "Angel likes to have parties," she +declared, and thus lured on, she forthwith followed Joey down the +street. + + * * * * * + +"Some one to see me," repeated pretty Miss Stannard, of the Darcy +College Settlement's Free Kindergarten, and laying down her blocks she +went to the door. + +On the steps outside the entrance stood a small, chubby-cheeked boy +smiling up out of knowing brown eyes from beneath a soldier's cap many +sizes too large for him, while behind him stood a slender, graceful +child with wonderful shining hair, and eyes equally as smiling. + +The small boy treated the tall, pretty young lady to a most confiding +nod and a wink. "I've brought her ter school," he remarked. + +"Oh, have you?" returned the young lady laughing, "then I'd better +invite you in, I suppose," and she led the way toward the entry-room +where hung some dozens of shabby hats and bonnets. "And what is your +name?" she inquired. + +"Her name is Angel, it is," responded the little fellow briskly, with +emphasis on the pronoun, as if to let the young lady understand at once +that her interest need extend no further than to the prospective pupil. + +"Didn't a know I are Angel?" queried the smiling cherub with her +accustomed egotistical surprise. + +"And what is your other name?" questioned Miss Stannard smiling. + +"She ain't got no more," returned the escort succinctly. + +"And what is yours?" + +"Mine--oh, I'm just the Major, I am," with off-hand loftiness. + +"Indeed? And where do you live, Major?" + +"Fourth Reg'ment Arm'ry," responded the Major glibly. + +"And the little girl,--Angel--you said--" + +The Major looked somewhat surprised, "They come from Heaven,--Angels do, +yer know," he remarked, staring a little at the tall young lady's want +of such knowledge. + +"Yes," responded the pretty lady gently, "but where is she living now?" + +"Round by me," said the small boy briefly, showing some restlessness. + +"With her father and mother?" + +The Major, staring again, shook his head, and poor Miss Stannard, +despairing, of learning anything definite from this source, asked if he +would take her there after Kindergarten, and began to untie the little +girl's cap. + +Evidently gratified at this attention to his charge, the Major said that +he would, and followed the two into the large, sunny room adjoining. +"The children are just going on the circle," said the pretty young lady, +"won't you take my other hand and go too." + +The Major drew back hastily. "She's come ter school," he declared +indicating the Angel, "there ain't no school in it fer me. I'm a sojer, +I am." + +"Then have a chair, sir, and watch us," said the young lady, with amused +eyes, as she brought out a little red chair with polite hospitality. + +The young gentleman graciously accepting it, the Angel was forthwith +borne away to join the circle of children about the ring, and to Miss +Stannard's surprise, with no more ado, joined in the game like one +familiar with it all, waving her small hands, singing gaily and, when +her turn arrived, flitting gaily about the circle until the sash strings +of her little faded dress sailed straight out behind her. + +And the game at an end, without waiting for direction or guidance, the +newcomer marched with the other children about the big room and took +her place with them at one of the tables spread with entrancing green +and yellow papers. And here, absorbed in directing the work at her own +table, and her two assistant teachers equally absorbed at theirs, Miss +Stannard was presently aroused by a nudge from 'Tildy Peggins, the +freckle-faced young person employed in a capacity of janitress and +nursery maid. + +"Look a-yonder to that young willain, Miss Ruth," urged 'Tildy, whose +sentiments regarding the infant populace refused, despite all the +efforts of her employers, to be tempered by Kindergarten views. + +Miss Stannard looked up hastily, and so did the twenty pairs of eyes +about her table. + +From the depths of one pocket the Major had produced a cigarette, and +from the mixed contents of another he had extracted a match, and as the +twenty pairs of eyes fell on him, a fascinating curl of blue smoke was +just issuing from his lips. + +'Tildy Peggins folded her arms on her flat chest and gave vent to a +groan. Already, with her gloomy views on Kindergarten regeneration +versus innate depravity, she foresaw the contamination of every +half-subjugated small masculine in the room. + +Miss Stannard, with a shake of her head at 'Tildy, coughed slightly. +Instantly the eyes of the school left the Major and fixed themselves +expectantly on her pretty face. + +"I thought you wanted to be a soldier, Major," she observed, addressing +the small gentleman. + +"I is goin' to be," returned that unabashed gentleman, calmly sticking a +thumb in his belt, and in so doing pushing his jacket aside, so as to +further expose the military trappings about his round little person, +"I's a-goin' to be a sojer in the Fourth Regiment." + +"No, indeed," said Miss Ruth, "the members of the Fourth Regiment are +gentlemen, and a gentleman would never have smoked in here without +asking if he might." + +The Major looked somewhat moved out of his usual imperturbability. The +curl of offending smoke ceased. + +"I know a soldier," Miss Ruth went on calmly, "and what is more, he is a +member of the Fourth Regiment, but he never would have done such a +thing as you are doing." + +The cigarette trembled in the Major's irresolute fingers. + +"And even if you had asked first," the steady voice went on, "I would +have said no, for such a thing as smoking is never allowed in this +room." + +The Major's irresolute brown eyes met Miss Stannard's resolute brown +ones. Then the cigarette went out the open window behind him and the +work at the tables went on. + +Presently Miss Ruth looked up again. "Won't you come," she said +pleasantly, touching a pile of the gay papers. "Are you not tired?" + +The Major shook his head decidedly. "No, he would not," and finding a +chip among the apparently inexhaustible stores of his pockets, he next +produced a knife boasting an inch of blade and went to whittling upon +'Tildy's immaculate floor. + +Miss Ruth saw it all, and presently saw the chip fall to the floor and +the round head begin to nod. Then, with 'Tildy Peggins' gloomy and +disapproving eye upon her at this act of overture, she crossed the room. +"Major," said Miss Ruth, just a little plaintively, perhaps, "do you +suppose you could do something for me?" + +The Major was wide awake on the instant. + +"These papers," explained Miss Ruth, while 'Tildy from her work of +washing windows, shook her disapproving head, "put all like this in a +pile on the table here, and all like this over here, and this +color,--here," and before Miss Stannard had gotten over to her table +again, the Major was deep in the seductive fascinations of Kindergarten. + +It was when the three teachers, with 'Tildy's help, had at last +distributed the sixty hats, hoods, and caps, and started the loitering +groups on their homeward ways, that pretty Miss Stannard, putting on her +own hat, addressed her new pupils. "Now, Major, I am ready," she said, +and the three accordingly turned their steps toward the neighborhood of +the Tenement. + +Miss Ruth's small escort had quite an idea of the proper thing to do, +and pointed out the landmarks as the three went along, the Angel's +friendly hand slipped confidingly into that of her new friend. + +"I did hear as so many died in this yere house of the fevers this +summer," Joey remarked cheerfully, pointing to a wretched-looking +tenement building they were passing; "they'll give yer a room there now +fer nothin' to git a good name fer the house agin." + +Miss Ruth shivered as they passed. + +The Major next nodded toward a dingy saloon. "Here's where I take a +schooner an' a free lunch sometimes," he remarked confidentially. + +The tall young lady's brown eyes danced as she glanced down at the small +person of the Major. "And how old are you, Major?" she inquired. + +"Ha'f pas' seven, the Cap'n an' Old G. A. R., they say." + +"The Captain? Old G. A. R.?" + +"Uh, huh! The Cap'n's a good 'un, he is. He gim' me these yere togs, he +did, an' he told Old G. A. R. I might sleep to th' Arm'ry, see?" + +Miss Ruth saw, and was just about to pursue the subject of Old G. A. R., +when the Angel dropped her hand and with a gleeful cry ran ahead, and +Miss Stannard looked up to behold two females bearing down upon them. +Miss Bonkowski and Mrs. O'Malligan in fact, nor did they pause in their +haste, until the Angel was safe in Norma's embrace and the Major +anything but safe, in the clutches of the irate Irish lady. + +"An' it's yerself, ye limb, an' plaze to tell us whut ye mane by it?" +the loud-voiced Mrs. O'Malligan demanded, "a-runnin' off with the +childer agin, an' the whole Tiniment out huntin' an' her niver to be +found at all, at all?" + +But the sweet-faced, tall young lady coming to his rescue, the two women +softened, and reaching the Tenement, insisted on Miss Stannard coming +in, and hearing the Angel's story. + +And on the way up to Miss Bonkowski's apartment, she learned that the +Tenement, that morning, had been convulsed from cellar to garret, by the +great honor bestowed upon it. For who but the Prima Donna, the Great +Personage of Norma's professional world, had just driven away in her +carriage after a visit of an hour and the Angel never to be found at +all! + +"An' ma'am," explained Mary Carew, her bony face swollen with crying, +when Miss Stannard had been installed in one of the two chairs of the +apartment, "an' ma'am, it was fer th' Angel she come. A offerin' Norma +an' me anything we'd name to give her up, such a fancy as she's taken to +her, an' wantin' her fer her own." + +"And you, what did you say?" asked Miss Ruth, gently, watching Mary with +tender eyes as she held the beautiful, chattering little creature so +jealously in her arms, and thinking as she watched, of the life and +reputation commonly accorded the great singer. + +"Say?" came from Miss Bonkowski quickly, her befrizzled blonde tresses +fairly a-tremble with her intensity, and sticking the hat-pin recklessly +in and out of the lace hat she had taken off, "what did we say, you ask, +and knowing, as you and every body must, the kind of life and future it +would mean for a child that takes to things like this 'n does! With all +her money and her soft, winning ways, it is better, far better, for the +child with her disposition, to starve along with Mary an' me, than grow +up to that, if it was nothing more to be afraid of than being left to +servants and hotel people and dragged around from place to place in such +a life as it is. Not that I mean, ma'am," and Miss Bonkowski spoke with +quick pride, "that being in the profession need to make any body what +they shouldn't be, for I know plenty of 'em of the best, and am one +myself, though only a Chorus, but what with what's said about this one, +even with her good heart and generous ways, she's not the one to have +our Angel, though she meant it for the best." + +"An' she said," Mary Carew took it up, "as how Norma's gettin' old, and +'ll be dropped afore long from the Chorus, an' she offered her, she did, +in this very room, a' here before me, to buy out a Costumer as is +leavin' the business, an' start Norma in for herself, along of her +knowin' how to run a business such as that." + +"And oh girls," declared Miss Stannard as she told this part of the +story to her assistant teachers afterward, "it was the bravest thing +I've met among the poor people yet. Think of the courage of those two +women, with poverty grimmer than they have yet known, ahead of them in +all probability, yet determined to resist the temptation because they +are assured it is not well for the child. Picture making jean +pantaloons, year in, year out, at barely living wages, yet having the +courage to put the matter so resolutely aside. After that, I could not +bring myself to tell them they had done wrong in the beginning in not +notifying the authorities. Of course there is some mystery about it. I +cannot for a moment accept their explanation of it. The child, beyond +question, is well born and has been carefully trained. And she goes +about among all the strange, queer inmates of that Tenement house as +fearlessly as a little queen. But, oh, the one that is a chorus-singer! +If you could see her! So lean, so sallow, so airy and full of manner. +But I will never laugh at another elderly chorus-singer again in my +life, she is grand, she's heroic," and the pretty Kindergartner +threaded gay worsteds into needles with a vigor which lent emphasis to +her words. + +"She's powerful stuck up, too," asserted the gloomy tones of 'Tildy +Peggins, and she shook her mournful head, as she moved about +straightening the disordered room for the next day, "there's a man lives +in our Tenement wanted to keep comp'ny with her, but, la, she tossed her +yellow head at his waffle cart, she did, an' she said if he'd had a +settled h'occupation she might a thought about it in time, but she +couldn't bring herself to consider a perambulating business, an' that +was all there was to it. La, maybe she is grand an' 'eroic, but she's +got a 'aughty 'eart, too, that woman has!" + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +MISS RUTH MAKES THE ACQUAINTANCE OF OLD G. A. R. + + +The Angel, as the cooler weather came on, being suitably clothed by Miss +Stannard and the invisible though still generous Mrs. Tony, and the good +ladies of the Tenement seeing that she was properly fed, her little +ladyship continued to thrive, and to pursue her way, sweet and innocent, +in the midst of squalor, poverty and wickedness such as Mary and Norma +could not always hide, even from her baby eyes. + +True to the promise these ladies had made, she appeared regularly at +Kindergarten in the charge of her faithful squire, the Major, whose own +interest in the daily work had never flagged since the day he first +agreed to help Miss Stannard. + +It was with surprise, therefore, that, late in November, Miss Ruth +noted the absence of the two for several successive days. + +"Childern's obliged to get wore out fiddlin' with beads an' paper an' +such, in time," said the perverse and unconverted 'Tildy Peggins. +"That's the reason they's constant droppin' off, an' new ones comin' in. +There ain't enough willainy in Kindergarten to keep their minds +h'occupied. They's pinin' for the streets long afore you'd h'ever +believe it,--their 'earts ain't satisfied with beads and paper, +childern's obliged to have a little willainy mixed in." + +But despite 'Tildy's pessimistic views, on the fifth morning of their +absence, Miss Ruth had just determined to send around to the Tenement, +when a knock summoned her to the door. + +Outside stood the smiling Angel, in her little winter cloak and hood, +her hand in that of a very large, very grizzled, and very +military-looking man, who greeted Miss Stannard with a salute reminding +her at once of Joey. + +"What has become of my friend, the Major?" she inquired, ushering them +into the school-room. + +"Joey couldn't come," explained the Angel, mournfully. + +"It was to tell you about him, ma'am, I stepped around," replied the +man, gazing admiringly about the bright room, with its pictures, its +growing plants, its tables, and dozens of little red chairs. "It is a +pretty place now, I must say, and it's no wonder the little chap likes +to come here. He's been that worried, and fretting so about the little +one not getting to school, that I promised him I'd march her 'round here +every day if he'd call a halt on his fretting." + +"He is sick, then?" Miss Ruth inquired. + +"Well, it didn't seem as if it was enough to lay him off duty," +responded the man, as he regarded Miss Ruth with friendly gaze; "he's a +knowin' little shaver, the Major is, and great on tryin' to help me." + +"Are you the friend that he calls Old G. A. R.?" inquired Miss Ruth, +with sudden intuition, as she smiled back into the weather-beaten face. + +The old soldier chuckled. "He's told you about that, has he? +'Old G. A. R.!' Great name, ain't it?" + +"Why does he call you by it?" + +"Grand Army of the Republic, ma'am. I'm a member, and I reckon I do +anecdote about it overmuch at times. The Reg'ment round there, they +dubbed me that." + +"And the Major?" + +"That's right, ma'am, for'ard march! I'm gettin' to it. He was in the +Arm'ry with me, the other day, a-pretendin' to help me clean up, and he +fell off one of the cannon he was monkeyin' round. He didn't seem so bad +hurt, at first, but somehow, after I come to think it over, he hasn't +seemed to want to move round since, so I lay it to that." + +"Have you had a doctor to see him?" asked Miss Ruth, waving the groups +of arriving children on to 'Tildy's care. + +"No, ma'am, I haven't. The officer that took the fancy to the little +chap and pays for his eatin' along with me at the restaurant, he's been +out of town for six weeks, and after leaving the baby here, I am on my +way to his office now, to see if he has got back," and he stepped toward +the door. + +"I will take Angel home and stop by there and see Joey," said Miss Ruth. + +"We'll be happy to have you, ma'am," and with a salute, the old soldier +marched out the door. + + * * * * * + +"Indade, Miss Ruthie, an' it's proud I am to go wid ye," said Mrs. +O'Malligan some hours later, in response to Miss Ruth's request to go +over to the Armory with her, "just ye wait till I starts the Angel +choild up the steps," and Mrs. O'Malligan accordingly, was soon +accompanying Miss Ruth through the big door of the Armory. + +The old soldier met them and led the way into a neat box of a room, very +orderly, very spotless. Here, on a cot, lay the Major, his eyes turned +to meet them expectantly. It was quite pitiful to see how these few days +had changed him into the white little chap looking up from the pillow. + +"Well, Major," began Miss Ruth, cheerily, and at sound of her bright, +animated voice, a figure in the shadow on the other side of the cot +looked up. + +"Why, Mr. Dilke," cried Miss Ruth, at sight of the young and very +properly attired gentleman who stood up to greet her. + +The young gentleman came round and shook hands with evident pleasure. +"So you are the wonderful '_Teacher_,' Miss Stannard?" + +"And you are the '_Cap'n_'?" retorted Miss Ruth. + +Here the Major, as he would have phrased it, "caught on." "She said yer +was a gentleman what wouldn't a-smoked before ladies, she did," +volunteered Joey. + +Miss Ruth blushed and laughed and blushed again. "Well, he wouldn't, +Joey," she reiterated stoutly. + +Whereupon the boyishly smooth face of Mr. Dilke colored too, and being +very big and blonde and diffident, he blushed very red indeed, while +Joey, seeing something up, tried to wink his roguish eyes but failed for +very weakness and found them full of tears instead. + +"Where does it hurt?" asked Miss Ruth gently, leaning over him. + +The Major winked indignantly. "Sojers aint goin' to make no fuss if +does hurt, Old G. A. R. he says so!" + +Old G. A. R. in the background gave vent to a sudden chuckle. "Obey your +superior officers, Major, afore anything," he corrected. + +"Faith I'll jist take him in me lap an' say whir he's hurted for +meself," said Mrs. O'Malligan briskly and forthwith laid her energetic +hand upon the little fellow. At her well meant but rough handling, the +child cried out, turning white to the lips. + +"Howly Mither, forgive me," cried Mrs. O'Malligan. + +Miss Ruth turned away to hide her tears. "Have you had a doctor yet?" +she inquired. + +"No, I had just gotten here a moment ahead of you," explained Mr. Dilke. + +"Well," said Miss Ruth, decidedly, "whether it proves serious or not, he +ought to go to St. Luke's and be properly nursed, and if there happens +to be a free cot vacant, I will have no trouble getting him in." + +Mr. Dilke turned quickly. "Don't stop for that," he said, "use me,--I +mean,--don't let the cost of it interfere,--I'll be very glad,--you +know----" + +Miss Ruth beamed at the young man whom she knew to be very rich indeed. +"Just take charge of a Free Kindergarten, Mr. Dilke, if you ever really +want to properly appreciate your blessings and privileges," she said, "I +am never so sordid in my desire for wealth, as when I stand helpless, +with the knowledge of the suffering around me, that money can remedy or +at least, alleviate." + +"Let me walk with you to St. Luke's," begged Mr. Dilke, "and you can +tell me something more about it all if you will." And leaving Joey to +Mrs. O'Malligan, until their return, the two started off. + +"You've evidently been very good to Joey," Miss Stannard remarked +graciously, as they went along. + +Mr. Dilke blushed furiously, "Who? I? No more than the other men in the +Regiment. Now a fellow could hardly help liking the little chap, could +he?" and he regarded his pretty companion as if seeking justification in +her answer. + +"How did it ever begin?" inquired Miss Stannard. + +"Through the old man--the janitor, you know. The boy's mother was a +daughter of a dead soldier, comrade to Old G. A. R. Good for nothing +husband, and that sort of thing, you know, and always runnin' to Old G. +A. R. for protection and help too, I suspect. When she died, the old +fellow didn't have the money, and appealed to some of us fellows to help +bury her. And then, it turned out, here was the boy. First we agreed to +his staying at the Armory a day or so, then a week, then longer, and by +that time the knowing little monkey had made his own cause good. Here we +are,--and we'll just arrange, while here, to take a doctor back with +us." + +It was late that afternoon that Miss Ruth, having remained to see the +Major safely asleep after his removal to St. Luke's Hospital, came down +the steps of that institution with her pretty eyes all dim with crying, +the doctor's words ringing in her ears, "Poor little chap," he had said, +"it's merely a question of time." + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +THE ANGEL MEETS AN OLD FRIEND. + + +A few days later Mrs. O'Malligan, in her best attire, and Miss +Bonkowski, also gotten up regardlessly even to an added bloom upon her +cheeks, sallied forth in the face of the first snowfall, to take the +Angel to St. Luke's Hospital, where, by appointment, Miss Ruth was to +meet them. + +When in time they reached the building and Miss Stannard led the way up +to the Children's Ward, a white-capped nurse came forward between the +rows of little beds each with its child occupant, her finger on her +lips. "He is so much weaker to-day," she explained, "I would say he had +better not see any one, except that he will fret, so please stay only a +few moments," and she led them to where Joey lay, his white bed shut off +from his little neighbors by a screen. His eyes were closed and a young +resident physician was standing by the bed. + +"We thought he was going for a while this morning," whispered the nurse, +but, low as she spoke, the Major heard. A ghost of a twinkle was in his +brown eyes as they opened and sought the doctor's. "I fooled 'em that +time, didn't I, Doc?" he demanded, and one trembling lid attempted its +old-time wink. + +"You wanted Angel, Joey dear," said Miss Ruth, "and she has come to see +you." + +The Angel's face was full of doubt and trouble, her eyes dark with +gathering tears. Frightened at this something she half-divined, but +could not understand, she drew near doubtfully. "Angel loves her Joey, +her does," she asserted, however, as if in refutation of her fears. + +"Show her--my--gun," whispered Joey, and from the table where his eyes +could feast upon it, the nurse lifted a small rifle. + +"The Cap'n give it ter me,--so I could be a--member of th' +Reg'ment--_now_--see? Ain't it a dandy--Angel?" + +The child nodded gravely, but all the while her little breast was +heaving with the gathering sobs. Seeing Miss Norma also in tears, Miss +Ruth motioned her to take the Angel ahead, and leaving Mrs. O'Malligan +speaking to the nurse, Miss Ruth followed slowly after, talking with the +doctor as she went. + +A moment later, the ward was startled by a cry from the hall beyond, +"Yosie,--Angel's Yosie!" + +Miss Ruth and the doctor hurried out. In the hall in a rolling chair sat +a young woman to whose knees the Angel was clinging, amid sobs and +little cooing cries of joy. "Yosie, Angel's Yosie." + +"Poor girl!" ejaculated the young doctor, "this may lead to her +identification. We do not even know her name," he explained to Miss +Stannard. "A case of paralysis,--almost helpless. Never has spoken since +brought here. Yes," in answer to Miss Ruth's eager inquiries, "she has +gotten so that she can make signs for yes and no." + +At once Miss Stannard turned to the girl, from whose lap Norma was +trying to draw the expostulating Angel. "Do you know Angel?" she asked, +her hand on the child as she spoke. + +There was a slight affirmative droop to the eyelids, while the gaze +beneath was fixed imploringly on Miss Ruth. + +"Are you Rosy?" she asked. + +"My Yosie, it _is_ my Yosie!" declared the Angel, with one of her little +bursts of baby rage, pulling away from Norma and stamping her foot, +frantic that any doubt should exist. + +At this point, Mrs. O'Malligan, who had been following in her +comfortable fashion, unconscious of any excitement, drew near. Suddenly +there was an excited cry from that lady. "Howly Mither, an' it's Mrs. +Buckley's own sister, Rosy O'Brien, fer sure!" + +The wild eyes of the sick girl turned towards Mrs. O'Malligan with signs +of recognition. The doctor repeated his story. + +"She must have been Angel's nurse," said Miss Stannard. + +"An' was it the darlint's nurse ye war, Rosy O'Brien?" inquired Mrs. +O'Malligan. + +"Yes," signalled the eyelids, whereupon Mrs. O'Malligan, swaying her +body to and fro, and clapping her hands, burst forth suddenly, "I say +through wid it all, I say through wid it all! Ye brought the Angel +choild to the Tiniment wid ye to say your sister, now, didn't ye, Rosy, +me jewel?" + +The good Irish lady waited for the affirmative droop from the eager +eyes. + +"An' maybe ye found the door locked, an' not knowin' yer sister had +moved away an' Miss Johnson, what goes to the car stables a-cleanin' by +the day, livin' in her room now, ye set the choild down in the empty +room a-nixt to it, an' run down to ask me as to whir yer sister had +gone, now, didn't ye, Rosy O'Brien?" and Mrs. O'Malligan's garlanded +bonnet fell over one ear in the good soul's excitement. + +Thus far apparently she was right. + +"An' I wasn't to home, for sure I niver seen ye," ventured Mrs. +O'Malligan, her hands now on her hips as she gazed at the girl and +pondered. + +She was right again. + +"An' what happened thin, I niver can say no further!" + +The doctor, referring to a note book, spoke next. "She was brought +here," he said, "on the seventh of last July, about six o'clock in the +evening, having been knocked down by a horse at the corner of Camden and +Lisiden Streets." + +"Whist!" cried Mrs. O'Malligan, her shawl fallen to the floor, her +bonnet now hanging by the strings down her back, "that's our own corner, +an' it's as plain to me now as the nose on yer face! Not findin' me to +home, ye were runnin' over to the grocery to find out from yer sister's +husband's brother Bill whativer had become of the family!" + +The sharp Irish lady had hit it again, and Miss Ruth here interrupted to +ask Miss Bonkowski if she could remember the date on which the child had +been found in the vacant room. After some thought and debate, Miss Norma +declared it to have been on the morning of the eighth of July, because +her own birthday came on the fifteenth and she remembered remarking the +child had then been with them a week. + +But here the whole party came to a standstill, and the wild, imploring +look came back in poor Rosy O'Brien's eyes. + +The doctor laid his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't fret, my +girl, it will all come right now in time. It is no wonder," turning to +Miss Stannard, "she has been so slow getting better. I have said a +hundred times the girl had something on her mind." + +Miss Ruth turned to Rosy again. "Does the child's mother, or do her +people live here in the city?" she inquired. + +The eyelids failed to move, which according to the doctor meant _no_. + +"What will we do," sighed Miss Ruth, "for the more the child is asked, +the more perplexed we get, and now----" + +"Sure an' we'll ask Mrs. Buckley, Rosy's sister, an' she'll tell us all +about it," said the practical Mrs. O'Malligan. "I remember well of her +tellin' me of the foine wages Rosy was a-gittin; along of her goin' off +so fur wid some rich lady as a nurse." + +At this hopeful point the doctor interfered, thinking best to prevent +any further exciting of his patient, and accordingly wheeled her back +to her ward, leaving the others to soothe the terror of the child, at +seeing hope vanish with Rosy. + +Pausing outside the big hospital in a trembling and excited little +group, Miss Stannard detailed her plans. As the snow was coming down +steadily, Miss Bonkowski should return to the Tenement at once with the +excited, sobbing child, and Mrs. O'Malligan should take Miss Ruth to +find Mrs. Buckley, the sister of poor Rosy O'Brien. + + * * * * * + +"And do you know," explained Miss Ruth that evening, to Mr. Dilke, who +had fallen into a way of calling quite frequently indeed, of late, "and +do you know, this woman, this Mrs. Buckley would not believe us, but +insisted that her sister, Rosy O'Brien, as well as the child her sister +had nursed, were drowned in that terrible ferry-boat disaster last July. +After what seemed to me hours of catechising, I got the story from her. + +"A year ago, as I finally found out, her sister, this same Rosy +O'Brien, went South with a Mr. and Mrs. De Leon Breaux, whose child she +had been nursing at Narragansett during the summer. + +"This spring, Mrs. Buckley, living then in the Tenement where the child +was afterward found, received a letter from Rosy, saying she would be in +the city with her mistress for a few days in July on their way to the +seashore for the summer. + +"Meanwhile Mrs. Buckley moved, and being unable to write, left her new +address with Mrs. O'Malligan. But the summer passing and no Rosy +appearing, in September Mrs. Buckley grew anxious and got a friend to +write to the Breaux' address for her, inclosing a letter to Rosy. + +"In answer came a reply from Mr. Breaux, which letter Mrs. Buckley +showed me. It stated that on the seventh of last July Rosy O'Brien and +the child, '_our little Angelique_,' the letter called her, had been +drowned while crossing the river on the ferry. + +"Mrs. Breaux and her young sister, with Rosy O'Brien and the child, had +reached the city the day before, having come by steamer from New +Orleans, their home. + +"According to the statement of a waiter at the hotel. Rosy, tired of +waiting for the return of the two ladies from a shopping expedition, and +having been promised the afternoon, started off soon after lunch with +the child, saying that she was going across the river on the ferry to +see her sister. This was the last seen of them. + +"Mr. Breaux hurried North in response to his wife's summons, and some +days following the ferry disaster, which occurred shortly after the girl +left the hotel, a body was found in the river, which from its black +cashmere dress, white apron and plain gold ring, was identified as that +of poor Rosy. + +"The girl had been taken on the recommendation of a former mistress and, +as so often is the case, the Breaux' knew neither the name nor the +address of this sister, and having,--in addition to the papers being +filled with the matter,--advertised in vain, the body was buried and, +despairing finally of recovering their child's body, they returned +South. Though don't think," said pretty Ruth suddenly regarding Mr. +Dilke's attentive face while she laughed, "that I received the story +from Mrs. Buckley in any such direct fashion. Such people are not only +illogical and irrelevant, they are secretive,--if ever you have to do +with them as my work leads me to, you'll understand what I mean. But to +continue with Mrs. Buckley. In order to convince her that neither Rosy +nor the child, despite her evidence, were dead, I took her straight back +to the hospital, and as she then admitted Rosy to be Rosy, any lingering +doubts were put at rest. And now you see why I was so relieved when you +came this evening. Mother has no better business head than I have, and I +want you to help me determine how best to let these Breaux know the +child is alive." + +But Mr. Dilke, though far from a stupid young man, confessed himself a +little dazed by Miss Ruth's rapid and excited story. Whereupon, +laughing, she went over it again, adding, "And here is the address and +the name is De Leon Breaux, and how shall we word the telegram?" + +And after much speculation the following was written and sent: + + "Nurse-girl, Rose O'Brien, found in hospital, paralyzed. + Child safe and well. + + "VAN ALSTINE DILKE, + + "HOTEL ST. GEORGE." + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +MARY CAREW IS TEMPTED. + + +When Norma, on reaching home with the tired child, finished her story, +which, truth to tell, lost nothing of its dramatic possibilities in her +telling, Mary Carew looked up with her face so set and white that Norma, +who had been too intent in her recital to notice the gradual change in +the other's manner, was startled. + +"Don't take on so, Mary," she cried, removing the child's wraps as she +spoke, "I've always warned you she wasn't any deserted child, haven't +I?" but there was a real tenderness in Norma's voice as she reminded the +other of it. + +"You'd better get your supper," Mary replied, "it's near time for you to +be going," and she pushed her work aside and held out her arms for the +child, her face softening as it did for nothing else in the world. + +Tired, cold, dazed with crying, the drooping little soul crept into +Mary's arms, which closed hungrily and held her close as the sobs began +to come again. + +Unlike her usual self, Mary let Norma prepare the supper unaided, while +she sat gazing down on the flushed little face pillowed on her arm, and +drew off the broken shoes, chafing and rubbing the cold, tired feet with +her hand. + +She wanted no supper, she declared shortly in response to Norma's call, +but on being pressed, came to the table and drank a little tea +thirstily, and fed the sleepy child from her own plate. + +"Now don't take on so, Mary, don't fret about it while I'm gone," Norma +begged as she hurried off to her nightly duties. "I'll miss her just as +much as you, if it does turn out that we have to give her up, and for +the darling's own sake, Mary, we ought to be glad to think she's going +back to her own." + +But Mary, laying the sleeping child down in the crib, burst forth as the +door closed, "An' it's Norma Bonkowski can tell me I ought to be glad! +She can tell me that, and then say she'll miss her the same as me! It's +little then she knows about my feelings,--for it'll be to lose the one +bright thing outer my life as has ever come in it. 'Go back to her own!' +Like as not her own's a mother like them fine ones I see on the Avenoos +as leaves their little ones to grow up with hired nurses. 'Give her +up--give--her up--' Norma says so easy like,--when every word chokes +me--" and struggling against her sobs, Mary fell on her knees beside the +crib, burying her face in the covers, "an' I must go on sittin' here day +after day sewin', an' my precious one gone; stitchin' an' stitchin', one +day jus' like another stretchin' on ahead, long as life itself, an' no +little feet a-patterin' up the stairs, an' no little voice a-callin' on +me,--nothin' to live for, nothin' to keep me from thinkin' an' thinkin' +till I'm nigh to goin' crazy with the stitchin'--give her up?"--a wild +look was on Mary's face as she raised it suddenly, a desperate one in +her eyes--"I'll not give her up--she's mine----" + +For a moment she gazed at the flushed face framed about with the sunny +hair, then she rose, and, moving about the room with feverish haste, +she gathered together certain of the garments which hung from nails +about the walls, and rolled them into a bundle. Then from between the +mattress and the boards of the bed she drew an old purse, and counted +its contents. + +"Two dollars and seventy-five,--eighty-five, ninety,--that's mine,--the +rest is Norma's," and she returned the remainder to the hiding-place. +Then, putting on her own hat and shawl, she lifted the drowsy child, +still dressed, and slipping on her cloak, rolled her in addition, in the +shawl found with her that July morning almost five months before. + +Then grimly picking up child and bundle, with one guilty, frightened +look about the room that for so many years had meant home to her, she +went out the door and hurried cautiously down the steps and out into the +snowy night. + + * * * * * + +It was half-past twelve when Norma Bonkowski, returning, climbed the +stairs of the Tenement wearily. She was cold, for her clothes were +thin; she was tired, for the day had been a hard one; she was +dispirited, for the manager had been more than usually sharp and +critical of her performance that night. + +When she entered her door the room was dark. The lamp had burned itself +out and the room was filled with the sickening smell. The fire, too, was +out, save for a few red embers. With a sudden realization that something +was wrong, Norma groped about the littered mantel-shelf for a match, +then hastily lit an end of candle. Bed and crib were empty, half the +nails bare of their garments. + +"Gone!" cried Norma, beginning to wring her hands. Intuitively she felt +what had happened. Desperate at the thought of losing her darling, Mary +Carew had fled. + +But in a moment a re-assuring look replaced the fright on the blue, +pinched features. "I know Mary better than she knows herself," declared +the optimistic Norma, "she'll be back," and tossing her blonde head +resolutely, she threw aside her hat and cape and began to rekindle the +fire. + +"I'll put on the tea-kettle, too," she told herself, "and be real +comfortable and extravagant for once, and have a cup of tea ready when +they come," for the good lady had no intention of going to bed, assuring +herself she would not sleep if she did. So, moving about, she refilled +the lamp, and drawing the machine nearer the stove, began to sew where +Mary had left off. "I wonder how she thinks to make a livin'," Norma +asked herself, smiling grimly, "seein' the machine's left behind. Poor +Mary! I know her too well, she'll be back before morning." + +One, two,--then three, a neighboring church clock tolled, and Norma +stitched and waited, stitched and waited. Several times she fell asleep, +her head upon the machine, to awake with a start, hurry to the door and +listen. + +A little before four she heard a step, and running to the door caught +poor Mary as she staggered in, half-sinking with her burdens. Taking the +frightened, wailing child and putting her down by the fire, Norma +dragged Mary to a chair. + +"Hush," she commanded, when Mary tried to speak, "I know--I understand," +and for once regardless of the child's comfort, she dragged the sodden +shoes from Mary's feet, drew off the wet skirts and wrapped her in +anything, everything, warm she could find. By this time Mary was sobbing +wildly, and Norma, half-distracted, turned to draw the tea and to toast +some slices of the stale bread she had waiting. + +"Now," she said, jerking the table around before Mary, then sitting down +and taking up the child, "you drink that, Mary Carew, before you dare to +say one word!" + +The child responded promptly to the warmth and food and began to +chatter. "C'rew did take Angel away, Norma, and it was cold and Angel +cwied, and C'rew cwied, but the nice lady sang." + +"I tried to run off with her," sobbed Mary, "but the Lord stood right in +my way an' turned me back." + +"Whatever do you mean, Mary?" demanded Norma. + +"Just that, just what I said. I was a-runnin' off so's to keep her fer +my own, an' th' Lord stopped me an' sent me back." + +The child, nodding on Norma's knee like a rosy little Mandarin, caught +the sacred name. "I p'ay the Lord mine and Joey's and eve'ybody's soul +to keep," she murmured with drowsy effort, thinking C'rew was urging her +to say the little prayer Miss Ruth had taught her. + +"He will, He will," said Mary Carew with awed emphasis, "if ever I +doubted it before, Norma, I know now He will. I had been walkin' a good +while after I left here, for I had laid my plans hasty-like, to cross +the river an' get a room on the other side, for I was jus' outer my +head, Norma, along of the thought of losin' her,--an' as I said, I had +been walkin' I don' know how long, plannin' as I went, when the darlin' +woke up, an' begun to cry. An' jus' then a man opened a door to come out +of a place as had a great sign up, an' in the light as come out with +him, he caught sight of us. + +"'Haven't you no place to go fer shelter, my poor woman?' he says, for I +was kinder breathless, an' pantin', fer the darlin' an' the bundle was a +weight to carry. But I was that tired out, I couldn't say nothin' but +jus' begin to cry. Seem' which he says, 'This is one of the +All-Night-Missions, come in an' I will see if you may stay until +morning.' + +"Thinkin' as how th' child might be sufferin' with the cold, I follered +him in, a-plannin' to leave at daylight an' get across the river. I set +down on a bench where he pointed me, an' when I got my breath I begun to +look around. + +"It was a nice place, Norma, with picters round th' walls an' a good +fire an' people sittin' round listenin' to a man talkin', an' when he +stopped, a lady begun to sing a song about some sheep as were lost. + +"Angel here, she had stopped crying soon as she got warm, an' now she +set up, peart an' smilin', pleased to death with the singin'. An' when +she was done her song, the lady went to talkin', an' right along, Norma, +she was talkin' straight at me. It mus' have been th' Lord as tol' her +to do it, else how did she know? + +"'Rachel,' says she, an' I reckon this Rachel's another poor such a one +as me, don't you, Norma?--'Rachel a cryin' for her children an' there +wasn't any comfort for her because they weren't there!' That's how she +begun. 'There isn't no love,' she said, 'no love on earth like the love +a mother has for her child, you might take it away,' she said, 'an' try +to fill its place with money an' everything good in life, but you can't +make her stop wantin' her child an' thinkin' about it, not if you was to +separate them fifty years; or you might try to beat it out of a mother +or starve it out of her, but if the mother love had ever been there, +it'd be there still.' That's what she said, Norma. An' she s'posed like +the child was lost an' she said, 'even if there was a lot of children +besides that a one, would she stay at home, contented like, with them as +was safe? No,' she said, 'that mother wouldn't, she'd start out and go +hunt for the one as was lost,--even to faintin' along the way, till she +found the child or give up an' died. That's how the Lord cares for +us'--she said, but I didn't hear no more after that, for I jus' set +there turned like to stone, goin' over what she said, the darlin' asleep +again in my lap. An' seems like I must a set there for hours, Norma, +fightin' against the Lord. + +"'An' if you as ain't her mother wants her so,' at last, somethin' +inside says to me, 'how much more must th' mother what's lost her want +her?' and at that, Norma, the Lord won an' I got up an' come back with +the child." + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +THE MAJOR OBEYS ORDERS. + + +"He's going fast." So the nurse whispered to Miss Stannard, as with Mr. +Dilke and Old G. A. R., she came in that December afternoon. As the +three neared the little bed, shut off by the screens from the rest of +the ward, they found the Angel already there in the arms of a tall, dark +gentleman, while by Joey's pillow knelt a slender lady with shining hair +and grave, sweet eyes like the Angel's. + +The Major tried to smile a welcome. "They've come--ter--carry--Angel +home, they have," he whispered, "her dad--an' her--mammy." + +The white hand of the Angel's "Mammy," took Joey's softly and her eyes +were full of tears. "Joey is going home too," she said. + +The Major's eyes wandered questioningly "The big--Angel's--come to get +th' little Angel--but--my Mammy--ain't come--to get me?" + +"She has not come, Joey dear," the soft voice explained, "because she is +waiting for you. Joey is going to her." + +The little voice was very weak now,--very wistful. "Goin'--now?" asked +the Major. + +"Yes, Joey." + +His whisper could hardly be understood when after a long pause, he +spoke again. "I--want--th' Cap'n--ter--gimme--th'--order,--'cause-- +I--b'long--ter--th' Reg'ment." + +"What order, Major?" came from the Captain huskily. + +"Old--G.--A.--R.--he knows--" the Major's voice could just be caught +now. + +Old G. A. R. who had given the order to those little feet so many times, +knew and understood, and his big voice rolled out with suspicious +unsteadiness now,--"Attention--Company!--Forward--" then the old +soldier's voice broke as the little eyelids fluttered. Old G. A. R. +could not go on. + +"--March!" came softly from Van Alstine Dilke, and with a ghost of his +old, roguish smile the Major's eyes closed, as he obeyed orders. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +TELLS OF THE TENEMENT'S CHRISTMAS. + + +The Angel had but a week in which to prepare Christmas for the Tenement, +but with the help of her marshaled forces she did it. With such a +company of grateful assistants as her Father, her Mother, and the pretty +young Aunt or "Tante" as the Angel called her, all things seemed +possible. + +A Christmas Tree it was decreed by her small ladyship her Tenement +should have, and Mrs. O'Malligan's first floor front, failing entirely +in height or breadth to accommodate it, Mr. Dilke came forward and +offered Miss Angelique the Armory in the name of the Fourth Regiment. + +And such a Tree! How it towered to the oaken roof and lost itself among +the beams, and laden, festooned, and decorated, how proudly it spread +its great branches out to the balconies! + +Mrs. O'Malligan, alone, of all the Tenement, was let into the secret, +and when it was finally disclosed, how the hearts of the favored +fluttered as the Angel delivered her invitations,--every lady, every +lady's husband, and every son and daughter of the Tenement being bidden +to come. Not to steal in at the back door, as if the Armory was ashamed +of its guests, but to walk proudly around the square and enter boldly in +at the front doors of the building. All of which tended to raise the +self-respect of the Tenement, whose spirits went up very high indeed. + +And on that eventful Christmas Day, when the guests who were bidden had +arrived, it was discovered that the object most desired of each good +lady's heart, was to be found on, or around the base of that Tree. +Perhaps if Mrs. O'Malligan had explained the meanings of the many +mysterious conferences that had taken place lately in her first floor +front, the ladies might better have understood. + +There was a pretty carpet, as well as lace curtains, long the desire of +little Mrs. Tomlins' ambition, the set of "chiny" dishes dear to another +good lady, a dress for this one, a bonnet, a nice rocking chair for +that,--with new hats, pipes and tobacco around for the men,--and in +addition for Mr. Tomlin, an entire suit of clothes and an overcoat, did +that wonderful Tree shed upon his proud shoulders. + +Candy, nuts, and fruit were there in abundance, open to all, while the +children paused,--awed, under a deluge of toys such as their eyes had +never beheld the likeness of before. + +Nor was this all,--for somewhere about that Tree, hung a document, which +being delivered, revealed to Miss Norma Bonkowski that she was now the +owner and proprietor of that same Costumer's establishment she had so +coveted,--while a most innocent and ordinary looking little book bearing +Mary Carew's name told the secret of a sum of money safely in bank, so +sufficient that never again need that grim phantom, the poor-house, +threaten to overshadow the end as it had the beginning of Mary's life. + +As for Mrs. O'Malligan,--who had so successfully betrayed the secrets +of her neighbors, she was the most surprised of all to find her own +discovered. For, learning that the O'Malligans' savings toward "a house +of our own over th' river wid a goat an' a bit of a pig-sty," still +lacked a small sum of being sufficient, the Angel had accordingly +completed the amount. + +And then the Tenement, weary with the accumulations of pleasure and +surprise, had taken itself home. + +No one had been forgotten. Even the sixty little Kindergartens, through +the combined munificence of Mr. Dilke and the Angel, were, according to +the gloomy prophecies of 'Tildy Peggins as she waited upon them at the +feast, "a stuffed to their little stomicks' heverlastin' undoin'." And +Old G. A. R., from the depths of a new arm-chair, tried to solace his +lonely old heart with whiffs of fragrant tobacco from a wonderful new +pipe. + +Neither was Joey forgotten in this time of rejoicing, for St. Luke's was +made glad that Christmas Day when the Fourth Regiment endowed a child +cot's "In memory of The Little Major." + +Even Rosy O'Brien, whose one act of unfaithfulness had been so terribly +punished, was made happy by the news her little Angelique brought her, +that now since she was freed of her wearing secret, her health would +begin to return. And in time it did, and long after, when her tongue +could again frame its words, she dictated such a letter of contrition +and remorse to Mrs. Breaux, that that gentle heart's last feelings +against her were forgotten. In this letter, too, the poor girl related +the happenings of the afternoon when she left the Hotel. + +Allured by the shop windows, she and her charge had stopped so often +that on reaching the river, they learned of the accident which had just +taken place in mid-river. At this, the girl had hurried back and crossed +by the bridge. + +On reaching the Tenement finally, and finding her sister's door locked, +and beginning to feel anxious about returning, on the impulse of the +moment, that she might go down the faster, being breathless with the +climb up the steep and broken stairs, she set the tired and sleepy +child down on her shawl in the adjoining room, whose door stood open, +and hurried down to find Mrs. O'Malligan and beg a scrap of paper to +write a few lines to put under her sister's door. + +Again Fate was against her. Mrs. O'Malligan's door was locked, and she +determined to run across to the corner grocery to beg a bit of paper and +pencil from Mr. Buckley's brother Bill who clerked there, and learn +something of the absent family. And here, while crossing the street in +nervous haste, she had been knocked down in a press of vehicles,--and so +the long chapter of strange accidents was set going. + + * * * * * + +A few days after Christmas the prima donna of The Garden Opera House was +found in her luxurious sitting-room, by her maid, face downward on the +couch,--in tears, the result of a state of mind, caused, as it proved, +by a visit from the little Angelique and her beautiful mother. + +"How can I ever thank you for your generous impulse," Mrs. Breaux had +said, in impulsive, sweet fashion, taking the wayward, beautiful, young +creature's hand in hers, "or how can I ever be grateful enough to the +good God for surrounding my darling with such love and preserving her, +as He has done, from the evils of this terrible city," and she had cried +and trembled even then, with the child there against her knee, calling +and prattling to the green and yellow parrot on his gilded perch. + +"If only some one could have understood all the poor child tried to +tell," said the prima donna, "but her dear, funny little lisp--" + +"It is no wonder they could not," cried the mother in quick exoneration +of her child's Tenement friends, "her speech was a comical mixture of +her father's French, my English, and the nurse's Irish brogue,--even Mr. +Breaux gave up often in despair, and would turn for me to interpret." + +It followed, then, that Angelique had been brought to tell the great +singer good-bye, and in speaking of her first meeting with her at the +Opera House, the prima donna referred to the child's wonderful grace, +her poise. "She has more than talent," the professional woman said, +"she has genius." + +"It is a love of motion born in her," replied the mother, "my sisters +have it before her. Angelique danced actually before she could talk, and +my sister took her to dancing school and kindergarten when she was +little more than a baby, because it seemed such a pleasure to the +child." + +And then it so happened the singer was led to speak of her own life, of +her wretched, motherless childhood, her poverty, the discovery of her +voice and her subsequent success. + +"A success that sometimes seems but ashes in my mouth," she sobbed, as +the young mother gathered her in her arms and comforted her with words +which to her impulsive, untaught, undisciplined heart were as "apples of +gold," and which sank too deep to ever be forgotten. And it was +following this visit that her maid found her in tears. + + * * * * * + +Pretty Miss Stannard sighed, as with Mr. Dilke in attendance, she was +walking up from the station, having seen Angelique, her mother, father, +and Tante off for their southern home. "How nice," she sighed, "for them +to have been able to show their gratitude as they have; money can do +anything." + +But Mr. Dilke, who, of late had had reason to question the desirability +of being a rich young man, since the conscientious and analytical young +person by his side had returned an unfavorable answer to a certain +matrimonial proposition on his part, alleging her inability to determine +how far her affections were biased by sordidness. So Mr. Dilke shook his +head and took a sidelong glance at his companion's pretty profile. "No, +money cannot," he returned promptly in refutation of her statement, "all +mine cannot give me the one thing that makes the rest seem worth while." + +"Nor would you want that one thing if it could," returned Miss Stannard +quite as promptly, though what little of her profile Mr. Dilke could +catch sight of now, so attractive did something prove across the +way--grew a beautiful rosy red as she spoke,--"no, money could not give +you that. I've thought and thought until I am quite--convinced--of +that--though if you just could be poor,--real nice and poverty-stricken +long enough to test me,--I'd always feel safer--you know----" + +And when, in time, a successor was found to supply Miss Stannard's place +at the Darcy Settlement's Free Kindergarten, it was to see the Angel in +her beautiful southern home that Mr. Van Alstine took his pretty, young +wife. And there, whom did they find,--her face all softened and +transfigured with happiness, tending her beloved charge with jealous +care--but Mary Carew! + + +THE END. + + + + * * * * * + + +Sunbeam Stories and Others. + +BY + +ANNIE FLINT. + +_With cover design by Dora Wheeler Keith, and seven full-page +illustrations by Dora Wheeler Keith, Meredith Nugent and Izora +C. Chandler._ + +_Square, 12mo. Cloth, $1.00._ + +------ + +"There is a touch of pure poetic fancy in each of the tales, +and the sunbeams here invested with life and tiny human forms, +are lovable and mirth-provoking imps.... The children, too, are +real children, and there is no mawkish sentimentality, but an +unforced, tender pathos in the story of little Tom Riley, who +was 'mos twelve,' but who had a heart big enough for a man, and +so skilfully is it told that a child may read and miss much of +the sadness of it. In and out and everywhere play the sunbeams, +as merry, mischievous and kindly a set of sprites as any in the +realms of fairyland."--_The Sun_, New York. + +In these stories, the Sunbeams are made to talk and laugh and +play, just like children. They are delightful. Sometimes when +they are naughty, Father Sun shuts them up in a cloud all day, +where it is wet and rainy, and then they get good and promise +not to tease and be bad any more. And then he lets them out, +and they come down among the flowers and children and make +everything bright and happy. The fancy is pretty, and we are +sure the little children will thoroughly enjoy the little +Sunbeams. Pretty pictures and fine press-work and paper, make +it a beautiful book.--_Christian Observer_, Louisville, Ky. + +"The stories are fascinating--rivalling the best works of +imagination. For purity and simplicity of style and diction, +they are classic."--LOCKE RICHARDSON. + +------ + +BONNELL, SILVER & CO., +PUBLISHERS, +24 West 22d Street, New York. + + + + +The Log of the Lady Gray. + +BY + +LOUISE SEYMOUR HOUGHTON. + +_Cloth. Price 60 Cents._ + +------ + +The "ship's company" that embarked one May morning for a +holiday cruise on the "cat-boat" _Lady Gray_, consisted +according to "the log," of the skipper, two cabin-boys, one +ship's clerk, one small child, and two supernumeraries. The +ship's clerk, who kept "the log," was a young girl, the small +child was a much younger girl, and the supernumeraries were two +dolls, who came in for a fair share of adventure, although they +did not, like the others, suffer from "short commons," or join +in the welcome meal of "hoe cake and sorghum," with difficulty +obtained from the half famished "company." The story is one for +young people; it is pleasantly told, and will be appreciated, +especially by those who are interested in good books for +children. + +The "Log of Lady Gray" is a bright little record of the cruise +of a party in a cat-boat with enigmas, riddles, and other +verbal amusements to give variety.--_Public Opinion._ + +The book abounds in fun and frolic, and suggestions of a sweet +and happy daily life.--_The Evangelist._ + +The book is full of sprightly good things.--_Herald and +Presbyter._ + +------ + +BONNELL, SILVER & CO., +PUBLISHERS, +24 West 22d Street, New York. + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ANGEL OF THE TENEMENT*** + + +******* This file should be named 23517-8.txt or 23517-8.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/3/5/1/23517 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +https://www.gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at https://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/pglaf. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at https://www.gutenberg.org/about/contact + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit https://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: +https://www.gutenberg.org/fundraising/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + https://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + |