Bessie Bradford's Prize

or acquaintances in the city, and was possessed of a wholesome dread of the snares and pitfalls with which she believed it abounded, and even whe

place to exchange her precious gold, sallied forth with it, having finally resolved to sacrifice it for Per

at she still felt herself hopelessly bewildered and at sea in the business streets of the great city; while whenever she was obliged to cross among the trucks, express-wagons and other vehicles, she felt as if there would

test and most thronged thoroughfare and one almost equally crowded which intersected it, and vainly strove

lk after each fresh essay; and she was beginning to be in despair when she felt herself spasmodically seized by the arm, and a terrified voic

, over-over indeed! Wait for the poli

, with little corkscrew curls surrounding her face, and carrying a good-sized leather sat

hed; that horse's head touched you, head-indeed-yes, head. What a place this

gazed upon her in surprise. She was generally very offish and reserved with strangers, but now a

could almost have put into her pocket,

go some ow, so come on, ma'am. If so be we're sent to hete

otice and under such doubtful protection was not pleasing to Miss

th large and small, through the terrors which had beset t

Miss Trevor's shabby black dress and strange man

to be pretty much men around 'ere, an' I never did take much stock in men. Leastway honly in one

orgetting, in the distractions of the crowd, her usually besetting terror that every one who addressed her or looked a

nah was

don't know which is the best of 'em. What do yo

or. "Powers, yes, Powers. A good ma

mean," said Hannah, "that would giv

e swindler in petticoats, some decoy who would lead her where she might be robbed of all she had about her that was valuable, of the really precious contents of that shabby, worn satchel? The bare idea of such a thing w

"yes, come. I wish I was back in Sylv

vand

the last few days, an unpleasantly familiar

repeated; "do yo

of swindlers pretending to know of places and people belonging to those whom they would victim

ion in a rather different

Dr. Leacraft's school? An' you maybe 'ave seen my

procure. She had been fairly successful in this, and had laid by quite a little sum, which she intended to leave to this kind nephew. But while this money was in her own keeping, it was a burden and a care to her, for she lived in constant dread of robbers and of losing her little savings; therefore she had come to the city to place it in safe keeping. Belle Powers had been her favorite pupil while she taught at Miss Ashton's, the child having a remarkable talent for drawing and m

nd pitfalls tending swindlerwise, until she had fallen into the hands of Hannah. But her unworthy

had laughed at the predicament of the terrified old lady, who certainly presented a ridiculous sight; but Percy, pitying her plight, and with a strongly chivalrous streak in his nature, had made a furious onslaught on the geese, and presently turned the pursuers into the pursued. Then he had picked up the ubiquitous satchel which Miss Trev

such small gifts and treats for him as she was able to procure. Many a basket of nuts and apples, many a loaf of gingerbread, or other nice home-made dainty, had found its way into Percy's hands, and had met with ready acceptance and

tenderness from this woman who claimed to be his nurse; an

er geese were after me-yes, geese, indeed, chasing me down the sidewalk-yes, sidewalk, geese they were-

d her own purpose to the old nurse, and Hannah was fain to tell her hers, at least so much as that she was anxious to convert her gold into a bank-note which she might send to Percy wit

posed retiring within the shelter of the broad hallway of an imposing building, where the two old innocents sat themselves down on a flight of stone stairs and exchanged confidenc

r finances; and her unheard-of confidence in this utter stranger of an hour since was further strengthened when Miss Trevor,

ity over this. And, will it be believed? she committed it to Miss Trevor's keeping without other guarantee than her word that Percy should receive it without knowing whence it came. Hannah would readily have let the boy know that she had sent it, for she was not disposed to hide her light under a bushel; but she dared not, lest she should betray the dishonorable part she had played in reading his letter to Lena and so discovering the disgraceful secret. She was further satisfied, however, as to Miss Trevor's good faith, after she had, at her request, accompanied her to Mr. Powers' office. The name of Powers had not conveyed any especial meaning to Hannah, although she did know that one of Lena's clas

rs at a moment when Miss Trevor, intent upon securing the lo

right, isn'

e as you are," answered the gentleman, supposing that Miss

t be a candidate for the lunatic asylum. Hitherto he had not paid much attention to her, merely glancing at her as she came in, and supposing her to be Miss Trevor's attendant;

nd her sister, Mrs. Stanton, names very familiar to Hannah, and which she was not pleased to hear at the present juncture. She would never have taken Miss Trevor into partial confidence, would never have entrusted her

s less for her money than for the risk of the discovery of Percy's secret by his relatives. She must be very careful to keep out of the way of any one coming to Colonel Rush's house, at least, for a day or two. She was in a very bad humor now, this old Hannah, and as dissatisfied with the turn matters had taken as but a short time since she had been well pleased. She quit

pursued, she proved herself no agreeable companion, and laid aside the respectful tone and manner with which she had hitherto treated Mis

incoherent way, begged to be put into a street car; and as one happened to be passing at the moment, the re

the retreating conveyance in a bewildered sort of way till it was almost lost to sight among the crowd of vehicles; a

before formed for trusting Miss Trevor, returned to her, till she once more rested satisfied