Cast Adrift

ged from the house. Twilight was gathering drearily. She drew her thi

erd together in the closest and most shameless contact; where men and women, living in all foulness, and more like wild beasts than human beings, prey greedily upon each other, hurting, depraving and marring God's im

er house, in portions of this locality, is a dram-shop, where the vilest liquors are sold. Policy-offices, doing business in direct violation of law, are in every street and block, their work of plunder and demoralization going on with open doors and under the v

e companions. But drifting toward this fatal locality under the attraction of affinity, or lured thither by harpies in search of new supplies of human victims to repair the frightful waste perpetually made, the region keeps up its dense population, and the work of destroying

from one of the most populous streets, crowded at the time by citizens on their way to quiet and comfortable homes, few if any of whom had ever turn

ampness through the thin shawl she drew closer and closer about her shoulders. Nothing could be in stronger contrast than the rows of handsome dwellings and

e, or enclosed shed, as unsightly without as a pig-pen, and almost as filthy within. It contained two small rooms with very low ceilings. The only things in these rooms that could be called furniture were an old bench, two chairs from which the backs had been broken, a tin cup black with smoke and dirt, two or three tin pans in the same condition, some broken crockery and an iron skillet. Pinky stood still for a moment, shivering, as we have said. She knew what the blows and the curses and the cries of pain meant; she

wistful eyes, passing in and out of this miserable woman's den, sometimes going to the liquor-shops and sometimes to

ight that met her eyes left no hesitation in her mind. Holding up with one strong arm the naked body of the poor child-she had drawn the clothes ove

end in human shape and snatched the little girl

as well have as

od in surprise and bewilderment; in the next, and ere Pinky had time to put herself on guard, she had sprung upon her with a passionate cry that sounded more like that of a wild

ightened her grasp on Pinky's throat, at the same t

welcome sound of strife. Even before Pinky had time to shake off her assailant, the door of the hovel was darkened by a screen of eager faces. And such faces! How little of God's image remained in th

nizens, white and black, old and young, male and female, the child of three years old, keen, alert and self-protective, running to see the "row" side by side with the toothless crone of

e had attempted to rescue the child-a fight in which Pinky was getting the worst of it. One

look out!" was cri

y retorted the woman. "I haven't done nothing;

aside, a policeman

heard the word police. "She came in here drunk and got up a row. I'm a decent woman, as don't medd

f merriment from the crowd

t ahead of old Sal, drunk or sober!" and like

ise swelling under one of her eyes, bewildered and frightened at

she did!" testified one of the crowd; and acting on this testimony and his own

ur duds and

crowd jeering all the time. A pin here and there, furnished by some of the women, enabled her to get them into

he said,

with me?" she asked, not m

lied the policeman

she towered, gave way for her as she approached. Everything about the woman showed her to be superior in mind and moral force to the unsightly wretches about her. She ha

the queen!" shouted

sked the woman as she gaine

t," said a ragged little gir

woman, speaking with th

old Sal beat Kit half to

le with her." Then turning to the policeman,

ou goin' t

up. She's drunk a

oin' to do an

ried to keep this devil from beating the life out of poor little Kit, an

Pinky's shoulder, and glanced toward the wom

een," as she had been called. Sal

in the little girl who had before spoken agains

rtone, making a dash toward the girl, and swearing fright

aid the queen, "I'll have her taken away

ed with ano

had been absorbed again into cellar and garret, hovel and rookery, to take up the thread of their evil and sensual lives, and to plot wickedness, and to prey upon

ere liquor was sold, and there policies. Here was a junk-shop, and there an eating-saloon where for six cents you could make a meal out of the cullings from beggars' baskets. Not very tempting to an ordinary appetite was

house that presented a different aspect from the wretched tenements amid which it stood. It was clean upon the outside, and had, as contr

Pinky had been thrown wa

" she said as the door closed upon

ised face; "Sal's hit you square in the eye; it'll be

oth to the swollen spot for a long time, hoping thereby no

l," said Norah as she set the

do you let her beat poor little Ki

with no more feeling in her voice than if

keep Kit up

o her

w. If Sal didn't come down sharp on her all the while, Kit wouldn't bring her ten cents a day. They all have to do it-so m

ming from across the narrow street. Quick, hard strokes of a

"she has to do it 'most every night-no getting along an

p?" cried Pinky, starting up. "

the fuss he's making is put on, anyhow; he doesn't mind a beating any more than a horse. I know his hollers. There's Flanagan's Nell getting it now," ad

g wail shivered

rose as she spoke. "I saw her goin' off to-day,

e across the street and a little way down the pavement, to the entrance of a cellar, from which the cries a

d Norah, in a

s ceased, and the

f you don't take care," said N

in', did ye say? It's nothin' she's been doin', the lazy, trapsing huzzy! Who's that intrudin' herself in here?" she added f

he woman and pushing her back as easily as if she had bee

circle of light made by a single tallow candle, there crept slowly the figure of a child literally clothed in rags. Nora

d's like an ice-bal

ith a singular lustre out of the suffering, grimed and wasted little face, so pale and sad a

sick?" as

she's only shamming

"I wasn't speaking to you." T

u sick,

es

he

n't k

r hand on the

it hur

so I can't see goo

! I know her; s

n't shamming at all. I fell down ever so many times in the street, and 'most got run over

orah, kindly. Then, to the woman, "Now

y uttered a d

gain to-night." Norah spo

nd not come interfarin' wid me. She's my ga

maybe she isn't,

e woman, firing up at this and reaching

ting her last sentence; "and I think maybe she isn't. So take car

ke me, won't you? She'll pinch me, and she'll hit my head on

r and ran across the street to the queen's house, Norah and Flanagan coming quickly after her. At the doo

here; and if you make a row, I

n, her manner changing. There w

ere's any row, you'll be locked up." Saying which, Norah w

dy scarcely heavier than the rags, was laid by Pinky in the corner of a

th old Sal," said Norah, in a

d enough, but I can't stand to see a child

oke to Nell. But there was no answ

e child and raised one of the arms. It dropped away limp as a with

d little form and turned up the face. The eyes were shut, the mouth closed, the pinched features rigid, as if still giving expressio

the child's face. Its only effe

g!" said Pinky. "

hey don't die eas

one of the

n stole her when she was a l

hing to try to bring

en bent over the child and examined her more carefully.

a tone of annoyance. "Take her back to Flana

lly dead?"

d her over and over that Nell wouldn't stand it lon

d carefully, but without th

," she said, turning off from the

o so. While they were contending, Flanagan, who had fired herself up with half a

Nell? I wa

ee, she pounced down upon it like some foul bird and bore it o

d was really dead, and so insensible to pain, made a movement to f

ernly. "Let Flanagan alone. Nell's o

ly sure!" ex

he coroner over there in the morning. It's Flanagan's concern, not

nst her at the in

show it when it's pulled out. Take my advice, and mind your own business. You'll

tartly; "and if there's any way to keep Flanagan fr

else first," said Norah, wi

ha

ay to

I'm not

against Flanagan, she'll have yo

an she

, and he'll send you down if it's onl

er is proved

h gave a little

t the screws on, and things must break sometimes, but it isn't called mu