Cast Adrift

end of this time a package which had been left at the door was brought to her room. It came from Mr

interest to be my friend. The woman must not,

. Mrs. Bray's countenance was ra

murmur, talking to herself. "Poor baby! I must see better to its com

stairs or entries, no opening or shutting of doors

o herself. "No rest; no quiet; never satisfied; for ever knocking round, and for ever getting the worst

om the country. She was standing on the pavement, not far from the house in which Mrs. Bray lived, an

ing for anybo

ay," the girl answered. "I'm

her veil more tightly so that her

'm fro

d to know some

with a pleased, trustful manner, as of o

ve visit

o did you k

inted with the

re among our first peop

y a few years ago, and had a v

was living at the hotel, but I didn't like it; it was too public. I told the lady that I wanted to learn a trade or get into a store, and she said the city was just the place for me, and that she would give me

rtless, confiding manner. It was plain she knew littl

out her hand for the letter. She

RAY, "No. 631

d of Miss F

d Pinky, in a kin

," replied the girl;

is the number you

d to find the place. I was

d Pinky, going to the door of No. 6

at home?" in

re in the third story;" and she held the door wide open for them t

, and I will run up stai

n the hall until

me, I'm so

hat shall I do?" and th

ky, in a light, assuring voice. "I'll go

d down at her

elp you to carry it;" and P

leave it here

d; we can easily carry it between us. I'm strong-got good country blood in my veins. You see

l out, talking famil

ad your di

in the cars, and

then. I know a nice place; ofte

le to get sight of Pinky's closely-veiled features, and there

ny dinner," she sai

n, so come. Do y

es

in the city. And you'd like to g

es

e did you

n parti

r three girls in binderies, and they can make from five to t

ed Flora, with newly

l over while we're eat

et that led away from the more crowded thor

ls and girls in stores get their dinners there. We'll meet some of them, no doubt; and if any that I kn

the shop of a confectioner. In the window was a display of cakes,

and opening the door, passed in

as made to a girl who stood behind th

r oysters? stewed, fri

cular-any way,

d. Will you have

nodded

en. Come, we'll go up

r thre

s from th

I thin

Want to see some of t

t another a young man and a girl. As Pinky and her companion entered, the inmates of the room stared at them familiarly, and then winked and leered at each other. Flora did not observe this, but she felt a

glasses of some kind of liquor. Floating on one of these was a small bi

ur fatigue; and I always like something with oyster

ossed over and spoken to Pinky. A

k in a bindery

swered, witho

. She's from the country, and wants to get into some good establi

ed them both, and wouldn't go back to a store again on any

urned Flora; "yo

can be of service to any one. You th

ity to get employment, a

ther. "I'd die in the country-nothing going on.

-da

u friend

f introduction to a lady

s her

. Br

could not see her face. It was plain fr

een her yet

I called. I'm going ba

ating. Pinky had emptied her glass of sangaree before she was

ay; "there's hardly a thimbleful of wine in the whole glass. It

ave her encouragement and confidence, she sipped and drank until she had taken the whole of it. By this time she was beginning to have a sense of fullness and con

matter?" a

ly my head feels a little strange

nky. "I always feel bad after being

nd the girl who had joined them exchanged looks of intelligence. The former had dra

claimed Miss Peter, in a whis

mace. Then she said to Flora

are ill, dear? H

great anxiety, if not alarm. "It came over me all at once. I'm af

rank a glass, and don't feel it a

tarting up. "Mrs. Bray mu

ll enough," returned Pinky

h hands to her temples. She stood for a few moments in an

her side, and put on

here;" and with the assistance of the girl who

whispered Miss Peter, with h

hispered back; "they

of the stair

ard, while I pay for the oyster

sed by the drugged liquor she had take

ed from this through a gate into a narrow private alley shut in on each side by a high fence. This alley ran for a considerable distance, and had

urant supported Flora, who was fast losing strength and cons

ugh to--street. She's too far gone, and the

e," said the other, pointing to

Pinky, "and don't mean to have

's you

ere. Pat Maley's cellar is just over

of her when he got through. No, no, Pinky; I'll have noth

wered Pinky. "But it won't do to parl

live in. The loft over the first story was reached by ladder on the outside. Above and below the hovel was laid off in kind of stalls or bunks furnished with straw. There were about twenty of these. It was a ten-cent lodging-house, filled nightly. If this wretched hut or stye-call it what you will-had been torn down, it would not have brought

wearing a dirty Scotch cap and a red shirt, pushed his hea

his upper lip twitching and drawing up at one s

id Pinky. "We'll take her away when she comes round.

shook

h?" aske

ce;" and he hel

ed in every muscle, and so dead to outward things, that it was impossible to get her any farther. So they bore her into this horrible den, and laid her down in one of the stalls on a bed of loose straw. Inside, there

ne with their victim, they searched her pocket for the key of her trave

examine her baggage in safer pl

removing her breast-pin and finger-rings, while Pinky unbuttoned the new gaiter boots, and drew off bot

thing but the poor girl's dress and undergarments. Cloth oversack, pocket

the cellar in which he lived like a cruel spider and tried to intercept them, but they glided through the gate and were out of his reach before he could get near. He could fo

and entered the den. Lying in one of the stalls upon the foul, damp straw he found Flora Bond. Cruel beast that he was, even he felt himself held back as by an invisible hand, as he looked at the pure face

s over her breast and shoulders. He caught it up eagerly, drew it through his great ugly hands, and gloated over it with something of a miser's pleasure as he counts his gold. Then taking a pair of scissors from his pocket, he ran them over the girl's head with the quickness and skill of a barber, cutting close down, that he might not lose even the sixteent

he door, leaving the half-clothed, unconscious girl lying on the damp, filthy straw, that swarmed with vermin. It was cold as well as damp, and the

than we have described-worse than the reader can imagine-are done every day. The foul dens into which crime goes freely, and into which innocence is betrayed, are known to the police, and the evil work that is done is ever before them. From one victim to another their keepers pass unquestioned, and plunder, debauch, ruin and murder with

are Chr

a woman. It was so full of terror and despair that even the hardened ears that heard it felt a sudden pain. But they were used to such things in that

columns of a city paper

treet. No one knew how she came there. She was quite dead when found. There was nothing by which she could be identified. All her clothes but a single undergarment had been re

er, this parag

having been found dead and stripped of her clothing in--street. No one was able to identify her. A foul deed at whi

, and they torture and outrage and murder a hundred poor victims for every one that is exposed to Indian brutality, and there comes no succor. Is it from ignorance of the fact? No, no, no! There is not a Judge on the bench,

thousand-fold the deeds of our red savages. Their haunts are known, and their work is known. They lie in wait for the unwary, they gather in the price of human souls, none hindering, at our very church doors. Is no one responsible for all this? Is there no help? Is evil stronger than good, hell stronger than heaven? Have the churches nothing to do in this matter? Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost-came to the lowliest, the poorest and the vilest, to those over wh