The miser muttered some words
which David neither understood nor
cared to understand; for while he yielded
to his wish in arresting the woman
he entertained towards him, as his blunt
language showed, feelings of the most
thorough contempt.

`Now, ma'am,' said David, `as you
see how matters are with me, if you
will just suffer me to escort you to the
watch-house, I'll promise you shall come
to no harm. In the morning I'll see the
Justice and tell him all about the matter

[figure description] Page 086.[end figure description]

and get you off. Don't fear but all will
come out right in the end.'

`My mother shall not go to gaol,' said
the boy, very positively and clinging
closer to her.

`Oh, sir,' cried Annie to the iron-monger,
her beautiful faced bathed in
tears, `oh, do not proceed to this extremity.
'

`David Dalton, I am tired of this
farce. Are you going to take the
woman?'

`You must come, ma'am. I see no
other way,' answered David, with emotion.
`I'll see that you are treated as
respectfully as if you were my own wife.'

`Do not say a word, Henry, my boy.
I must go. I am innocent of theft, and
I shall not be detained,' said the woman,
trying to appear composed at that dreadful
moment when the horrors of a goal
stared her in the face. `I shall be
back to breakfast.'

`Breakfast?' responded the young
girl, sadly. `We shall have no breakfast
to welcome you, mother! But your
presence will be more joyful than food
to us!' And she cast her arms about
her and kissed her. `Sir,' she said to
David, `you see my mother is not strong.
Take me in her stead. I will bear all
the punishment!'

`No, Anny, you must stay to take
care of Henry. You are his sole nurse.
He will miss you more than he will me.
Besides the watch-house is no place for
virtuous young girl. I have made up
my mind to go with the good watchman.
Do no fear on my account. I shall be
protected. In the morning I shall be suffered
to come back to you. Good bye,
dear children. Now, sir, I am ready,'
she said, with wonderful firmness.

`Well; I think you have delayed long
enough,' squeaked the iron-monger impatiently,
moving towards the door and
drawing the ear-laps of his cap over his
ears to prepare for the cold to which he
was to expose himself.

`Ready?' repeated David, looking at
the thin dress and at the shawl-handkerchief
which she put hastily about her
neck, and then at a wretched hood she
held in her hand. `You will perish
without more clothing.'

`It is all I have, sir. Doctors' medicines
and food have taken every thing,
piece by piece, for money, to pay for
them.'

`You are very yoor. I will lend you
my over-coat,' he said, taking it off and
throwing it around her. `You will
perish without it.'

`Good watchman,' said the boy, taking
him by the hand, `will you bring my
dear mother back in the morning.'

`I will, my boy, if I can.'

`I know you can.'

`Where shall I find her, sir, if she
does not come home?' asked the young
girl, grasping his other hand.

`God bless my heart. It will break
out-right with this; said David, almost
sobbing. `Take heart, good children,
your mother shall return in the morning,
or I will come and tell you. I swear to
you, Feather-Few, that I would not lay
finger upon her to take her to the watchhouse,
if I didn't feel sure the Justice
wouldn't detain her in the morning when
he hears the case; and he shall hear it,
to your confusion.'

`We shall see to whose confusion,'
answered Jarvey. `Judges don't wink
at larcenies. They hav'nt soft hearts
like your's you'll, find. I'll swear the
woman stole my shutter and you must
say you saw her do it, and that we found
the shutter half burned up on her
premises. I'll put a stop to stealing
from me. She shall be an example.
I'll make the poor people fear me as
they would a hyena. She shall be made
an example of. Not three days ago a

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boy stole three ten penny nails from my
floor, and I had him sent to the house
of correction for six months. The judge,
like a wise man, said he ought to go; for
though the nails wern't of much vally
they might have been; and the boy that
would steal three nails would steal three
cents or three iron hoops. Come, tramp,
woman!'

`Don't be alarmed, good woman, about
your children here. Here is a half dollar
which I will give the boy. It will
help along a little till better turns up.
Now come, ma'am. Don't hold on your
mother, my little fellow. Be a man and
let her go with me.'

`I wish I were a man,' answered the
little fellow, `I would not let her go!'

David opened the door, out of which
Feather-Few darted, for he thought the
boy's eye flashed dangerously, and he
did not know what he might not do in
his resentment. David followed, taking
the woman by the hand. She strove to
suppress her own griefs and to comfort
her children.

`One word with my daughter,' said
she as the outer-door was reached: and
stepping back she whispered a few words
into the ears of the weeping girl.

`Tell him, Annie, not to expose himself
on my account, that they will let me
come back again!'

`Yes, mother!' I wid not let him
run any risk! Oh, it seems to me as if
Heaven had filled our cup now to the
brim!'

`It can be still worse, remember, Annie,
if he's taken!' she said impressively.

`Yes, indeed it can! Oh, may God
have pity on us!'

`He will in his good time! Good
night, dear, and keep them both up in
heart!'

`I will try to me, though I am ready
to sink myself!'

David spoke, and the poor woman,
embracing once more her daughter and
boy, turned and followed the watchman.
The storm still filled the atmosphere,
and the wind was piercing cold. It
chilled the body of the poor woman as
she stepped forth upon the gallery. The
snow was drifted knee deep upon it.

`You are a little woman, ma'am, let
me convey you down the steps to the
alley,' said David, suiting the action to
the word; and gently he bore her down
the shaking stairs as if she had been an
infant, and almost as easily.

The iron-monger went down first, and
with his lantern opened lighted the way
before them through the narrow alley.

`Let me down, now, I can walk,' said
the poor woman. `I thank you for your
kindness, sir!'

`Not at all, ma'am! I will do any
thing I can for you to show you kindness.
I hope you see how it is! I must
do my duty!'

`I see it, sir!'

`I am glad you are so sensible a woman
as to understand my situation, as I
see you do! If that miserable little
man before us had a heart that could be
seen in a needle's eye, if one looked
sharp for it, I shouldn't have to perform
such an unpleasant business as this!'

`Do you think, sir, the judge will keep
me?' she asked as she walked on by
his side down Flag Alley, the little iron-monger
turning round every fifth step to
see if they were coming.

`No, ma'am, he wont, I'm sure! He
shan't if I can say a word to be heard.
Bless me! there you are down! You are too weakly, ma'am, to foot it through
this deep snow,' he added as he raised
her again upon her feet! I have half a
mind to go back with you and let old
Feather's do his worst!

`No, let me go on now? I wouldn't
have you lose your place, sir!'

`What a good-hearted woman you are!

[figure description] Page 088.[end figure description]

You deserve a better fate. But, ma'am,
to fall into old Jarvey's clutches is as bad
as falling into old Cloven Hoofed's. I
never heard any body say a good word
of him yet; and you have had a specimen
of him to-night!'

`Come on, watchman! Don't lag behind!
It's a plaguey cold night! Push
on with the prisoner!'

`I shall take my own time, Mr. Jarvey!
I can't walk faster than the poor
woman, and I don't mean to drag her to
please no man! She'll be at the watch
house in good time, for I'm resolved you
shan't have the satisfaction of getting me
put out o' my place. You can't say a
word now, for I've got her, if I didn't
follow her when she took the infernal
shutter!'

They now crossed Dock Square, and
came opposite the old house where Jarvey
lived—from one of the windows of
which the shutter had been blown into
the street. Here the iron-monger came
to a stand.

`Go on with her! I shan't foller, for
I'm near froze to death, as it is,' he
said. `If you see fit to let her escape,
Mr. Tender-heart, you'll be the sufferer.
I shall be up to the Police bright and
early to enter my complaint, and if she
isn't there to answer, then I guess there'll
be a complaint entered against the watchman
of this beat, David Dalton by name!
So good night!'

With these words, squeaked out in a
shrill, malicious alto tone, the little
wretch fumbled at the door of his house
with his key, which with some difficulty,
on account of the numbness of his fingers,
he at length got into the lock. He
then darted in and disappeared from
Dalton's sight.

`Well, ma'am, there is one comfort,'
said David, as he moved on in the direction
of the watch-house, `and that is
that God above will judge that man for
this night's deeds. I'll yet punish him
for it some day before he dies; for I am
as great a sufferer, ma'am, in compelling
you to go to the watch-house, almost as
great a sufferer as yourself, ma'am!—
But I must do it or lose my place, ma'am,
and I hope you'll forgive me, you and
yours!'

`Indeed, sir, I have nothing against
you,' answered the poor woman, `for I
see this evil man has you in his power
quite as much as he has me!'

`That is the truth, ma'm. When I
think of my wife and children—I have
five of them, ma'm, and good children
they are too—I feel that I ought not to
run the risk of losing my place, which is
the only way I have had the last eight
months to support them, ever since those
great bank-failures and hard times came
upon us all. My heart bled when I
looked on your two and thought of
mine; but I could'nt help doing what I
have. I should'nt wonder if you cursed
me; and you don't know how it
relieves me to see you feel so kindly and
seem so to understand the matter. But
I only take you, ma'm, just to keep my
place, and in the morning I shall be the
first to see the judge and tell him your
case exactly, and I think if he has a
man's heart in his breast he will let you
go at once!'

`Indeed I hope so! My poor, poor
family at home! If I am sent to jail
or—'

`They can't send you to jail, ma'am!
It'll only be to the House o' correction
perhaps for sixty days!'

`Sixty days! What will become of
me and mine?'

`The judge won't do it, ma'm! I only
mean to say what is the most that he can
do, if they make out you stole the shutter
which they can't do!'

`The House of Correction is, I am
told worse than the jail or as bad!'

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