The Helpers

he hesitant convalescence gave her time to try many expedients pointing toward the moral rehabilitation of her protégée. Ignoring Margaret's bodeful prediction, Constance coursed far a

se Connie had leaned from childhood. "That is what comes of a girl growing up as you have without a mother to watch over

st to tears, and pres

lege not to take Margaret if you don't want her; but it's mine to help her, i

d that you won't succeed in getting the woman into any respectab

If people won't help, they'll have it to answer to One who wasn't afraid t

d daughters of her own, and knew how to

joined. "You might as well try to move Pike's Peak as to think you can remodel society after your own enthusiastic notions. A

r. "It's this: since society as a unit insists upon having this particular kind of reformative work turned over to organizations desig

to luncheon. In the afternoon, she laid hold of her courage yet once again, and went to her minister, good Dr. Launceston, pasto

iful to a degree; but I really don't see what is

ns have come to grief tha

o deal with. Now, if it were a question of mone

tive subjects, and one of them was that it was

t money easily enough, but Margaret wouldn't take i

d by money. The young woman must be given a chance to win her way back to respectability by her

ted. "You see, she knows the cruel side of the world; and she is quite sur

assionate and charitable in the aggregate, but as individuals I fear we are very unmerciful. Had you thought of trying t

talks. She fought the idea desperately, and I don't know that I blame her. She is just a woman like other women, and I believe

e agree with you. But what

-oh, I don't know! But I'll never

gain, not wholly comfortless this time, but apparently quite as far from the s

burst into flame on the following Sunday morning, when he preached a stirring sermon from the te

ily visit to Margaret. On the way downtown a happy thought came to her, and she welcomed it

er to-day, aren't you

o to work again before long; only Pe

's luxuriant hair fall in heavy masses over the back o

the Bijou?" she asked, knowing wel

do no different"-she paused and the fingers of her clasped hands worked nervously-"and you

nce, but after a little she said: "Tell

to tell, many's the time sinc

d watch the sparks fly from the anvil as he worked. And when his day's work was done, he would take you on his shoulder an

eyes with her hands as if to shut out the picture. Constance waited unti

s one living and still beloved; and as long as they could keep track

the one day? and will I be going back to stir it all up again? having the people say, 'There's Pat Gannon's girl come back; she that went to the bad an

s. When it proved to be but another rope of sand, she allowed it one sigh an

t you go back to the theatre-that's settled. You told me once y

nd threw out an armful of her sta

our way out of the trouble, Margaret. Why didn't we think of it before? When you a

t the battle were going evilward at the last moment. The fear was groundless, as she fo

s a word about behaving myself, or confessing to the priest, or anything. Miss Constance,"-this with uplifted face, grown suddenly beautiful and glorified in the ou

presently, wondering how the many-sided world could so uni

at the landing. Her first impulse was to retreat to Margaret Gannon's room; but when she recognized Tommie's voice uplifted in alternate plea and imprecation, she

gs happened: Jeffard released the boy, and Constance recognized in the gaunt figure the w

apologize, when Tommie, scenting an accusation, proceeded to vindicate

to do. I caught on to his nibs down on de street an' follered him up yere; an' w'e

and run away. Then her wits came back, and she saw tha

oy wasn't to blame; he was doing just what he had been told to do, and you have a right to ask-to-to kno

first time I have been taken for my double, and in broad da

g to Tommie at the foot of the stair. Taking Constance's nod and smile in passing as tokens of amity, the urchin allowed himself to

apped his last five-dollar note around a bit of plaster dug from the wall, and creeping through