WEST SHORE.
It was about two weeks after Marie's disappear
anee, and an intensely hot day. Little John hud the
Water street door of his olliee wide open, and was sit
ting on a stool. In his mouth he held a short-stemmed,
black-bowled clay pipe. Tho door was opened at sueh
an angle that tho lower hnlf of the room was obscured
from the gaze of a passer, but certain sounds that came
from within told that Little John was not tho only oc
cupant. A steady pounding, interrupted at times by
a grating noise, was made by a man who stood at the
bench, on which were a number of thick earthen dish
es, with pestles protruding above their tops. The dili
gent workman was Old Tom. On account of the sti
lling heat Tom had thrown aside his coat and waist
coat, and there was exposed a dirty linen shirt, rone
suspenders holding up pantaloons very baggy in tlie
seat ami short in the legs. A Bimburned, grinly neck
and thick black hair, cut as square as a thorough
bred's tail, completed the rear view of the worker, who
pounded and ground something in one of the dishes.
At about three o'clock on this afternoon, a man en
tered Water street some quarter of a mile alove Little
John's shop. To a boy who was vainly trying to find
sufficient air to lly a kite, the man put some questions,
and receiving answers, came leisurely toward the
wharves, and presented himself at Little John's door.
Little John was still smoking and gazing into space,
and it took some seconds for his eyes to focus so as to
comprehendingly behold the figure, but when ho got
tho required distance ho took out his pipe and ex
claimed, in a complaining whine,
Now, you go away from here! I don t want you I
'Twas you that drove her oil !"
Instead of lcing dismayed at Little John s violent
gestures, tho man pushed him gently aside and en
tered tho office. Tom, who had turned alHiut, said, Ins
hubby face wreathed in his most conciliatory smile:
" Don't ye take on so, John! lie won t hurt no
body. I know him well. He's Mr. Hawkes, n lies
a come ter see me. Ain't ye?"
"I don't want no Mr. Hawkes here!" persisted
Little John, sullenly. "He made my girl gn away.
He worried her, V she's run oir."
John was sniveling like n crossed child. Hawkes
attempted to soothe him, saying:
" I did not drive her away. When she went I was
many miles from hero. I have come to assist you to
find her." , , . . ., ,P
There was a black Kittle on the ben.h beside r.mi
and it was evident to Hawkes that the littl n had
tasted often of its contents. ,
"Will you bring her back?" asked Little John,
who had caught only tho lust of the remark.
" You must help me find her." said Hawk.
"I don't know where she is!" Little John ex
claimed, half crying in disappointment.
i v. ... i '.:n i..i.n .ni. 0 i Tom: then in an
..!.!- il-'i ... in. Mr. Hawkes," loin lnpr
his great head significantly, then asked in a Mrt-r
tone, " Yc's my pardner. ain't ye, John.
John nodded feebly, then his head dropped, and ho
fell asleep. ... i i I
" What are you doing hero, Tom?" Hawkes aske.
" You seem to have struck prosrnty at hint. I sl.u I
stay with you awhile," drawing up a rhair ami light
ing a cigar.
" I'm in business," said Tom, grinning. " This
'ore's my factory, S'poso ye know I'm a chemicler.
I'm a gom' ter learn hint my formuler," nodding to
ward the sleeping John. " All the trouble is, he can't
keep 'wake long 'nough, V when he's a sleepin' he
fergits all wot I've a told him."
" What are you grinding there?" Hawkes asked.
"Them's yearbs," turning to his work. "I'm
tonkin' stuff as 'II kill warts now. A old lnjin gin
me the formuler. I'm a chemicler, I am. I use ox
alic acid, 'n' Bamlnige, V sugar o' lead, 'n' sleh sull."
He paused in his grinding to look back and Impart
this information, with a fin expressing consciousness
of his accomplishments,
" And occasionally you get time to tip up that
black bottle," said Hawkes.
" When he gin's me a chance." said Tom, with an
other grin. " He's at it most o' the time," then turn
ing abruptly, his dirty face shining, in bis most wheed
ling smirk, "(!in me a dollar."
" No!" Hawkes answered, llrmly.
Tom looked surprised, but was Instantly smiling
again, ami came toward the banker, crying eoaxlngly:
" Come, now, do. I allers thought more o' ye 'n I
docs o' me own son, I's told ye so ninny's the time,
V I tell ye so agin."
" I said the last time that I would give you noth
ing more, If you will answer my questions, I'll pay
vou. but I'll give vou nothing I want to know if you
null lull lllll lllll' lliinir nlioiit the ladv. his wife's com-
..... .. .. ... , i, i ,11
paninn? pointing to Utile Joint. na ne ever mm
you of her?"
I knows all aUit her," ell'uslvcly. " I knows
niore'n anylody."
" Where is she?"
" K u micd away."
"Alone?" '
" No; with t'other gall, the one as the old man s
sou was a goin' ter marry."
" How do you know?"
" Old man said so," scowling at the doubt In the
questioner's Voice,
" ))id volt ever see her?"
For ft few minutes Tom eyed his questioner cilll-
( ' course I seed her! " he answered. " I sm her
afore anylssly round here s I her. I made her cry
onee," grinning broadly.
" How could you timkn her cry? as she afraid
ofvoll?"
'" Will ye gin the dollar?" shrewdly.
Hawkes nodded.
Twar a paper I hud, V she read it n cried, I
got it here in my old cat. Ye can have it If ye want
it. Hhe cried 's though her own mother writ It. Hay,
with ft return of the cunning twinkle, "p'raps her own
mother did writ it."
.. I. . .1 .1 ll..uki.l "IliM'i III)
j in a louder know anything of her move uM sli.ee she left his
house?
Tom shook his head.
" H ain't done nothin' but rry after her.
Hawkes riM.e to go.
" Here Is your .Mlur," he said, " If jru will find
out where she went when aim left, I will pay well for
the Information,"