Vignettes - 1896 Author:Rita Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: "Consequences." THE CAUSE. "Ir you please, I want to go to Charing Cross." It was such a pretty voice, and such a young, timid, childish voice, that I l... more »ooked down involuntarily from my seat on the top of the omnibus, and saw a little figure, with upraised face, and pale, floating hair, and two small hands holding tight to the leading-string of a small white dog. " All right; this is your 'bus; but we can't take no dogs, miss, you know." Thus the conductor, rough and to the point, as is the manner of conductors, and, indeed, of most public officials. " Oh, I can't go without him ! " cried the pretty, plaintive voice. " Please, might he go on the top ? " " I will take him," I said, leaning down and addressing the conductor. "Let the child get in." She looked up gratefully at me. The gas-lamps flashed full and bright on her face. Something in the eyes, as I looked at them, struck me strangely, pitifully. They had a blank, unseeing look, giving back no response to the glance of my own. " Good gracious ! " I exclaimed. " the child is blind!" "Yes, sir," she answered meekly; "that is why I must take Tip with me. He leads me along, you know." I thought I had never seen anything so touching as the meek, upraised face, with its halo of pale-gold hair, and its solemnity of helpless appeal. " Lift her up," I said to the man; and in another instant the child and the dog were by my side. It was about nine o'clock, and a dull December night. She was thinly, but neatly clad; the shabby, patched garments and dark felt hat were deftly and daintily arranged. I looked at her with a certain curiosity that soon found vent in speech. " How comes it," I asked, " that you are going to the Strand at this time of night, alone ? Are you not afraid ? " " Oh, no," ...« less