Having arrived at this conclusion, Kornicker took off his hat, wiped his forehead, snuffed, and set out on his return.
Day after day for several weeks he prosecuted his inquiries without success; and just when he was in despair, chance led him to success. In the course of his rambles, he encountered a person who had been at Rust"s trial, and happened to speak about him; for now that the criminal was dead and in his grave, when public opinion could be of no service to him, many who had hunted him down began to view less harshly the crime which had led to his death; and this man was one of the number. He said that, although he deserved punishment for his previous evil deeds, yet the best and purest act of his life had been that by which he had struck down the destroyer of his child.
"Poor thing!" said he, "she must have led a miserable life since her father"s death. I have met her several times since then in the street, but that was several weeks ago; and then she was very feeble, scarcely able to walk: perhaps she"s dead now."
Kornicker waited only long enough to ascertain that she lived in a certain out-of-the-way part of the town, which the man designated, and thither he directed his steps, and resumed his search; and after several days spent in fruitless inquiries, he discovered her.
The house in which he found her was a small ruinous building, sagged and jutting forward, as if struggling to sustain itself against time and dilapidation. The windows were broken; the doors and shutters unhung, except a solitary one of the latter, which creaked as it flapped to and fro in the wind; and this was the home of Rust"s child.
Kornicker ascended the ricketty stairs and paused at the door of a room, which a slipshod woman had pointed out as that of the "murderer"s daughter." He knocked, but there was no reply; he knocked again, but all was silent. Then he opened the door and looked in.
It was a small dingy room, unfurnished, with the exception of a bed on the floor, and a single chair, on which stood a candle whose flaring light served only to add to the gloom of the room by revealing its wretchedness.
The girl was in bed; her hair lying in tangled ma.s.ses about the pillow.
Her cheeks were sunken and colorless, and her eyes deep-set and glowing, as if all that was left of life was concentrated in them.
Kornicker hesitated for a moment, and then pushed the door open and walked in. The girl looked listlessly up, but did not notice him; for she turned her head away with a weary, restless motion, and did not speak. Kornicker went to the bed, got on his knees beside it, and took her hand in his. As he did so he observed that it was very thin and shrunken, and that the large veins stood out like cords. It was hot as fire. "You"re very ill,"
said he, in a low tone. "I"m afraid you"re very ill."
"I"m dying of thirst," said the girl, pointing to an empty pitcher, which stood on the floor. "Give me water; the want of it is driving me mad. No one has been near me to-day. I tried to get it myself, but could not stand."
Kornicker waited to hear no more, but seizing the pitcher, darted out to a pump, and in a very few minutes came back again with it filled to the brim. The girl"s eye grew even more l.u.s.trous than before, as she saw it, and she attempted to rise, but was unable.
"You must excuse ceremony," said Kornicker, as he placed his arm under her back and supported her while he held the pitcher to her lips. "Nursing isn"t in my line."
The girl swallowed the water greedily, and then sank back on the pillow exhausted.
"Have you a doctor?" inquired Kornicker, placing the pitcher on the floor.
"No," answered she feebly; "I have no money: the last went yesterday. I"m deserted by all now."
"Not quite," exclaimed Kornicker, slapping his hand earnestly on his knee, while he experienced a choking sensation about the throat; "not while I"m left. I"m sorry I a"nt a woman, for your sake; but as I don"t happen to be, I hope you"ll make no objections on that score; I"ll look after you as if you were my own sister."
It was the first word of kindness that the girl had heard for a long time, and the tears came in her eyes.
"There, there, don"t cry," said Kornicker. "It bothers me; I don"t know what to do when women cry. But you haven"t a doctor; that will never do.
Keep up your heart," said he, rising; "I"ll return presently." Saying this, and without waiting for a reply, he left the room.
Arriving in the street, his first impulse was not only to feel in his pockets, but with the utmost care to turn them inside out, and to examine them narrowly.
"Not a copper--pockets to let!" said he, restoring them to their former condition, after a long and unsuccessful search. "But this girl must be looked after; that"s settled. Now then," said he, in a very meditative mood, "who"s able to do it and _will_?"
This seemed a question not easily answered, for he stood for more than a minute in profound thought, in endeavoring to solve it; but apparently making up his mind, he hurried along the street. The direction which he took was toward the upper part of the city, and he was some time in reaching his destination, which was no other than Harry Harson"s house. He crossed the court-yard and knocked at the door, which was opened by Harson.
"I want a word with you," said Kornicker, abruptly.
Harson told him to come in; led the way to his sitting-room, and pointing to a chair, told him to be seated.
"I haven"t time," said Kornicker, shaking his head. "Do you know me?"
"I"ve seen you, but I can"t recollect where."
"_Here_," said Kornicker, "here, in this room. I breakfasted here. I"m Michael Rust"s clerk."
"Then you can scarcely expect a cordial reception from _me_," said Harson, coldly.
"I don"t care what sort of a reception you give _me_," replied Kornicker; "you may kick me if it will be any comfort to you, provided you only do what I ask. Michael Rust is dead, and his daughter is now dying, with scarcely clothes to cover her, or a bed to lie in; without a cent to buy her food or medicine; without a soul to say a single word of comfort to her. I wouldn"t have troubled you, old fellow," continued he, with some warmth, at the same time turning out his pockets, "if I had a cent to give her. The last I had I spent in getting a breakfast this morning; and although it"s the only meal I"ve eaten to day, damme if I would have touched it if I had thought to have found her in such circ.u.mstances. But since you won"t help her, you may let it alone; I"m not so hard run but that I can do something for her yet."
Kornicker had worked himself up into such an excitement, owing to Harson"s cold reception of him, that he took it for granted his request was to be refused; and having thus vented his feelings he turned on his heel to go, when the old man laid his hand on his shoulder.
"Nature puts n.o.ble hearts in very rough cases," said Harson, his eyes glistening as he spoke. "You"re a good fellow, but rather hasty. I didn"t say I would not a.s.sist the poor girl; on the contrary, you shall see that I will. She has no doctor?"
"No."
"No nurse?"
"No."
Harson rang the bell. The house-keeper answered it.
"Martha, put on your things," said Harson; "I want you to sit up with a sick person to-night. Bring a basket, and lights, and cups, and every thing that"s necessary for one who has nothing. I"ll return in five minutes; you must be ready by that time. Now then, Sir, come along; you shall see what I"ll do next."
He went into the street, and walked rapidly on, turning one or two corners, but without going far, and at last knocked at the door of a small house.
"A very excellent fellow lives here," said he to Kornicker; "he"s a doctor; and if this girl can be saved he"ll do it. Hark! there he comes. I hear his step."
The door was opened by the doctor himself, and a few words sufficed to explain matters to him.
"I"ll be ready in a minute," said he, darting in the room and as suddenly returning, struggling his way into the arms of a great-coat. "Now then,"
exclaimed he, b.u.t.toning a single b.u.t.ton, and dashing into the street, "which way?"
"Where does she live?" asked Harson. "I"ll go back and bring the nurse."
Kornicker told him, and was hurrying off, when Harson touched his arm, and leading him a few steps aside, said in a low voice: "You seem somewhat straitened for money, Mr. Kornicker; I wish you would accept a loan from me." He extended a bank-note to him.
Kornicker b.u.t.toned his pockets up very closely, not omitting a single b.u.t.ton, and then replied coldly: "I ask charity for others, not for myself."
"Come, come," said Harson, kindly, "you mustn"t bear malice. I did not act well toward you at first; you must forget it; and to show that you do so, you must take this loan from me."
"I don"t wish to borrow," replied Kornicker.
"Well, I"m sorry for it," said Harson, taking his hand; "but you"re not angry?"
"No no, old fellow; it"s not an easy matter to keep angry with you; you"re a trump!"
"Perhaps you"ll sup with me when we return?" said the old man, earnestly.
"I"ll see how the girl is," replied Kornicker; "good bye. We"re losing time."