THE DEVIL IN LONDON.

NZ Truth, Issue 160, 11 July 1908, Page 8

THE DEVIL IN LONDON.

Hidden Horror.

<By QKOi R, SIMSJj

&*■<-■>.)■-■ ',•■■■ -I ■■■'■'■■' -v irr -(:•-■ ■'.■■•' ■■■, :.,. "Qhhk"' "saW the 'Prinfie,' as ; tie gtrange colttifeifldns; ; f passeft J br the brilliantly- ' lighted Empire, "is Leicester-square. Here I have several old-established and high-ly-profitable foreign v But you know tge locality well now/ I expect." ''Frdm the ; outsider's L^point of view, yes.-j:* replied Fairfax : "but \h have no dbiibtyou can give me ah interesting and' enlightening '«ve'nuig, : :here on another » occasion. ' I have^one ■ definite object m view to-night and Mis useless for you to' endeavor- to lead me* away from, it." The' Prince smiled.' ' "Ypur talisman will prevent that," he ..replied, genially. "I can -snow you, a feature of "my campaign for sduls .here : which is ■ quite / as important asjj, the\ Drink* "problem ;f but.as -you tsajj we 'can leave that for- another evening." ;"' v , '*>'-'" ''"■'"> " ■ They-- crossed tfie Circus' and went along Picca.'ttilly till , they came to.la;side street, down^which , they turned. IViwasVa quiet " ,streeip and " tKeie"- were several private any.- i! ferilllyv- hotels in.it. ■''=,■■• 1 'flTh^cfifCiS please htre that will inter"&<B' tfou-.M* Said the Prrhct. '^Cdme •me.^- : --- ■' . v- r ''"■ •■ ••■- .■" - •■• Alan Fairfax hesitated. "•■He had the. Englishman's , reluctant*' '-'to "intrude 1 . on' the privacy^' of strangers., ;.?■• ... ' "You; need have no hesitation," said tMe-Pfincej ''I am- going to call: .here as thtf! repr'esentatiyeo of a, « high-class Home for/ InebrlStes tb see if, the case is one Vwhich^we can undertake: You are my colleague." r <; . \ 'H ..■ :-. • A ■:,. Fairfax . followed tiid , grince-ibtp the- ; hajl, and presently .manager of , the "'''■•■ hotel came to them.,;: -■••:. ■!■;■ - ~'j" '•■ ■.:■' ; ". A word of expianationV and the, manager at once, became' ebmmunitive. '?. -,:- --■" *?It isa'4errib^ ciase;," lie said. ' :"I,' shall be glad totiaye 'iti out ,of the Ktfy, [ tel, • though money; v is<;np object with = the poor lady.. Will you ekme up ?•" The Prince" and. Fairfax followed the manager/ up to the, first I . floor, ■ and 'tiien; into, beautifully-appointed, sitting-; ■ ;■": ;;-':^. ;.■ •-. .-,:•■■ ' x ■ , -;■ ■; ■: l< The' gentleman ..you , expected,'?,, said "the manager,, showing^them inV^and! then .retiriixg^-- ''■•''■'■''■ '■.-•.^ : >>.-'. ..•■';■.-" '\.-- * '' • ; 'viA : young y : woman yrho /"was sitting by the' fire rose v at once., ; : v ; ani one of the nurses <? said sac.> 'V'.'Mrs^.VA-r--^ 'is :Very^.badv tb-nigtit; and we^tare^.both •stayingTron.' .dutyr.-in.. case we rare 'wanted;. -iN^urse ''Hanson is .^with' JHcT "patients now. >>< Stie ; is a little quieter. •■■v Will"': you go : in^> ., ."\ ■ -J ■-"■>■ The X young : woman ppened a door , and ushered the 'Prince and his companion, in-, .to a 'large ;bedroom^.O: '•..,:■ • • ' •• •Nurs^iHanson came forward. : ''"You are v - 'the gentlemen" from the' . Home ?Vi!she ; said, ■ - « : Then*stie'^d'rew^.thß-.;bedrCurtains aside, and Fairfax -'utteted^ai little exclamation, of "astonishment. . ; ; ' .:'>•;■ : 'v v. "■" ■■. .^ ..- --,04 .the&bed*i-laßy^a]- young and_ beautiful wtoindfi'^lii «Usiexqufeite ball dress. ~A rqagnincefct^ diainpnd.'onecklaoe was ; .round ■•'; hteifPnec^^and diamonds' -iigfeanied and B^arklett«pri'Hhe -bosom rot-tier^ -dress. Her hanl^^etei covered" with, costly; rings and sufte'rb^diamond ornaments. vteie .m h«| iitaVgJiwblack hair. -y ; ' '-AlsCa^F«irfax, ; who: : Kad;;,exi)ected tp see a - wreTciMr of gazed -m amazer vment^a't the : beautiful Vbung vsroman m 'ball attire, lying ,. apparently m a state bl stuftpitron,*t:tidi::bed.- '• v •' ' The, face": mrj the- soft light, of the room: seomed"--tha* of a- girl- withithe brilliant compleatibn^of vigorous health. It .-was not till Fairfax looked a .little, more' clpsely that he* saw that the -face' of the ' woman..- was .painted. ! ' ."I've had, a lot; of trouble with her," said the nurse.. "She will be dressed. Hke that eyery evening, and have all her Jlwelsjjn, and be^maile v up', "as .she calls U. She has" been .getting worse and worse every day,- but ttwiight she , -has iiten dangerous/ Something offended her :nd she 9awght m 6 :by the throat % and Jtried rtt)°'thrpttle me. This afternoon tihe triedrto get to the" Window and .jump 1 *ut. , f<am? ! afraid tcr. be; alone with, her, iand afikdd'-tihe^ther. nurse to stop with me," » fi^tc jXv;:^' ; :.-^ '■:-.. '■:■■:•■■[. 'exclannedi. 'Fairfai.^ "if. she is atteuasd flight and ■•> day, how does; she gefiJ^BelL*?iafc toikeep -ti^R inn this condi-. .■^JTEtf 1 Pitoce .turned^to :hiin quickly. = V „/ isi^r tfdear <; colleaguei'r he :said, • I'when : ' 'yWUfiflFePft^caS^inuctioiexperience :-as ..-■; J WahS'dS^es^iot tUastroor* yon?.:jVfll knaw iti^pipeevle i]TCithi/inipney^[«^ always . get WPPWy^ fßeyGiwaktift ' p.? p. r;r«-. 1 ~. (73 rjJbe\ievey-she.f/is >,quite . j^ow^'i' §ajtf' : thg > ' ? naffie."" ' "It gone beyoni ' Mf 5 drini'- trotiblei .". : It is not \> a ;-case we catf^bo^af tef properlyii- inv an . hotcUi 1 , : 1 3<1 You. are'tight,?' said the Prince, "andit fe'nbt a "caseior us;~ • The doctor will ; . probably^certify it as a case ciffinsanitv. t could nbt' receive it m our Home. I • ; Out* m ; ' the' street, . Fairfax, at johce; tuthed/ftb his companionv^ .' ;i--; -:■'> ■": -."'. ••( . >}~ "Wtibiis /the lady ?V he* askfed : "dp/ you 1 ?" :s s -:-;-mF* v.,- ( *«"Ot«cotltseff'l dp<V ( !iieplie4r'the,vPEince. ttt She ii{ is fth^'wife; of an- Entglfehman who' holds a high diplomatic imsiinpn. abroad. She has a large forturie pther -own. Her; father and heE grandfather., drank tljemielTes to death. .!«he. has; ; the -curse and has made no effoict to ' combat. it?- She I ' appeared 'twice at a .Court funcition abroad .m a condition of helpless 'intoxication. Finding that' she "would utruin his career,, tier husband separ-; . ated from her,. .She has; been travelling; about alone and drinking heavily eyerj fsince. SheNsame 1 . tb jLondon two-rmonths ago. and there is.-no^dbubti that her; mind has begun, to give way; None "of her relatives will come near tier. She' has £5000 a year, ' and that is tipw she, gets rid of at." ' -"Surely her friends, would do some-' thing?" exclaimed .Fairfax. "Oh, -I'm, not the least afxaid-of what -friends will do,", said the Prince. "The people;' whb have the drink habit <tire out evety'' friend they have m the world. ..I ".will»>take'-you ! 'to -.-a case: where friends 'have.-a&ne everything they could." They."w©re passing through a fashionable square. At; the back; ran a mews, m rwhich the stable belonging to: the 'man^ sions were situated. > ■ ,- Fairfax followed his guide down the v mejtfs? '.\ They stopped m front' of a set: of^^6Sßlesl Snd>the Frince poinfted tb a r fftht r; ' I ih T ?the-rbomVabb.ve. : ■» 'These, stables- " he said; ."belong to ;Mr' : X''' ' , 'a- man of fortune and a wellknown philanthropist. Mr.<-X is upstairs drinking with -his. /'coachman ; or'^ rather, drinking m his ,'Scoachman's roopi. That- is where he keepg a plentiful supply of whisky; and he comes here unknown to his wife to. indulge m the habit. His wife absolutely believes 1 that he ' is . a teetotaler. • . "Mr XA — — began to drink, when he Vasi a^ child of five. tised to si" from the 'glasses; of= his and mother. Both 6^ them died of drink, and his/bro- • therr' in a fit of delirium, brought on' by " alcoholic excess, committed; suicide. "His sister was a s woman with strong -religious tendencies. : She taught m Sun-' day sdbpols. Her . favorite occupation was. reading;*the Greek Testament. But jrft inteVvals she would giv* way to the "faii'iily ; failingy aird lrfck hecself m a room anftfMKrtk, a%d- drink,' an* drink. One drin^Ug: 'albnei*; after .' the family had -gone to bed, she fell into the fire and was burned to death." ••In a^l these cases*" exclaimed Fairfa^ "the drink habit is an, inherited dis-" " case 4" ;^.;. ■ . ,' • "Yes : a disease passed from .generation to generation— latent for ,a time, perhaps, and then forced to activity ,;,by Mmress of great temptation. But m these ifcilies the temptation often, begins m 3nj|aod. There ate thousands oicbil-.

i dren who > are, f&te* liMSfol almost from their infancy." ' . .' ' ■• "That is horrible. Surely it; should be an' offence against, •th^ law; to give? a chUd drink V , J "It \ is nqfyet,'.' replied the;^ Prince, quietly. ■ ; - , .■■ Alan Fairfax shrank back: miii an involuntary expression • of horror. He found himself for the first time*; m a "mixed, "lodging-house, and the spectacle -that "met his ; ' eyes was a shocking one. . . Seated m a close and over-heated room, with the smell of cooking bloaters mixing unpleasantly with, the odor of rant tobacco and frowsy garments, were a number of men and .women of the most degraded type. Many of the women had the bloated features and the pendulous lips of the chronic inebriate. There were few of them who had not black eyes or the marks of - recent wounds and blows. . v - The men were apparently tramps, but one or v two of them , looked -like the wreckage _pf a superior , class. : : ■ \lfoen Alan Fairfax and his companion entered; the 'Women began t"6 make coarse; jeering remarks. Alan Fairfax looked, at the terrible types of womanhood with a loathing that he feared his features might betray. . . <"Let me go,"?' he whispered. "These unhappy women form no part/of the hidden problem I am seeking to probe. They are' the .drunken drabs who reel from tavern to tavern, gutter-bred outcasts'who. never had. '.a chance to be aueht. but what they; .are." '"Pardon,?' smiled the Prince. "some of the women are: gutter-born and gutiferbred, but there -are>. plenty ,of 'well-born women, here as well. AL'opk at that woman with her mudfstainea/ greasy skirt hanging m rags about her. Look at tier drink-sodden face, bruised- : with savage blows; scarred by cuts and wounds, the result of fierce figbjts and street accidents.' 'That woman is the "Vidow.of, an officer' m- the Indian Army. She draws her pension regularly. She and^tjie ruf-fiahiy.-lo'oking fellow sitting by : her spend it ;between them m drink m. a few days. The*' woman was foctjr before she ever entered a y public hbuije. But. she 1 was , a drinker, before she' was twenty:" < " "But the men'.;?j" 'exclaimed Fairfax, as he : looked' l iskarice. ; .at^he shocking samples of tiuinanity gathered prpunu the red glow of -IjJi&. kttctieff ,fire. "They are all tramps or;*Eawkers: gt the kerbstone by tne look! of; -them ':]"/■'-■;■■ :'v ; - S' y "By the r look of theni.^yes. ./But that ragged, miserable-looking ' fellow -was at Eton and Oxford, and the t,all. greyhaired old. man who has all the appearances'of being m the last, stager of drunken destitution's a Mas.tef of Arts; and was for many "years the editor of an old-established and^'still well-rknov/a London newspaper. ■ ':.'■ ' ■„ | ,'i, . "Neither of those men was a bar loafer. They soaked from their own cellars ; -they drank'- themselves to the idpsshouse m a J refined and cultured, home environment. . I :} '. *. • -••)■-■• ''.'There is another 'human document,' as your 'realist would ' label him,'^ said the Prince," directing his companion's attention to a.onan who lay stretched out on a form by the fire; and then walking across the kitchen . and ' shaking t the sleeper to rouse, him . ..'•''» The man started?' up with an; exclama'tibn of; terror. .His eyes were bloodfshpt „ and his face : distorted' and as he raised himself Fairfax , that his limbs twitched and .trembled a? though he had St. Witus's dan)je. "'.- ' % v ,Tlie 'Prince: took a coin from his pocket and 'flung! it on the. form. - '„. "There you are," he said, curtly. "I was told you were here, and I; "wanted cay* friend to see you;" , ; > \ . . 'The man uttered a cry of joy that Was like the howl of a wild beast, and, clutching the coin with his trembling fingers, staggered' out of the doss-house with' it. "Gome," said the Prince, "you don't want to stop with these people, I sup•pose^":, .;■ ' .■ ■/ \. •. : ■ ■■"■.• : : Alan [followed the .Prince into the street, and they saw the, man, who was m. an advanced -stage: of delirium "tremens, give the coin iib a'"woman who, was outside a public-house, and she took it and •went iri. t ', " }'.')■■ '■ :'".■ ':■• ," -."■ . ; \ " "She's gone to buy him some brandy.*" said the Prince. "No • ".publican would i serve him m his condition.- Do you want to know "who he is?" . - : ;.':'"Yta:"'- .'.'" " '- r . '.' ■■ .' :•'.' 1" j "He' is a man who has rich; and powerful' friends.. H»' is the. son of Mr —^-, the" head of the ."great .banking^ firm- Hia father gave him; up ten years agoV He has bedn sent to . the' colonies. threen;ime&, and each time: he ' hajs v got back: and been)found m a common' lodging-house. . . 0 "He has , been m two \ high-class infer briate homes, and refused tp ,' '>tay. : m either. He has; been m prison ; he has? been . 16ck"ed ;up/' a ; doien times ; lie has been stabbed and 'robbed, m drunken brawls ; he has been found senseless m .gutters, arid on the., refuse heaps of stable ,yaids." ' ..-k- . : ' ' • '• The young millionaire made no com* ment., The gcene he 'had witriessed 1 appal}ed'\him. The 'name of the degraded drunkard, whose' features haunted him as .he "went out into the air, was^farniliar to v him. The father of . the doss-house inebriate was his own banker. He trust--ed his fortune to his father ; the ., son -clutched at the Shilling with the howl of ; a> wild animal because it meant a big gulp of public-house" brandy for him. '. "• ■ ' : ■• • . ;., ■■ ■..■ •■■■■■ / ■*■■•• ••'■■• .: As they 'walked slowly along the Prince turned to his companion. ."You said/ that m the den we" have vjust left you did not see the "hidden problenv of the drink, habit," he remarked. "That is true. But you see what the -hidden problem often comes to at the finish. None 0f... the •' people you .have ■ seen began m the public-house. They, ■began m their, homes. Some of them never, entered a publicrhouse until they were chronic inebriates. Thousand? i of nepple eVery of a^i^- who rieVer enter a public-hbuse m their lives. No; my friend, the good, people who want to wrest my chief weapon from me have to. do a great deal Tnof e than figHt me on licensed premises. .Where shall ' -we go now?" •-■ •'• -■••■ -. : v \.' " "I have seen enough f for to-night," said the 'young man. sadly; "I have learnt a terrible truth, Prince ; but fome day this accursed drink habit will , cease to ; be. 'a -weapon m your hands V ? v •JPerhaps," replied the Prince* smiling : ,"buf I'm not worrying. Over five hundred women more or' less insane have -last been turned out of inebriate homes; by : a public body, because < '.there is a question of a iey> shillings 'a head for maintenance between that body and the Government. Those women are responsiblei fpr a total of two thousand children, so yOu see I have no reason to be perturbed by what science is dping m the^matter." . The mocking tone m which. -the Prince of Darkness spoke was lost upon the young millionaire. " One absorbing idea engrossed his mind at. that moment. 'There .must be. a remedy, he thought, for this ~tjjrri£le disease. How better could the spare millions of the" world's wealth-holders be spent than m the glorious human service of adding science to find that remedy? * Near the end of the disreputable byvway m- the West End of London in 'which the ','mixed" lodging-house was situated, the young millionaire suddenly stopped. They were passing a dismal, dilapidated building, outside which three or four

dissipated-looking women.' were ioungins .their backs against the wall. One of them, still young, " and with the [remains of good looks, was singing ■ huskily and m a maudlin voice a senti- : mental song that has had its vbecue a* .the halls and on the streets. Over the narrow dark entrance at the I dingy building there was an old lamp m which a single gas jet threw sufficient light on frosted sides, now a srim grey, to enable the passer-by to read th» legend inscribed oa it v "Licensed Lodging House for Women. Beds 4d and 6d a night." "That is a women's lodging-house,'' said Fairfax. "Are the women outside a fair specimen of those^ who patronise it?" "Yes and ' no." replied the Prince"Working girls and country girls have to come to these places sometimes because there is no other accommodation for them- m this great city. ' There are shelters and places connected with missions, of course, but hundreds of women and girls do not know of them. If it were possible for anything to toe worse from • your point of view than the mixed lodging-houses, these houses are." ' "And decent, " hoDest girls who- are without a home have/ to come to them for a A night's shelter '?" . exclaimed Fairfax.. •■■•• ',-■•.':. "Yes. , Look, there : are two respectable women coming along now. The old woman who is with vbhem is pointing out the -house. They nave probably asked her where they can get a bed for the night." ".■ * ; Fairfax looked at the two women who had now come into view.^ .He recognised the old woman at once. He had last seen her begging m Piccadilly circus at one m the morning, when he heard one of the Mission Sisters address her as Bridget., , He looked from Bridget to her companions and uttered an exclamation of surprise. They were 'the Mission Sisters but were poorly dressed, and evidently seeking to pass for homeless women. "•Come along; dearie," mumbled Brid-get,-addressing Sister -Angela. "I'll see you; all right, and, take your bed tickets for you, soothe deputy won't, find out as you ain't used, to this sort of thing." ) The. elder Sister . seemed to ihesitate, and drew Angela back. "Do you' think we'd better go ?'° she said. "Look at those women. It will be a terrible experience." "No worse for us. Sister, than (for the poor girls who have no other home. Let us see for ourselves if -what we have heard of thesd places^ is true. For. our work's sake we must know the truth. Tf we do not gp down into the abyss, how shall we, succour those who' lie heloless m its depths ?" ; The old woman hobbled up the steps H that led to the dark passage which was tbe entrance to the lodging-house, and the Sisters followed:* her m. The Prince looked keenly at Fairfax. "You have seen these ladies before ?". he said.; / Fairfax started. "You know that they are ladies " then ? You have penetrated their disguise ?" "You forget there is np disguise from me. You are interested x m the younger lady. That is- natural. She is young and beautiful." ■ . Fairfax flushed a little, for \ there was more than .a suggestion of sarcasm m his companion's tone. .■ ' '- "I am interested m both, for. l. know that they ,arte good iwomen; and I am afraid if they 'are; going :tp oass the ni^ht m this place it; will be a fearful- ordeal to ,them. It must be t° an y refined and' Fentle-minded woman.?'' • ' ,-. The Prince shrupged his shoulders. "Whatever they may suffer it is of their own seeking," he said.- "The vouriger Sister is, ; a brave girl, but she will want all of her bravery before she comes out- of tha.t place." "I am sure she: is a brave girl," exclaimed Fairfax, enthusiastically: "but I v.wish I could have prevented lier passing the night' m such company as she will meet there if the -women outside are a- sample." "You couldn't have done that. Sister Angela, is five and twenty. ,She hns fcesn working as a Sister of the^ Peonle since ehe was 21; and," he added, with a smile, ''as an enemy I respect her." /'What mission does she belong to » Wliere is it'" asked Fairfax, caeerly. The, Prince lauehed. n "Is it' love at first, sight ?•" he said ; "then there is .a chance ! for me to font the enemy ... wi^h fileasant weapons. Tf you can persuade Sister Angela to fall m love with you and marry her, by all means do. The' people I dr?ad are those who g^ive personal service. \ Millionaires' wi vestas a rule, have n.o time for that." "Thank you," -said Fairfax, "for "arranging v a—marriage fpr me. But lam not likely to appreciate your views bri such a question. If I want to find out more aliout \Sister Angela, I will do without your assistance." . "You are nuite right," replied the Prince, drily. "The results of my Matrirmonial Agency are Renerallv more staisfactbry to me J than to my, clients. " -/Al^an, 'Fairfax made no reply, but took leave, pf his companion, saving that he .'would summon him again when be wanted him. He had determined to find out for him-self-the. result of Sister Angela's brave adventure and to help her m every way he could . m the npble. work she was doihg fpr suffering and neglected womanhood. V