The Two Barbaras; A Novel

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1876 edition. Excerpt: ...The organ stopped playing, Sal wheeled the cart a few houses nearer, and began again. Barb looked back into the room, and through the blue smoke from Tim's pipe saw him lolling back in his chair, with his feet braced against the wall and his back to her, enjoying the music while he turned over the filthy leaves of a dog-eared song-book. If I only had a pencil, thought Barb, and a bit of paper, I'd write something to Sal this very minute. I have some cents in my pocket, and I could roll 'em up in it and pitch it down to her easy. As this sigh escaped her, she noticed the litter of cards and half-burned matches---both being the usual evidences of Tim's protracted vigil--lying temptingly on the table between them. Barb like a spirit crept noiselessly to the table right behind Tim, selected a few of the cleanest cards and as many burnt matches as she could catch np, and, creeping back to her seat, leaned over the window, her little heart beating like a trip-hammer. She laid a knave of hearts face down upon the grimy sill, and delicately removing the soft ash from the end of the match, she wrote the following upon the back of the card, as like print as she could make it: Dear Sal: Barb Pomeroy is in trouble; send word to Dr. Wayne--Kensellaer's Landing, on the Hudson--that old Nan has her, and that Barry is worse. Dear Sal, do this right quickly for Little Bakb. It took more than half a dozen matches to indite this epistle upon the back of a knave of hearts, an ace of diamonds, and ten of clubs, and by that time Sal was under the window, commencing her little round of popular airs. Barb took the few cents from her pocket, and rolling the three cards carefully round them in a compact bundle, pinned it securely...