o daily visit the policy-shops
in this neighborhood to put down the pennies they have begged or
received for stolen articles on some favorite numbers--quick-witted,
sharp, eager little wretches, who talk the lottery slang as glibly as
older customers. What hope is there in the future for these children?
Will their education in the shop of a policy-dealer fit them to become
honest, industrious citizens?"

All this was so new and dreadful to Mr. Dinneford that he was stunned
and disheartened; and when, after an interview with the missionary
that lasted over an hour, he went away, it was with a feeling of utter
discouragement. He saw little hope of making head against the flood of
evil that was devastating this accursed region.

CHAPTER XVIII.

_MRS. HOYT_, _alias_ Bray, found Pinky Swett, but she did not find the
poor cast-off baby. Pinky had resolved to make it her own capital in
trade. She parleyed and trifled with Mrs. Hoyt week after week, and each
did her best to get down to the other's secret, but in vain. Mutually
baffled, they parted at last in bitter anger.

One day, about two months after the interview between Mrs. Dinneford
and Mrs. Hoyt described in another chapter, the former received in an
envelope a paragraph cut from a newspaper. It read as follows:

"A CHILD DROWNED.--A sad accident occurred yesterday on board the
steamer Fawn as she was going down the river. A woman was standing with
a child in her arms near the railing on the lower deck forward. Suddenly
the child gave a spring, and was out of her arms in a moment. She caught
after it frantically, but in vain. Every effort was made to recover the
child, but all proved fruitless. It did not rise to the surface of the
water."

Mrs. Dinneford read the paragraph twice, and then tore it into little
bits. Her mouth set itself sternly. A long sigh of relief came up from
her chest. After awhile the hard lines began slowly to disappear, giving
place to a look of satisfaction and comfort.

"Out of my way at last," she staid, rising and beginning to move about
the room. But the expression of relief and confidence which had come
into her face soon died out. The evil counselors that lead the soul into
sin become its tormentors after the sin is committed, and torture it
with fears. So tortured they this guilty and wretched woman at every
opportunity. They led her on step by step to do evil, and then crowded
her mind with suggestions of perils and co