She earned a dollar or two each week by making shirts and drawers for the slop-shops, spending every cent of this in policies.

A few old friends who pitied her, but did not know of the vice in which she indulged, paid her rent and made occasional contributions for her support.

All of these contributions, beyond the amount required for a very limited supply of food, went to the policy-shops.

It was a mystery to her friends how she had managed to waste the handsome property left by her husband, but no one suspected the truth..