The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-08-16
HOW JERRY SAVED THE MILL

/ The dull, cold day was at Its close
! but the heavy rain and strong souti
wind which had swept the towr
since early dawn still continued with
unabated fury. the gale shriekeC
as it tore about ,he corners and lash
ed the faces of the few hurrying fooi
passengers; while the driving rain
penetrated everywhere, drenchin2
the streets, flooding the cutters, and
collecting in deep, treacherous pools
at the corner crossing. The bare
trees moaned and writhed and wept
the swinging sign boards in front ol
the taverns creaked and groaned dis
mally, the tall chimney OF the Dunn
bleton knife works rocked threaten
ingly. and in the midst of all the
tumult the great river was swelling
and straining at its wintry bounds,
while u sharp cracking sounded
ever and anon from the broad field
of ice that stretched from shore to
shore. and little streams of water be-
gan to appear here and there, rum
ming swiftly along the frozen plain.
March had come in ike a lamb, it
was departing like lion; and shrond-
ed by wind and rain and heavy mist,
the last night of the month came
thickly down.
1t was past supper time, past clos
ing time for the mills and factories,
past trading time for the stores, and
except for an occasional light in
some saloon or corner grocery. the
windows of the business portion of
the town were dark, and the rain
beat unheeded against their black
panes Few people were abroad,
and even those few seemed TO have
been forced upon mwelcome jour
neys. for they hastened through the
sloppy streets with bent heads, shiv-
ering as the sharp wind tore at their
wrappiDgs or the gusts of rain beat
upon them.
One such man, clad in heavy oil
cloth coat, was walking rapidly up
s. street when, just at a partic-
ularly windy corner, he came in sud-
den contact with lad whD was
crouching in front of bakers win
dow, where single light burned,
cycling with hungry gaze the dainties
within.
Hello y cried the man starting
back. Il almost ran over you, my
boy Then looking more sharply
at the dripping figure before him,
he continued, "Why, Jerry, is that
you?"
"Yes, SIR" replied the other, half
pulling his tattered cap from his
head. 'lf you please sir, its me"
What's wrone?" said Mr.. Waiter
son, the proprietor oi the great mills
that skirted the river, for it was he.
whats wrong? Why are you not
at home? The mills closed two hours
ago"
Il know it, sir; but | haven't
worked tins week. sir, for sister Mel
lies sick, an I've been a nussin' Of
her up Ia our boardin' house. You
see, sir, since mother died, and our
house was sold. Nellie an me has
stopped at Miss Crawford's boarding
house; but my moneys give out, an
Miss Crawford she told me this
mornin '"-the boy stopped ab.
ruptly.
"What? Come, Jerry, speak ont.
You are not afraid of me. Tell me
what she said"
well. sir. she did say as how
must pay our board in advance every
week now; for il Nellie was a-goin'
to be sick an | was a-going to stop
work to npss her, she didn't see how
she'd get her money. An our week
ran out to-day. sir, an my money,
too; all but twenty cents, an that /
spent for oranges for Nellie. An
Miss Crawford, she said as how !
couldn't eat at her table. 'thout
paid first. so l jest slips out into
the streets at meal times for fear
Nellie'd know | wasn't eatin', an
'twould worry her, she bein' sick, an
that's how | came here, sir"
The boy finished, half frightened
at his long speech to ''the master
and again pulled at his ragged cap,
while the March wind tossed his vel
low hair about his wet face, and the
cold rain beat upon his scantily clad
shoulders.
Mr.. Watterson stood for moment
in deep thought. Ii was hard for
him to realize such poverty as this.
and among his hands. too. Jerry
was a 'bobbin boy" in the mills,
whom he had known for year or
more By sight, the only support of a
widowed mother and sister, now of
the sister only; it seemed that the
lad had always been bright faced
and CHEEKY. and the great proprietor
him as one of the hap