The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-04-04
"LOONEY SAL"

"LOONEY SAL,
None of the inhabitants of the little
town could tell why she was called
'Looney Sal" 1t could not have been
because of any mental defect, for none
such was apparent in her.
She was born in one of the low board
huts of Shippenvihe, which stood on the
swanpy outskirts of Hoboken, and ex-
celled the other rattletraps in evidences
of senile decay. These were inhabited
by the lowest of low wretches, ali vaga-
bonds by trade or profession, as YOU
will. No one asked her who her. par
ents were, and had such an inquiry
been made no one could have answered
it.
''Granny Smiths Den," a low rum
hole. could hardly be called SAILS home
it was more of place where she was
allowed to exist in compensation for the
fruits of her skill at petty larceny, the
inevitable Whenever she visited any of
the mercantile establishments. At
night she edited the gatherings at
Granny Smiths by songs and dances,
and the words of the former were usu-
ally indecent paraphrases of the popu-
lar songs OF the day.
Her wakeful nights could not but pro-
duce extreme sleepiness during the
day. and it was no rare occurrence to
see Sal stretched in slumber on the open
meadow for many hours during the aft
ernoon. These odd habits, associated
with the girls other peculiarities, made
her an object of curiosity as well as of
dread to the school children. The
younger ones, in obedience to their par
ents' commands made a wide circuit
about the open space in which Sal
spent her forenoons. The older ones
were attracted to the spot-perhaps
conscious of approaching independence.
perhaps only because of the curious
sight of the black-locked. dark-eyed
girl as she lay stretched upon her see
saw" and gently rocked it up and down,
as she hummed some weird song.
Whenever the boys came near enough
to be noticed by her she frightened
them off with fierce grimaceS, which
seemed to pursue them in their flight to
the sound of almost maniacal laughter.
She had no friends or playmates.
What girl would have selected her as q
companion. she who associated only
with those who Shone as disreputable
among the outcastS of Shippenville?
Furthermore, her pugilistic proves was
as dreaded by the boys rs was her sour
rilous language by the girls.
Sometimes, but rarely, a boy who
Wanted his bravery could be induced
into coming within her reach. but then
1t was only through the process known
to children as daring" These efforts
al display of courage invariably pro-
duced a very subdued boy. whose face
and garments could hardly be consid-
cred ornamental
The big boy'' of the academy, Dick
Allen, had licked all of his class
mates but two or three, and Sal had
conquered them. The other bows
dared Dick to engage in combat with
Sal, but he, prompted by species of
manliness, declined to fight girl On
being greeted with the inharmonious
chant of ..fraid cat" ..fraid cat" he
astounded his companions by PROPOSE
ton to secure the girls friendship with
in half an hour. The doubts and dep
recations which his playmates uttered
SaPs sunny spot. Of course his .'chum,"
Will Barry, went with him.
Fellows, you could Just see that he
went cause he was dared" said Tom
Slevers when he recounted his obserya-
tions, taken from behind 8 large rock.
''Will Barry played sharp; he just kept
behind Dick. and Dick he marched right
up to Looney SAILS see-saw, and if he
did stand off-Wll, so far that she
couldn't biff him in the eye-Dick he
said: Hello, Sal And what do you
think Sal did? l expected to see Dick
mauled-just chewed up. An all you
fellows know I'm Dicks friend-r''
''Oh. come now. Tom. give it to us
straight, one of the bows interrupted
the Juvenile modern Minnesinger: '.tell
US what she did"
swell. nothing" answered Tom.
''She Just stopped her see-saw, looked
up at Dick Just as if he was cat or
something; then she lay down agin, and
and working her see-saw she went on
singin': 'oee-saw. buck-a-me raw,
folderol, dolderol, diedaw.' Say. fel-
lows that girl kin sing. Golly, it
just"
''Oh. Tom, you're Just foolin'," his
comrades cried; : tell US all about it.
well, amt tellin' yer? she Just
went on see-sawiD' and singin' Just rs
if there wasn't no Dick nor no viii.
Then VIII he gave Dick :. shove to
keep him from weakenin'. and then
Dick he sings out again: .He!loh, Sal
Then Sal. she TOOK no notice OF EN-
again. Then VIII, he said: Call her
Loony Sal, why don't yep and then
Tom was not required to continue the
tale. All of the scholars had seen the
boys running, followed by Sal; they had
observed her cleaning ewes; they had
seen her agile BODY fly after them over
stile and stone; and had seen them ap-
proach the school, pass over the
threshold, rush upstairs into the class
room, and there, before the very eyes of
the teacher, she threw her offenders to
the floor, and with each blow of her
little clenched fist she Kissed: WHO
yer call looney? Who yer call looney,
eh?"
As she struck them the other scholars