Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-01-29
CASS.
Icornh!n.l
CHAPTER ].


bluster out again, with much hauling el
ropes. much shouting and corner-shout.
ing, and oaths tempered TO the ears oil
polite pleasure parties. In the year 1860
the boatmen watched their rivals jealous
" and we're eloquent in the lam
cuaQe OF abuse. Their rivals have
multiplied; the boatman of to-day is
gloomy and has no longer the spirit
to rail. 1t is still a place OF mys'
terious charm to the ragged, shoeless,
cheerful town urchins who congregate
near the waters edge. The shops do
brisk trade still in boiled beef and ham.
buns and pastry, flannels and printed
cottous, shell fish, nautical instruments,
and beer and stout drank on the prem
ises; and still. indoors and out OF
doors, the wholesome odors OF rope and
tar and sesweed peryade everything
But the shops nearest the sea have gone
after the fire in 1860 they pulled down
the two old houses and built again on
their sites. And Cass, who used to stand
there. with her brown arms bare to the
elbow, her hands on her hips, fearless as
the sailors. and as ready with her laugh
and Jest and abuSe--Csss IS gone with
the old houses and the old times. ~
Cass was the beauty Of the Hard, and
knew il, and enjoyed the knowledge.
She enjoyed it as a prince enjoys his title
and an old poet his renown; she would
have scorned to let admiration fiatter
her. She sat on the doorstep Of the
shop when she was n child and looked
mn into the faces of strange ladies and
gentlemen who pointed her out, to one
another suddenly as they passed, and
was unabasbed when they stopped to
survey her closely. She looked steadily
M at them with fearless eyes and rare
bushes. The fine gentlemen smiled at
her. the fine ladies lifted their gowns a
little. and bent down to question her IN
simple language. $3.50 .,o.
land what is your name, little girl ?"
"Cass Brady. What's your'n ?" she
said. and looked at her friends the
boatmen to approve and applaud her
GOODNESS.
The gentlemen would laugh as they
strolled on the ladies would murmur
something gently about manners. Cass
had sharp ears and clear young voice.
Her voice would follow the strangers on
their way.
Manners An where's yer own :?
Mannerss good as yourn any day, |
reckon. When | pays me penny week
] won't come your way. No fear "
And the boatmen applauded loudly.
Give 'em as good as they brought, "
said Cass.
Trust you" said tue men admiring-
ly. ,
Cass was pretty at eight years old and
prettier at eighteen. Her skin was as
warm q brown as that of the young
Italian girls who sang in the streets IN
picturesque attire her eyes were as
brown as theirs and brighter and more
fearless her hair grew low and swept
back in big waves from her brow; her
teeth were white, her lips rosy without
being sensual her head was well poised,
her figure strongly yet slenderly knit II
she laughed and talked too loudly rtbe
public street, if her rFpartCc was some
times more rough than decorous, her au-
dience was not critical on these points.
The Old men crinned at her benignly;
the yonng men liked girl who could
hold her own, cap Jest with jest, turn the
satire against the satirist, laugh indliie-
rently at compliments, and whistle and
hum unmoyeG when the chapel preacher
and the Temperance missionary came
down to the Hard to prOselytize.
The shop, the doorway OF which Cass
loved, was shop that sold cooked meats,
hot and cold; potatoes Drowned at the
top, moist with gravy beneath steam
ing tea and coffee, homemade cake OF a
rich and wcighty kind, and many other
delicacies-a shop which described itself
vulgarlv as an "oating-house.' a hard
featured. gay-cOmplcxioned woman sat
behind the counter, served her custom
ers deliberately with 10 uubecoming
eagerness, and served all alike without
favor. netting out the exact proportion
OF butter 10 each slice of bread, the
Just amount OF fresh mustard to each
plate. Her lips were straight, and
opened and shut without lending much
expression TO her face; her eyes rested
shrewdly but without interest on her
customers and acquaintance, on Emily
her gentle niece, and on Cass her daugh-
ter. She was woman who had seen
trouble, and her troubles had made her
stolid.
Mrs. Brady's was well.populated
house every room had its ledger, some
more than one. Phe dodgers were forthe
most part old, lonely, weather-beaten
men who turned in at night and out in
the morning and made little work. They
took their breakfasts. and sometimes teas
and suppers, in two dark little rooms be-
hind the shop, where the tables had oil
cloth covers which could be washed down
and dried on the spot at moments no.
tice without expense Emily. In a patient,
gentle way, brought the meals; Cass
came in and ont and brought laughter TO
season the meals. aud heard comph-
mentary comments on her bright eyes,
her pretty lips and complexion, and was
in no way disconnected. And when jim
Cross, the youngest ledger, with whom
Cass for the last four years had been
excepting company" looked up sternly
and disapprovingly, Cass stayed longer
and laughed more gayly to prove her
freedom.
Things were going wrong between Jim
and Cass. Perhaps some one was
making mischief secretly; perhaps the
preachings" Jim had attended lately
and his new. severe religious views made
him clearer-sighted about Cas- and the
ungodly bent Of her nature perhaps-it
is useless speculating-things were going
wrong, and Csss was unconciliating and
too proud to attempt TO set them right.
And at last they reached crisis.
IT was late in winter. The short after
noon was almost over, and the gas, Just
lighted in the public house next door TO
the Brady's shone out through the red
curtains and made the wet street darker
and colder. Cass looked out at the gray
water and the moored boats and shi-
vered, and up at the starless sky and
shivered again. There was no one TO
talk TO and nothing TO look at. The
Hard was deserted. Presently sailor
passed Cass and said. Goodnight, me
dear, Familiarity.
Goodnight" said Cass, friendly
ever, whether to friend or stronger.
"How long have been yer dear ?"
Her mother Saying in her shoo raised