The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-22
Sal Y
CHAPTER &

CHAPTER I.
1t was hot day in August, one Of those
Teeking days that begin to be hot early in
the morning and 60 on getting hotter and
hotter till ne ariy midnight.
In the year 1870 Cow court and its un-
wholesome cluster Of neighbors still chung
to the skirts of Holborn and festered round
st. Adams church, stretching from Gray's
Inn road to Leather lane. The fine shops
and warehouses that now adorn Gray's Inn
road then only existed in the brain of some
city architect. OF all these alleys Cow
court carried off the palm for squalor,
dirt and general decay. You had to turn
put Of Leather lane to get there; the turn
ing was flanked on either side by tavern,
and these taverns, with their plate glass
and gliding, were the only things that
were bright and cheerful in this region.
If you explored further you saw an arch
way on the right, made by sweeping away
the ground door of one of the crazy tene-
ments. This was the postern gate to Cow
court. If any one ever got so far as this
and retained his watch and chain he al
ways lost them on approaching this arch
way.
On this August evening young man
was passing through Leather lane IN
search of Cow court. He was dressed In
the latest West End fashion; but even the
hideous chimney pot hat, pointed shoes
and rigid collar, could not disguise his
comeliness. At a guess he was three-and-
twenty. Being of a trusting nature, he al
lowed his gold chair to disport itself across
his waistcoat, and his jewelled pin re-
NAMED in his scarf.
Kenneth Gordon was down from Oxford
and had been calling on one of the clergy
men at st. Adams, who had asked him to
take q letter to dying girl in Cow court.
He strobe through the dingy street, some
times asking his way of one of the residen-
tail ladies of Leather lane, and always
winning civil answer by the force of his
genial smile. When he reached Cow
court, a pleasant thrill Of excitement per-
vaded that locality; the watch and chain
had survived Leather lane, and now
dashed gayly in the evening light; his pin
held its accustomed place; his handker-
chief cleaned white against his coat.
Inquiring of boy, he learned that Polly
Turner lived at No. Z, and was escorted
there by crowd of loafers. The girl
xas dying; the stuffy room was crowded
with friends. nearly dark and unspeakably
miserable. Kenneth gave her the letter,
put had to take it back and read it to her.
In the presence of that deathly white face
ae felt all usual forms of speech to be use
.ess. He held her hand for a minute, tried
10 say few kind words, and then felt that
ae had failed; but the gentle touch and
words went straight to the girls hear, and
here rested until it ceased to beat. When
Kenneth left No. Z, child was lying in a
doorway just opposite. Dirt, famine and
II usage had effectualiy obscured the bloom
ST youth in her. Her face was so dirty that
ne could only see two large eyes flashing
rom tangled mass of hair. This was
sSally." As she never owned a surname,
formally; If her friends wished to identify
aer with precision they called her Tim 3
Sally" Tim was her father, and his sur
aame was also hidden in obscurity. Sally
had heard that young swell had come
INTO Cow court, and was waiting to have a
ook at him. On that she reckoned without
her father .forTim, coming down the passage
behind her, enforced parental discipline
by vigorous kick on her shins. When
ron have kicked q body for ten years you
acquire precision in the art. and Tim
planted his kick with such exactness that
;he girl fell down on the doorstep and
here she lay too listless to cry out Now
iothing is tanner or more monotonous than
% waste good kicks on an Inexpensive
,erson; so Tim was aggrieved and followed
,p his first kick by others, accompanying
hem with a volley of inspiriting oaths
The last kick must have caught Sally in q
sensitive place, for she gave a sharp
cream of agony.
whats that?" cried woman from an
inner room.
.'Oh," said another, '.it's only Tim
waking up his CELL"
As Kenneth left No. he saw this kick
md heard Sally's scream. He instantly
ltrode across the court. Tim was girding
himself up for more kicks. For the first
ime in his life he found this simple
,astime of his interfered with.
Kenneth faced him sternly.
Leave the girl alone, you BLACKBOARD!
How dare you kick a woman"
Not kick a woman! Cow court was con-
fulsed. Why, women were kicked every
lay; they expected it-accepted it as law
# nature. Tim and the bystanders paused
or moment to grasp the full absurdity
f the idea; but only for moment. Then
rim turned on him like wild beast. the
'eins in his great bulls neck swelling like
ords.
"Who the 49, are you? Can't a man
lick his own CELL? Get out of this. or III
lick you, too" Then, in mere bravado.
he lifted his foot to give the girl another
'efresher.
Touch her at your peril" cried Ken
teth, flushing to the roots of his hair. In
mother moment he heard the thud of
Tins foot as it drove Justify into the girl,
md, at the self-same moment, Kenneth s
list crashed into Tins face, catching him
IN the jaw and sending him Keeling back
yard down the passage. Then Cow court
perceived that there was a joyful pros
pect of Homeric combat In
few moments a ring was formed
md old Biddy was whisked aloft
n her chair in the arms of two stalwart
Importers. kenneth's blood was up; he
lung his coat and waistcoat to one by
tander and his hat 10 another. Cow
sourt accepted them with alacrity. Tim
Invested himself of some supertinous rags,
Jared his stalwart arms. and prepared TO
smash the swell" Biddy surveyed both
sombatants with critical eye; she knew
he points of man.
Blood I'll tell, )" she said oracularly, as
he saw Kenneth straighten himself for
he fight; he had boxed at Oxford, and
ras in fair condition, sound in wind,
sbove all temperate and cool. The first
ound revealed to him that Tim fought in
very effective but utterly unscientific
urious rush and planted terrific chance
,lows; but he left himself unprotected,
md wasted a lot of strength to no pur-
bose. Kenneth quietly bided his time,
carried Tins blows and let him exhaust
himself. Tim drew first blood, beat
ng down kenneth's parry, and land
ng on his temple with considerable
orce; still Kenneth kept his temper, and
he cooler he was the more savage grew