The Dickinson press., 1896-02-29
MAGGIE AND MIKES LITTLE
ROMANCE

KVWHVOE.
Mike McCarty pulled his team up at
the curb before the office Oh Delaware
avenue and climbed down from his
high seat.
"Hello, Patv' he called: anything
new"
Pat Shannon, the boss teamster,
poked his head through the little win
dow.
"Nothin' more the day. me bye" said
he. Then consulting his big silver
watch, he added: ut wants but a
hair ay 9 O'Clock. Yez kin put up yer
team"
Mike looked relieved. Il seen a lot
O. bales fer Mason an Strange up Mt
shed. B." said he, IAN I fought l was
booked fer a nisht-hawk load ter Man.
ayunk." ,
II have no arders." said Pat. IAN,
divil a fut will l bulge the gewds TIL
I git thin. Before We so till the sta,
have a bit av a talk wild ye."
Mike entered the Office, which a
formerly done duty as a t1agman's
Matchbox at a railroad crossing, aud
sat down. Pat had just cut a load
from his plug. Of Rough and Ready
and was grinding 1t between his
palms.
aye know, Mike" said he, I'm after
havin' great call from the mills up IN
Kensington. Shure the bell av me tel
ephpne's jangling all the Gods blessed
day, an it's the divirs own job TIL get
the teams up there in tonne" The to-
bacco was well %granulated by this
time and Pat was carefully charging
his pipe.
"Peter Slattery's bin poor nv late"
resumed he, lighting his clay and pull
ing away with a great deal of selt-sat-
isfaction. "IIe wants till go back
home till Mayo for the gewd av his
health. l have bought him out-six
pair av the foinest jacks that liver
stepped an foive trucks as gewd as
new"
Mike had listened approvingly while
the old man was speaking. "Jist what
I've bin tellin' We ter do all along" he
now broke in. "If We don't hump yer
self the uptown mugs II scoop vel
biz"
'True fer We! Yez are a l~evel-headed
felly, Mike. An that's jist what I'm
comm till. Ye see, l have rinted the
back room av Kerrigan's cigar store.
ON the Lehigh avenue. an intend III!
establish q branch office there. Wld
Slattery's ovid teams an drivers till
do the wurk. An now" went on Pat,
"I'm lookin' fer a likely young felly
till take charge av me branch. iez
have wurked fer me a long tonne,
Mikee; yez are a sober, study bye, an
eewd till yer wildly mother. Will We
take the Job? The wurk will he easy,
an it'll pay We SIS a wake"
The munificencc of the offer dazzled
Alike. He thought Of the nobby suits"
he could buy on Front street and OF
the figure he would cut on Regan's
corner on Sundays. He eve went so
far as to picture himself stalking along
In the dress parade on North Q
street on Sunday afternoons, swing
ing q big club of q cane with his
"'pants" rolled up at the bottoms. Gut
q second thought caused these dreams
Of glory to vanish. There was a queer
look on his face and an odd catch In
his voice as he said:
"But say, Fat, We know can't read
er write"
"Arrah, the divil fly away wild me
fer a blunderin' egit!" exclaimed old
Shannon. "Shure I niver wanst
fought av that. That puts an ind till
1t. We won't do fer the place, Mike;
the wurk's beyant yc."
Young McCarty understood that and
lit q cigarette, endeavoring to convey
o~ lsn,roceioSn nP nnJ1a1OIonan Rnf
the subterfuge did not deceive the
boss"
Common since will tell We, Mikee,"
said he, laying a hand kindly on
Mixes shoulder, that the man what
takes how'd nv nc up town branch
must hav q bit av larnin'. Give up
the gang, me boy, stick till yez wurk
an go till the night school,"
About an hour later, Mike, with a
pail Of water standing or a chair near
the back door of his home in McGar-
rigle's alley, was scrubbing the CRIME
from his hands and brooding over his
first 'call down" He thought of tho
picture IGNORANCE Fleeing Before the
Light Of Knowledge" tackled up in
the reception room Of the Aurora Boz
realis Athletic Club, ct which he WAS
u member, and wondered Il he looked
like the covering wretch typifying
Ignorance" His mother, who was
laying the table for supper, had sew
eral times begged him to "Give over
yer muslin an'thinkin,," but each time
he had growled out an impatient re-
ply and she had subsidized, declaring
that he was as cross as two sticks"
Young Jimmie was sitting on the edge
of tho coa1 lnx. watching his big
brothers. vicious manipulation of the
bar Of soap, with an expression OF
wonderment imprinted upon his Ju'
venile physiognomy. It was an un.
snail thing for Mike to indulge in bad