The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-02-25
SALLY .
By ALBERT FLEMING.
CCopy1ight, 1896, by tho Author.J
CHAPTER !.


early in tho morning and go on getting
hotter aud hotter till nearly midnight.
In tho year 1870 Cow court and it's
unwholesome cluster Of neighbors still
clung to tho skirts Of Holborn and fes.
tered round st. Alban's church, stretch
ing from Gray's Inn road to Leather
lane. Tho fine shops and warehouses
that now adorn Gray's Inn road then
only existed in tho brain Of some oity
architect OF all these alleys Cow court
carried Off the palm for squalor, dirt
and general decay. You had to turn out
Of Leather lano to get there. The turn.
ing was hankod OH other side by tav-
ern, and these taverns, with their plato
glass and gliding, were tho only things
that wero bright and choorful in this
region. IF you explored farther, you
saw an arohway on tho right, made by
sweeping away tho ground floor of ono
of the ora1y tenemonts. This was the
posteru gate to Cow court. IF any ono
over got SO far ms this and retained his
watch and chain, he always lost them
on approaching this archway.
On this August evening young man
was passing through Leather lano in
the latest west end fashion, but even
the hideous chimney pot hat, pointed
shoes and rigid COLLAR could not disguise
his comolincss. At II guess he was throo
and twenty. Bcin8 Of IL trusting nature,
ho allowed his gold chain to disport it.
self across his waistcoat, and his jew
elcd pin remained in his scarf
Kenneth Gordon was down from Ok
ford and had been calling OH ono of tho
clergymcn at st. Alban's who had asked
him to take a lotter to a dying girl in
Cow court. Ho strobe through tho dingy
street, sometimes asking his way Of one
of tho residential ladies Of Leather lano,
and always winning civil answer hy
the force of his genial smile. When he
reached Cow court, pleasant thrill Of
excitement pervaded that locality. The
watch and chain had survived Leather
ing light His pin held it's accust toned
against his coat.
Inquiring Of boy, ho learned that
Polly Turner lived ut No. z, and no was
escorted thero by a crowd Of loafers. Tho
girl WAS dying. The stufry room WAS
crowded with friends, nearly dark and
unspeakably miserable. Kenneth gavo
her the letter, but had to take 1t back
and read it to her. In the presence Of
that doathly white face he felt oil usual
forms OF speech to be useless. Ho held
her hard for a minute, tried to say
few kind words and then felt that he
had failed, but the gentle touch aud
words went atraight to tho girls heart,
and there rested until it ceased to beat.
When Konneth left No. 7, child was
lying i'll doorway just opposite. Dirt,
famine and i'll usage had effeotually OBJ
scurod tho bloom Of youth in her. Her
face was so dirty that ho could only soc
two large eyes flashing from tangled
mass Of hair. This was Sally. AS she
never owned surname it is impossib bic
to Introduce her moro formally. If her
friends wished to identify her with pro-
cision, thoy called her Tins Sally.
Tim was her father, and his surname
was also hidden in obsuurity. Sally had
heard that II young swell had como into
Cow court and was waiting to have q
look at him. On that she rcckoncd with
out hor father, for Tim, coming down
the passage bohind her. enforced paren.
tai discipline by IL vigorous kick on he1
shins. When you have kicked body
for ten years, you acquire precision i'll
the art, and Tim planted his kick with
such exactness that the girl fell down
on tho doorstep, and there she lay, toe
listlcss to cry out Now nothing is
tanner or more mOnotonous than to waste
good kicks on an irresponsible person.
So Tim was aggriovcd, and followed Il,
his first kick by others, accompanying
them with voll"y Of inspiriting oaths.
The last kick must have caught Sally in
sensitive place, for she gave SHARP
scream Of agony.
"What's that?' cried woman from
an inner room.
"Oh," said another, cts only Tin
a-waking up his gell. -
AS Kenneth left No. z no saw this
kick and heard Sally's scream. Ho in
stantly strobe across tho court. Tim was
girding himself up for moro kicks 70,
tho first timo in his lifo no found this
simple pastime Of his interfored with.
Kenneth fncod him sternly.
'Loavo tho girl alono, you black
guardl How dare you kick q woman?' p
Not kick womanl Cow court was
oonvulsed. Why, women wero kicked
every day. They expected it, accepted
it as a law Of nature Tim and tho by.
standers paused for moment to grasr
the full absurdity Of the idea, but only
for moment. Then Tim turned on him
like wild beast, the veins in his great
bulls neck swelling like cords.
"Who tho ---- are your Can't mar
kick his own goll? Get ont Of this, ol
I'll kick you too" Then, in nero bra.
vado, ho lifted his foot to give tho girl
Another rcfroshcr.
"Touch her at your perilp' oricd
Kenneth, flushing to tho roots Of his
hair. In another moment he heard the
thud Of Tins foot as it drove Justify
into tho girl, and at the selfsame mo-
ment Kcnneth's fist crashed into Tim );
face, catching him on tho jaw and sond.
ing him reeling backward down the
passage. Thon Cow court perceived that
there was q joyful prospect Of q Homcric
combat. In few moments ring was
formed, and GA Biddy was whiskcd
alOft in her { air in the arms Of two