Worcester morning daily spy. (Worcester, Mass.) 1888-1898, 1898-01-09
LITTLE SALLYS
LUCK,
Author Of "'TWixt Love and Fear
The Snare Of. Gold" "a Penl-
tents Revenge" Etc.
by EVELYN SWAN,
lCopyright.l
1.-the BREAD-wINNER.

keen-eyed street arab with hungry
look on his face, ran few steps by the
side of a gentleman in the Strand till
the latter turned round and somewhat
angrily told him to go away.
The boy was too much accustomed to
rebuffs TO take notice of this one, and
turned off to try his luck with another
customer. This time NE was successful,
aud ne caught the penny as it was
tossed to him, and smiled merrily.
1t was a cold evening in March, and
the wind cut through the lads rags,
sIieady damped by the drizzle that was
falling, and made him shiver and
tremble.
He drew them together as closely as
ne could and went to a doorstep a few
Yards down the street at the corner of
which he had been standing. There he
sat down by the side of little girl, hud-
died up In the corner Of the doorway out
, Of the wind. The child's pale, thin, wan
face frightened as she held out her tiny
hand with touch of glad welcome as
her brother sat down by her,
Il think we can stop now, Sal he
said. 81 amt done so bad as l might a
done, and it's orful cold. 1 think I've got
more'n tanner" He counted the boxes
of matches which We're left and then
reckoned up his money "Yus, look ere!
'Ere's the bob l started wifi, and 'ere's
three boxes, and ere's fourpence- 'ap'ny
Bowed if it's bin so dusty arter all, as
it?''
The girl. who was only seven years
old, followed her brothers. calculations
with all the keen precocity of a gutter
child.
'Ow did yer git the 'a'p'ny, Tom?"
she asked.
zone O. them old blokes what toys up
;,, III al a =
tions, and pats yer on the cad, and then
buys two boxes for three a pence
'ates them sort as thinks if they give
yer a pat on the 'ead it's as good as
film yer belly,
81 know my belly wants film now.
I'm orful ungry," said the girl.
ssAll right, Sal Well go and git some
grub Directly. 'Ere's tuppence for yer
10 give ter mother; and We'll go up to
old Pa1]1ins and git three porth o
toxic, and try if we can't git warm
somewhere, for 'tsbleomin' cold in this
wind. Come on, Sal, and p'raps I'll sell
another box on the way"
He led the girl gently and most care
fully, with her hand in his, across the
Strand and turned up one of the mar
row streets leading to the thronged
WAYS Of Glare Market. He placed her
in a doorway, and went into bakers
shop which stood at the corner of the
street
"Penn'orth O. stale bread and a
aporth o. caike," he said to the woman
behind the counter.
won't you have new bread, Tom z"
she asked. She knew the lad.
mo; it don't go so fur and don't last
SO long," he answered.
s'The cake won't go far, either, Tom,
replied the woman.
THE cake amt fur me; it's fur Sally,
Mrs. Parkins.
The good-natured woman served him
literally and the boy Slipped the piece
of cake into his pocket, lest the sight
of ii should cause the girl to eat the
bread with less relish.
ERE y'are Sally he said, when he
got back and sat down by her side, and
gave her by far the larger half of the
bread. Eat away; I amt 'ungry to-
night. / don't seem to relish no grub
when it's rainin like this" But his
looks contradicted his words, for he
eyed the bread very longinly, and ate
his own portion voraciously, though he
checked himself several times, SO that
he should not finish before the girl.
'Oh, 1 is 'ungry, Tom, cried Sally
and she attacked the bread with such
eagerness that it sooL disappeared.
Then the boy produced the piece of
cake, and the girl laughed, and first
clapped her dirty little hands together,
and then held them out for seine.
Its real good Cake is Pal kins'," he
said, giving it critical sniff before
handing it over to his little sister.
"Ave a bit, Tom she said, holding
it out for him to divide '.Ain't it just
goodw
At first the boy would not take any,
but afterwards broke off 8 morsel and
ate it with great gusto. Then he sat
fer awhile and watched the child MUNICH
the cake. But it was more than he
could stand; his appetite was too keen
for him to endure the sight. much as he
loved the girl and great as was his self
restraint.
Twill yer sit ere and finish that. Sal
ly?'' he asked, after wrestling with him
self for a minute. eff Yer will I'll lust
slip down into the Strand anG try and
sell another box. I won't be CORN
moren a few minutes"
sAll right, Tom" answered the girl,
with her mouth full; "Tll wait for yer"
He stayed away a little longer than
he had intended, but as he sold two
boxes of matches, he came running to
tell the girl of his success. When he got
to her, however, she was crying, and
said that two boys, whom she pointed
out. had come along and taken the cake
away, and struck her when she tried to
resist them.
f1OLH the DOtS were DISSti lndH. ION,
and they stood together not far away,
eating the cake and grinning.
In a moment Toms blood was on fire.
Brave, loving, gentle, self-denying as he
was in regard to the girl, he was a ter
rible little barbarian when reused; and
nothing reused the demon IN him so
quickly as ill-treatment of the child
He loo ked round him for some weapon,
and, seeing a narrow, jagged strip of
hon tha unad ha oh ad
and went up 10 the two boys
A torrent of angry curses and threats
flowed from his lips as he demanded the
return of the cake. The two young ruff
ans laughed and jeered at him, and then
with a Fearful oath Tom rushed at the
bigger and struck him on the head with
the piece of board; and when the second
tried to hit him, Tom turned and dealt
him furious blow. One of the towards
then ran to the girl to strike her; but
Tom rushed up and stood i'll front of the
little frightened, covering mite, like a
young lion at bay. darting first at one
and then at the other Of his assailants
and flashing out furious blows with the
hoard. while his angry cries and curses
continued the whole time,
The fight was stopped al length by the
baker. who had seen the beginning of
it. and came out and drove the TWO hig-
ger boys away. telling Tom % take the
girl home
M-HOME.
Tne two children threaded their way
through The streets which lie so closely
together in the neighborhood OF Clare
Market, and entering one Of the mar
iowest courts, pushed open the door of
one of the dirtiest houses iH L and en-
Al. the hack Of the massage arjny win