The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-26
JESS AND JOHNNY.
By ANNIE HAMILTON DoNNELL.



certain-to be wastin' himself like that,
B'gosh, man, itd be the ruination o John
N.Y.
You quit comm down on jess, Tim
BradIee! There amt no other girl tendin'
looms to these works"
20. Jess is good enough-she's all right.
wouldn't look further myself if didn't
have my little old woman already. Jess is
all right. but there's the Little Tn and
the granny. That's where Johnny'd miss
IT."
Yes. sure, there's the Little I'm and the
granny
The second voice had dubious notes in
it. There seemed no room for further ar
gument
Mornings. at the Liberty wooden mills,
the men stood round in little groups Of
threes or tours. clinklng their dinner pals
as a needless whet to their appetites. 1t
was a breach of etiquette, in the unwritten
code of Liberty wooden mills laws 10
open the dinner pals too soon. The girl
operatives collected in the open windows,
or by themselves out in the yard-al but
Jess. Jess went home at moons, though 1t
was a long walk back and forth. She shot
past the two speakers now, her 1.-THE, beau
tiful figure balanced haughtily and her
black eyes looking straight ahead. OF
course she had heard. The little shabby
man who had taken her part fdgeted ner-
vousiy
You'd ought to watch out Tim" he
muttered.
Watch OUT" retorted the other; you
can't watch out for comets scootin' acrost
your tracks. Jess is a regular comet"
10 Nit NH
and scorching with stored-up sun rays,
stretched away from the great looming
bulks of the works as if making a
bee-line 10 escape from them Dimly, at
it's terminus, one could distinguish the
rows upon rows of little houses hanked by
two big boarding houses that made up Lib
erty, Liberty The name was such a mis-
tit 1t was the one thing wanting in the
little settTement-hhertys
Jessie Binney-or just Jess, as every
one called her-sped down the hot road
way. She was going home TO the Little
Tn and granny, and trying 10 outrun
Johnny. Both spurs urged her on with
equal incentives. She knew Johnny
was behind-she could hear the pound Of
his big feet on the road. muffied by the
carpet of white dust. She was so famil-
Oar with the sound. Ahead-way ahead
the Little Tn was waiting. Jess was
familiar with that too The tiny, stopped
figure always waited.
Jess, Jessr' Johnny called, pleading
ly. A little flavor of injury was in the
sound of his voice. It was most a pity,
after Drawing the mems jeers, to be
treated this way Johnny cherished the
sweet memory of three red letter noon
ings when Jess like the Little I'm. had
waited. He made the most of them-it
seemed so likely they would have to suf-
flee for him.
"Jessl l say Jessr'
The girl forged ahead steadily. But
there's the Little Tn and the granny
that's where Johnnyd miss It," sounded
ia her ears She had known 1t before
US. yes, certainly-but the mems voices
made It distinctly clear TO her now. The
reiteration on her brain-"There's the lit
lie Tn and the granny-the Little I'm and
The granny''-only underlined it.
I've found it out in plenty o time.
jess congratulated herself. grimly Her
thin. handsome face was set in lines of
pain. The pounding steps behind changed
their time abruptly. With squirt OF
speed Johnny shot by her, and faced her
IN the dusty road.
Jess, little girl" he said. humbly. His
good brown face was wistful in its plead
ing you'll let me speak TO you min
ute. Jess? A minute amt much to ask,
now Is it,"
NO, no, let NE EO past jimmy 4 NN
got TO- Granny's waiting for her tea, and
the Little I'm"
Must wait too II make 1t up TO the
Little IN Jess. What I've got to say is
that II love you, Jess. l do 1t as honest
and hearty as a man ever loved woman.
ever. The Lord Almighty knows l do
want you to let me marry you Jess.
want to have a right to take care of you,
Jessl Jessr
He had hurried over the little speech
as If time were precious, but the cry at
the end came from his soul. He had his
hard brown hands out 10 her.
LET me go past. Johnny-let me go
pastr' cried Jess fiercely She could not
trust herself to look at him. 1t was her
only safeguard
Answer me straight out, Jess Binneyw
demanded Johnny with stern despair
"Ain't I got the right to be answered
same as other men? Amt /? Amt l walt
ed long enough for an answer? No, no, not
that, Jess-dOn't say you don't love me!
IL know that. But 1 want you anyway.
III be that good 10 you, little girl! III
take that care O. you
Jess stared down the white roadway
unseeingly Even the Little Un's bowed
figure, waiting did not come within her
vision. She began to speak in harsh,
strained voice.
You want me to answer straight out
Hint that what you Sdlu, johnny wen,
IL won't take long-its so short"
For one instant Jess let her eyes meet
Johnny's. She lowered straight and pitt
less, between him and the sun.
No she said quietly, now let me
go past, Johnny"
The Little Tn was whimperng softly
TO himself Jess held out her hand to
him with gentle Cancellation. She was
always gentle with the Little I'm, and for
her sake every one else was gentle, too
lie was tiny and weird, and mis- little child
ish face peered out through a tangle Of
yellow hair. II was not a misfit-this name
lie would always be a Little I'm in body
and in mind
I'm hunger-y," he walled you'd
justs lieves I'd be hunger-y-yes, you
would, TOO. You-you want me to be
hunger-y!''
why, Little I'm! Why, Little 1In!v
crooned Jess, soothingly, the mother
sound in her voice. The Little I'm could
not remember any other mother but Jess
For six of his eleven years she had moth