The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-27

= gosh, man, II DE the fulnAtloh y
JOHNNY"
You quit comm down on Jess. Tim
Bradlee: there amt no other girl tend
in looms to these works.
"Oh, Jess is good enough-she's all
right. wouldn't look further myself, II
[ didn't have my little old woman
already. Jess is all right, but there
the Little Tn and the granny. That
where Johnny'd miss it.
Yes, sure; there's the Little Un and
tina granny"
The second voice had dubious notes
in it. There seemed no room for further
argument
Mornings at the Liberty WOODEN mills
the men stood around in little groups OF
threes and tours, clinking their dinner
pals as a needless whet TO their appe-
tites. 1t was a breach of etiquette, in
the unwritten code of Liberty wooden
mills laws, to open the dinner pals too
soon. The girl operatives collected in
the open windows, or by themselves out
in the yard-all but jess. Jess went
home at Moons, though it was a long
walk back and forth. She shot past the
two speakers now, her 1.-THE. beautiful
figure balanced haughtily and her black
eyes looking straight ahead. of course
she had heard The little shabby man
who had taken her part hdgeted ner-
vously
you'd ought to watch out, Tim" he
muttered.
watch Quit" retorted the other;
you can't watch out for comets scoots
in across your tracks. Jess is a reg lar
comet"
The barren road, thick with white
dust and scorching with stored-up sun
rays, stretched away from the great
looming bulks of the works. as if
Liz, he 10 them
Dimly. at it's terminus, one could dis
tinguish the rows upon rows of little
houses flanked by two big boarding
houses that made up Liberty. Liberty
The name was such misfit. 1t was the
one thing wanting in the little settle
ment-liberty.
Jessie Binney-or Just Jess, as every
one called her-sped down the hot road
way. She was going home to the Little
I'm and granny. and trying to 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
familiar with the sound. Ahead-way
ahead-the Little I'm was waiting. Jess
was familiar with that. too. The tiny,
stopped figure always waited.
Jess, Jessi" Johnny called, pleading
sound of his voice. 1t was most a pity,
after Drawing the mems jeers, to be
treated this way. Johnny cherished the
sweet memory of thres red letter noon
irgs when Jess, like the Little I'm, had
waited. He made the most of them
it seemed so likely they would have to
sufficeafor him.
Jess say, Jess"
The girl forged ahead steadily. But
there's the Little I'm and the granny
that's where Johnny'd miss it" sound
ed in her ears. She had known it be-
fore-yes. yes, certainly-but the men s
voices made it distinctly clear to her
now. The reiteratioE in her brain
There's the Little Tn and the granny
the Little I'm and the granny
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 d
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
pleading. You'll let me speak to you
Il minute, JESSE A minute amt much
to ask, now is it?''
No, no, let me go past. Johnny. I've
got to. Granny's waiting for her tea,
and the Little IN
Must wait, too. I'll make it up to
the Little I'm, Jess. What I've got to
say is that IL love you, Jess. ] do it
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. l want to have
a right to take care o you, Jess, Jes.
He had hurried over the little speech
as if time were precious, but the cry
al the end came from his soul. He
had his hard brown hands out to her.
Let me go past, Johnny-let me go
past" cried Jess, fiercely. She could
not trust herself to look at him. 1t
was her only safeguard.
Answer me straight out, Jess Bin
neyi" demanded Johnny, with stern
despair Amt 1 got the right To be
answered the same as other men? Ain {
I? f.F.'t l waited long enough for an
answer? No, no, not that, Jess-don't
say you don't love me! II know
that But 1 want you anyway. I'll be
that. good to you, little girl. III take
that care o you''--
Jess stared down the white roadway
unseeingly. Even the Little Un's bow
ed figure, waiting, did not come within
her vision. She began to speak in a
harsh, strained voice.
You want me to answer straight out,
Well. it won't take lOng-it's Sc short"
For one instant Jess let her eyes
meet Johnny's. She lowered. straight
and 50itiless, between him and the sun.
No" she said, quietly; now let me
so past, Johnny.
The Little UI was whimpering softly
TO himself. Jess held out her hand to
Linn with gentle conciiiation. She was
always gentle with the Little Tn, and
for her sake every one else was gentle,
too. He was tiny and weird. and his
little childish face Deered out through
a tangle of yellow hair. 1t was not a
misfit-this name. He would always
be a Little Tn in body and in nina
I'm hunger-y," he walled. You'd
iust's lieves I'd be hunger-y-yes, you
would, tool You-you want me to be
hunger-y.'
why, Little IN! Why. Little I'M
crooned jess. soothingly, the mother
sound in her voice. The Little Tn could
not remember any other mother but
jess. For six Of his seven years she
had mOthered his misshapen, stunted
little body tenderly.
Why. Little Tn, and sister was go
ing 10 give you such a nice puddin' to-
day. With
She bent over and whispered some
thing in his ear.
"Plumsi' shrieked the Little I'm,
"plums in it-9lums."
Five of EN-, Little Gn-all in ysur
liece," Jess said, smiling in her Dain.
For her heart was like stone in her
breast she could look back and see
Johnny slouching back along the white,
glaring road. She had sent him away
from her-how could she mind the
looms. day after day, without Johnnys
tender words in her ears. and Johnny
to wait outside and walk home with