The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-02-09

1 iOR nearly year Dan Murphy ndu
been trying to prevent his sister
Mary from marrying beneath her, and
had so far succeeded, but Mrs. Richie
said it began to look as If he would
have to give in and make the best of
it, or else be at outs with the girl for
the rest of his days.
Mrs. Richie came to this conclu-
sion when she saw Mary walking
down the street ON Sunday morning
accompanied by the ineligible Peter
Rutter, known in the foundry as ''Lit-
tie Pete"
Mary was looking tenderly down at
him and he was looking up at her as
tenderly. Moreover, there was tri-
umph in his walk and a carnation in
his buttonhole. There are circum-
stances under which a man may walk
on Arbor street with a carnation in
his buttonhole and yet not be classed
with the dudes that perish.
Murphy was foreman of the foun-
dry. Little Pete" was not even a
molder, but dubbed around" carry
ing castings and faskss baking cores,
stacking pig and shoveling the moist
black sand for his superiors-a mere
helper. Not only that, but he was
weak-eyed, meek and somewhat
bandy-legged. Murphy could not for
the life of him see what there was
about the little rat to take the fancy
| of girl, but that is something that
has been puzzling brothers, fathers
and rivals since the world began.
Perhaps Mary fancied 'Little Pete"
| because he was so distinctly different
from Brother Daniel. Brother Daniel
was masterful and subject to fits of
hot anger that found solace in crock
cry smashing at home and lurid pro-
family in the foundry. Mary had been
dominated by him all her life, and al
though she had never been anything
(, but outwardly submissive there were
times when rebellion was strong in
her bosom. If Peter was handy
legged and small he was at least
amiable. Mary was large girl with
washed-out eyes, complexion and hair,
slow of speech and deliberate Of move
ment.
1t was at q picnic at Sharpshooters'
park that Little Pete first met Mary.
All the boys from the foundry were
there, and Dan introduced the "help-
er" to his sister with good-natured
condescension of manner that Peter
took as perfectly natural and proper.
Mary smiled kindly and blushed q lit
tie when Peter took heart of grace to
propose walking over TO where the
foot races were to take place. She
went, however, and as Brother Dan
went away with Myra Hanson 1t came
TO pass that Peter was with her most
Of the day. Myra being the kind OF
girl that demanded a mans entire at
tention, Dan did not notice the unmis-
takeable way Peter was buying red
pop and ice cream for his sister, but
Fritz Schuler did, and so did Charley
Stokes and Nels Engstrom, and they
all mentioned 1t the next day as they
sat in the narrow strip of shade
against the foundry wall with their
dinner buckets open before them. N5t
all the coating of foundry CRIME on
Peters face could conceal his blushes
when they did So
As for Mary, it is quite likely that
she thought this was the most delight.
full picnic that ever was. 1t is Ger,
tain that when she Veturned home she
was glad to get to her room, where
she sat for very long time smiling
at the wallpaper garlands when she
ought to have been in bed,
Peter had given her his badge-a red
ribbon with the emblem of the Anal
lgamated Gravel Roofers blazoned there.