The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1900-05-02
VOL. xLvIII. NO. 46.
BILLY.

motbered cre&fureS who are tossed into
heing without any ancestry 20 speak
of, and who are then Ief TO fight it cCt
or 20 hack into the eaTk again frOrn
whence they same
Her name was Billy. her perentsge
unknown And hsd il not been for 4
certain inherent, combative force, and
the saving arms Of Whisky Sal, she
would newer have stayed in $ world
thss did not seem 20 want her. For Il
was highland night when the frst
soot-blaekened snoVf2kes were finding
lodgment in the heart of the sinms-
that that lady, happening 70 be les
intoxicated than usual, canght the
sound Of piercing wall amidst the
confused noises around her, and pok-
ing her head into s disHsed ashharrel
drew ont liille naked body, which
she covered up in her shawl and car
ned home.
Here, Jimmy" she exclaimed 20 =
rough-hezded unchin Of 8 or 10. who
WAS sitting hnddled Up in the warmth
Of the bed 2s she entered, "here's
sonethin' for ye,n and she tossed the
bundle into his arms, and 50 relieved
herself Of all further responsibility in
the matter.
ats = kid, surs's your torn, p said
Jimmy, in the aged tones Of youth 10
youth, snd from that moment The
kid" was his.
He christened her Billy in the vain
hope that she might some Day become
q boy; he fed her with area milk favor
ed with water; he dressed her in pawn
shop garments bought with his own
meagre earnings, and next to his old
young hez-t he kept her warm IT night
when the Thermometer was low and
clothing sesnfy.
Her life and her upbringing aud her
future career depended entirely upon
his own unaided efforts, and he knew
it; for Whisky Sal was one Of those ir-
responsible beings who live for the
moment She was not brutal; she was
only vhisky-soAked and sodden- She
would not voluntarily hurt anything.
She would not murder 8 child Or pois-
on q cat, but the whole world might
die or 90 to pieces or be swept into OBJ
livion for sll she cared.
She carried her comfort in 8 small
fist bottle, which she wore hGttoned
into the bosom ef her dress; and when
ii Eas empty she worked 10 ill il, and
when il was full her one aim in life
was to empty il again
"rve got no use for babies and the
likes Of them, she remarked conhden-
tally &c neghbor one day, in one ot
her sober rehpses; "but IL Jimmy
wants the Job Of rzisin' her he's well
come to IL
So BiIly's lot in life wa cast, and in
spite Of the age and sex Of her nurse,
and Of every argument to the contrary.
she lived through the different phases
! OF bsbyhOod, and found her feet and
developed her tongue and her teeth as
successfully as the most carefully nur-
tared infant in the land.
And Jimmy did il, and did it all
from pure instructive love; did il with
out q muImur or 3 notion Of the mesn-
ing Of selfsacrifce, Bad he did it,
moreover, for six yesrs. But st the
end Of that time he concluded ssgely
thstshe was old enough aud mature
enough TO do for hersef- So accord
ingly he provided her with 8 broom
and crossing and turned her out loose
70 do the best she could.
Perhaps he was right Billy was
large and strong for her age. She had
big blsek, bold eyes that feared moth
ing, and pair Of tough little fists She
could hold her own against children
double her size, and she held it, too,
without hesitation or partiality-
And so for four years she kept her
crossing by right of might and posses
sion, and entirely without Jimmy's
aid or protection. Jimmy, il is true,
would occasionally saunter up to where
she stood with her busy broom, and
accost her with 8 superior sir Of conde-
soension; for Jimmy worked in a cigar
factory, and moreover he had reached
that time Of life when grown-Rp ladies
were more TO his fancy than small
girls There was certain Liz Baker,
for example, Who walked out with him
on Sundays aud who exercised par
| ticular fascination over him. She wss
Is: she worked in factory, and she
wore the most wonderful black bat,
trimmed with straight blue ostrich
feathers, that ever ravished the heart cf
man.
Billy hated her. or course she hated
her. Had she not all the attributes
that call forth that emotion? Was she
not older and richer and stronger, and
did she not wear better clothes, and,
moreover, was she not the beloved oi
Jimmy? And Billy hated her with S
barning, smothering hate, which made
her heart burn like big hot ensl.
Had Liz been 3 small girl hlly could
have emphasizes her feelings with the
challenging tips Of her active fingers
or the ready vituperation Of her stil
I more active tongue. But Liz was bis
snd grown up, and she dared not Shs
dsred net even air her rspToach t.
Jimmy, for Jimmy would only hsv'
laughed at her, aud ridicule, as every.
one knows, :. harder to bear thzn con
tempt
So, womanIike, she bore the situation
with an outward meekness and an in
~ard s,,ife, and said nothing. Shs
swept her crossing more vigorously
that was all, xud avoided Jimmy will
steady purpose which ~ss entirely
thrown away upon that infatuated
youth. His eyes were filed with ou,
vision aud his heart enthroned upor
one object
But as weeks passed by and Jim
my's affections remained unaltered
Billy's breast became q very penthouse
Of emotions, ard 50 strong was hel
hatred that she wore out whole new
broom in less than q month"; II VA
4 -. d.