The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-08-08

| ly, under gentler questioning, explain
ed that the street, locally known as
Babies block, was noisy one at best,
but that the piano organ was more
than the hospital on the corner could
stand, and that he had stopped it at
the directors request, which was kind
and humanitarian of him, though he
hadn't mentioned quite all the circum.
stances.
"He useter come reg'ler," he con-
cluded, "an' now tn kids bring him
down when l amt round. She's tn
worst" indicating the premiere dam
seuse, who had taken refuge on the
opposite doorstep, her own being block
ed by the terrible cop. "Fresh little
piece-Annie O'Grady, but they call
her Rosie, after tn song" And he
strolled off, swinging his club and
whistling the chorus.
Meanwhile the deserted O'Grady had
dropped his bottle and abandoned him.
self to the yell of baffled babyhood. A
big, bare armed fury rushed out and,
seizing the truant nurse by the back
of the heck. propelled her toward her
sphere of duty, crying:
"Ye little divil, YEP Slap! "Ye'll
foller TIL origin when put ye ter moind
th' baby" Slap! "Eh" Slap, slap!
''Sit down there. If We move an inch,
I'll break livery lazy bone in yer bodyw
Slap, slap, slap! She disappeared in
the house, and Rosie O'Grady put
| ha1. nd nd 1,n
baby dropped his bottle again and
squalled in concert.
Now, the street was hot and dusty;
the king hated a crying child even
more than a piano organ, and there
was passing car, on which he might
have escaped. But he advanced in
stead, mopping his brow, and growled:
"Will you kindly stop that - ah -
childw
Rosie O'Grady looked up and gulped
with amazement. AS if in sympathy,
the baby slid into happy coo and
| grasped in the air at imaginary bottles.
King and culprit surveyed each other.
She noticed his steely appearance and
shrank back fearfully. He noted her
dirty, little, tear stained face and
paused moment. Then he proceeded
to administer justice.
$50 you are the young lady who fol-
lows piano organs-ha?" He shot off
the last word like minute gun in a
storm and waited for reply. 1t was
a trembling one.
"Ye-es, sir"
"And you incite these-ah-men in
defiance of the law-ha?"
The culprit expressed inapprehension
by opening her mouth and saying moth
ing.
"You bring them here against the
policeman's orders?
"Only twict, SIR" she faltered. "Sa-
die asst me to. They wanted to dance"
"And you support these - ah va
grants. You dropped something in that
mans hat. How much-ha?"
"A-a cent" whispered the culprit,
looking more a culprit than ever.
"Please, sir, it was mine. saved It,"
The king drew himself up judicially.
"No doubt, no doubt But what right
had you to use it in support of pub
lie nuisance? 4 was racked all last
evening by one of these hideous instru-
ments,'" he continued, quoting from
his letter, which he had composed in
the sleepless watches of the night and
knew by heart. "'Certainly daily life
contains enough unavoidable nuisances
without fostering this one, which is a
disturbance to all, a pleasure to none
that is, to few, very few-for judge
by the demonstration that you made
just now you do take certain kind of
enjoyment in these-ah-organs; like
them, mean. Do your"
The culprit, while somewhat stunned,
managed to grasp the meaning of the
last few words and reply timidly:
"Ye-es, sir.''
"Ha! Very much?'
"Ye-es, sir" Then, still more timid,
ly, "I-I love 'em."
The king paused.
cha! And do the other children-er
love them, as you put it,"
"Ye-es, sir''
"Ha" And the king paused again
His thoughts were interrupted by the
culprit, who faltered in awed amaze.
ment:
Don't you, sir?"
He hesitated over several scathing re.
plies and ended by shaking his head in
silence.
"When you hear 'em, don't you wan,
ter dance?"
The king actually smiled-a hard,
grim smile.
II do" she continued, taking courage
9Th chunes is lovely, jist like tn thee
ayter."
you've been there" said the king
chow often?"
"Wunst." Her face frightened
"They was lots er songs, an a lady
danced. 1t was fine. l told tn rest all
about it."
"They'd never been-ha"
"No, sir. But then tn origin come
round-every Saturday it was-an'
we'd save up an watch fer it an come
out an dance. But tn cop wouldn't
let him come no more, so I'd go out
an fetch him, an Sadie asst me to this
mornin'. She couldn't dance, cause
she's sick in bed, but she could hear
it."
"Ha! And what are you going to do
now that this-ah-public nuisance has
been stopped?"
IL dunno, SIR" And the tears ac-
tually sprang to her eyes. The king
perceived it in horror.
l 60 A L 4