The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-01-08
shtay via We; let me shtay."

he was also a man of strong affections.
A bitter struggle began In him. Frank
Power watched cautiously.
"I'm thinkin' the north mightn't
shute the child" said Conn. "An' thin
there's the young vans Who'll see
afther thim?"
"Sure, Blddy's fourteen an well able
for 1t. Would We shtand In the girls
way, Comm"
"God save us. what talk. woman!
Shtand In her wayl Is 1t me harm the
child2 Ach, Maggie. ye know well yer
ME own hearts blood!"
EYES," whispered the girl.
al say thank We kindly. Frank Pow
er. an God bless We for the thought av
us. Wen settle what We'll do tomor-
rer. Aft to bed wild We, Maggie, ashore.
an Law us to think a bit"
She slipped from Conn's knee after
an embrace piteous with entreaty, kiss
ed her mother and the uncle whom she
already regarded with a kind OF terror
and went up quietly to bed. But n
week before she would have accepted
the proposed change, not, indeed, with
out sorrow, but as part of the necessa-
ny round of life. Now 1t seemed an
utter %uprooting, terrible as the idea Of
death.
1t was decided that Maggie should
go. Frank Power when he"made the
offer knew 1t was inevitable and con-
| graduated himself on the brilliant idea
which had sent him to see Ellen's eld-
est girl. Her attractiveness was beyond
his hopes; even in his Eyes she was
pretty, and he saw no more than the
shell OF her. the accidents of feature
end OF health. He advanced q meager
sum toward the purchase of the neces-
sary outfit. to be repaid. he said. when
she was earning for herself.
Maggie's parting from James Phelan
ias n very simple matter after all.
fer heart was too big for speech, and
his, If not that, ut least prompted him
to say no more than might have been
overheard with safety by any passer-
by.
Mary Cregan, as he knew, had hong
ears and II longer tongue; 1t was well
to be discreet. Bu Frank Power. who
had u habit Of silent prowling, both
saw and heard. He said nothing, but
that night his lean face looked leaner
and his crafty eyes drew closer to-
Setner unuer Dent DrOWS.
Conn's last words to Maggie were:
"Be good. dearle, an whin We come
back Wen be proud av ye."
The change to Maggie from Bally-
clogher to Belfast was like moving
from free air to n close room. Dis
appointment met her on the thresh-
old Of the new life, for the glorious
shop which she had imagined. with a
plated glass front and sumptuous dis
play Of millinery, far finer than any
thing In Carmore, proved to be a dark
little place in a side street, with hardly
more room than Mrs. MacDonagh's.
Maggie and a companion worked at
II counter, Frank Power and his new
partner at another facing 1t. The new
partner vas IN aminble young man,
content, II seemed, to work under his
seniors direction and appearing to
have no ideas of his own Power ruled
the place. He sat up late at night over
his books, lang after the household had
gone to bed. Once when Maggie came
down to fetch something she had for
gotten, she found him in his little
counting house porting over rows Of fig
ures like n man whose life depended on
the solution of some fantastic puzzle.
At the sound Of her step he rose, white
and trembling. Then he cursed her for
O plague and drain ON him. Afterwnrd
he made q whining apology, accom-.
panied with frigid endearments. which
the girl understood less han his rage.
She wrote to Jim, of course, but re.
ceived no answer. This did not trouble
her much, because she knew that he,
was handler with the tongue than with
the pen. She heard from her parents
at rare intervals, but In their letters
there was naturally no reference to
Jim, as she had told them nothing of
that incident Of her life. So the weeks
passed until six months were over.
The expected payment did not begin
from that date. She must wait. Power
said, until trade was better. Six months
or nine had been his words. She should
think herself lucky for having clothes
and free keep and a friend like his
partner to show her the world. At the
end Of the min months she asked again
and was again put. off. But Maggle's
idea Of n contract was very simple, and
she had much too strong q spirit to
give In tamely to n superior power.
She pressed, insisted. Power shufled,
wheedled and ragged by turns. When
she found that no advantage was gain
ed. she determined to appeal to Rior.
dan.
One evening she had been to his
mothers house to tea. Afterward he
took her for q sail on the Tough. 1t
was as they walked back together that
she spoke.
"Mr. Riordan," she said. may I asst
We q question:"
ITO be sure, Maggie"
Its nine months now since I KEN
here, an at the end av six or nine I
was promised some money"
quite right, an haven't ye got it9'
"Not a pinny," she said.
aye say that?" He stopped short for
a moment, then walked on slowly with
bent brows.
II spoke to uncle, an he put me aft
ag1n. I thought maybe ye'd see me
through wild. 1t, Mr.. Riordan. Av
coorse If I'm worth no pay I'll lave an
welcome."
"The ovid blagyard," Riordan nut.
tered under his breath.
I'VE see," she went on, ~ want to
take a look at me own people, an till
I've money I'm tied here like a dog to
a gate"
maggie, yell have livery penny ye