The San Francisco call., 1904-07-10
III

Oh, Mag, Mag, for heavens sake, let
me talk to you! No, don't say any
thing. You must let me tell you. No
don't call the other girls 1 can't bear
to tell this to anybody but you
You know how kicked when Tom
hit on Latimers as the place we were
stubborner he got, till he swore he'd do
the job without me if / wouldn't come
along. Well-this is the rest of it.
The house you know stands at the end
of the street. If you could walk
through the garden with the iron fence
you'd come right down the bluff on
to the docks and out into East River.
Tom and i came up to it from the
docks last night. 1t was dark and wet.
you remember The mud was thick
on my trousers-Nance Olden's a boy
every time when 1t comes to doing
business.
''We'll blow it all in, Tom," 1 said,
as we climbed. wen spend week
at the Waldorf, and then. Tom Dor
gan, well go to Paris. 1 want a red
coat and hat with chinchilla, like that
dear one 1 lost, and a low-neck satin
gown, and a silk petticoat with lace,
and a chain with rhinestones, and"
"Just wait. Sis, till you get out Of
this. And keep STILL
81 can't. I'm so fidgety 1 must talk
or I'll shrek"
"Well, you'll shut up just the same.
Do you hear me?"
1 shut up, but my teeth chartered so
that Tom stopped at the gate.
Look here. Nance, are you going TO
funk? Say it now-yes or no."
That made me mad.
"Tom Dorgan," said, ''I'll bet your
own teeth chartered the first time you
went in for thing like this. I'm all
right. You'll squeal before 1 do
That's more like. Here's the gate.
It's locked Come, Nance"
With a good, strong swing he boosted
me over. handed me the bag of tools
and sprang over himself. He
looked kind o. handsome and fine. my
Tom. as he lit square and light on his
feet beside me. And because he did,
put my arm in his and gave it
squeeze.
oh, Mag, it was so funny, going
through Latimer's gardenl There was
the garden table where l had sat read
ing and thinking he took me for Miss
Omar. There was the bench where
that beast Norway sat sneering at me.
The wheeled chair was gone. And it
was so late everything looked asleep.
But something was left behind that
made me think L heard Latimer's slow,
silken voice, and made me feel cheap
turned inside out like an empty pocket
"a dirty, ragged pocket with seam
in it,
You'll stay here, Nancy, and
watch" Tom whispered. You'll whis-
tie once if cop comes inside the gate.
but not before he's inside the gate.
Don't whistle too soon-mind that-nor
too loud. I'll hear ye all right. And
I'll whistle just once. if-anything hap
pens. Then you run-hear me? Run
like the devil"
Tommy
well. what?''
'Nothing-all right" wanted to say
good -by-but you know Tom.
Mag, were you ever where you
oughtn't TO be at midnight-alonel No,
l know you weren't. Twas your ugly
little face and your hair that saved you
the red hair we used to guy so at the
Cruelty. l can see you nova free
kled-faced, thin little devil. with the
tangled hair to the very edge of your
ragged skirt, yanked in that first day
to the Cruelty when the neighbors COM
planned your crying wouldn't let 'em
sleep nights. The old woman had just
locked you in there, hadn't she, TO
starve, when she lit out. Mothers are
queer. amt they, when they are queer.
never remember mine.
Yes, I'll go on.