The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-04-13

/ IhoI HoSNA
~ NJ note sounded as Marie La
[>N IA vigne entered; and run
ling wave of laughter followed. What
lid it all mean? She had said that her
lame was Marie.
She went to the fixer's bench and
Houched his arm.
"What is it, Frenchy?" he asked, not
3nkindly.
! She gesticulated about the room, and
initiating the word, repudiated it with
mother gesture. Then she pronounced
Ter own name very plainly. Marie.
Re Mar-r-rie, no Peep
AS the machinery began to move and
be French girl went to her looms, the
i Ugh pitched epithet was still flung at
er. Some one varied it with a deep
bnralto "P-r-r-ee-p." 1t was a better
imitation than the others, and Marie
Understood the insult. 1t was the noise
be frogs made in the spring; because
be was French, the other girls were
billing her a'frog.
2She ran out from between her looms
nd threw spools at her nearest tor
bentors.
After that Marie was always called
8eep. She resented it, and stormed
J the girls in French invective, but
hey only delighted in rousing her tenn
er.
Thus it happened that although they
forked with her for several months
+ |nd took such liberties with her name,
bne Of them came really to know her.
he was an alien in the mill; and when
ley had begun by making sport OF
er, the girls own hot spirit forbade
aking any overtures of friendliness.
No one knew where Peep lived. Per-
IDS if some of the girls had followed
er at night, and seen the two rooms
i the poor tenement that she and her
lother occupied, they would not have
&sented quite so much her tireless in
hstry. AS it was, they were jealous
this, and of the trifling little sum
hich Peep earned each week in ex-
T. kss OF their own wages.
One evening there was excitement in
e tenement. The mother who, from
ling istless and pale, had at last
ken to her bed, was gone; and Mar
half-bysterical with tears and
ughter, was explaining it all to the
10 other French families who occu-
ed the house. She had at last
rned enough money to send Ia
uvre mere back to Canada to an inn,
here she would be comfortably cared
3'Ze city, re dirt, re bad air, it is not
- her, re doctor saysw exclaimed
+ hrie. But now-now she viii get
ell. I work. send her re money
Id keep ze rooms, too, till she re-
rn."
others, kindly, sympathetic
uls, who understood the sick French
2 bman's longing, cried out in admira-
IN. and the men kissed Marie.
After this the girls jubilant indus
a. became more annoying than ever
the other operatives. She went ear
to her work, and cleaned and oiled
great machines before the speed
me on; and as she brought her
hch of bread and smoked herrings
th her, she worked most of the noon
ur, With the thoughtless girls cry
the jeering name at her.
: Iet them call her Peep! Peep" She
luld watch her looms.
md watch them she did. No one
er saw Peep with loom stopped
one or two hours while she picked
and mended some dreadful tangle
broken threads.
The hard work did not wear on her
it did on some of tie others. Al
Sugh she was rather slight in figure,
was strong.
Inc Friday night. after particu-
" hard week. during which the
Il had been running overtime every
y, the girls walked wearily to the
X to have their last rolls Of cloth
cked.
For goodness sake, look at Peep''
b one of them.
he rolls of cloth were heavy. Two
them made an armful fc" "rl. But
e was Marie, hurryinG the
ky with the whole day. ----uct OF