The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-03-20

ed submissively over the oyster shells to the door that gave into the factory ofice Lonz switched on the light anu stirred the coals in the stove, and they faced each other, shivering. across tne hideous, rust-red, heater. Then for the first time Long perceived who it was he had rescued. Lilly Polinetski, the firms best shucker. short silent siri of 17 or more, with the brown hair ana gray eyes of her kind. marked with the low brow that gave her race its nick name, He recalled that she was the only "square-head Bohicky" in the camp. That he had heard her taunted with being an old maid. Had heard IL said that she would drink neither wine nor beer. Said jeeringly. abstinence
 being a thing almost unheard of In the
 labor camps. Once he had noticed that
 she was always neatly dressed; once he
 had reflected that the firm did not pay
 her as much as she was worth. That
 was all he had thought until now apout
 Lilly Polinetski, the square-head Bo-
 hicky He drowned uncertainty for a minute at the cut his knockle had re- ceived from it's contact with the Poles hard forehead. then he spoke gently: What was the trouble?' Kan Sic deutch sprech?" asked the girl She was still trembling. q can't speak it. but I can under stand. Fire away"
 So the girl told the story, low Dutch helped out occasionally with broken English. Told 1t without heat blaming no one. Down at the camp she was quartered with a cousin of the Pole. Their room was next his. That night they had been up late doing their washing. The Pole coming home saw their light. Ach. She had begged the fn at him Rnt the cousin was glad of the wine. She let him in. Ach!
 Did he hurt you? Long asked indif- ferently. Why in the world had he | brought her here. Why the dickens hadn't he turned her over to the night watchman. Then he laughed at the l girls reply.
 No, I guess he couldn't catch you | If you put on that speed from the start" The girl smiled patiently and | Lonz remembered that it was 1 o'clock | that he was dead tired and done up. He | settled his cap and shivered. Come" he said, T must take you | home.''
 She obeyed at once. but a murmur reached him.
 | Helm. Das habe mir hitch. Das | habe mir nimmermehr." The book | keeper turned sharply and looked into l the girls eyes. And what he saw in | those gray wells of wistfulness was as
 another double homesick cry in his l heart.
 | The wistfulness of the Trimmer.
 mehr," fired his fancy. 'Nevermore,'
 he repeated. Did you ever have a home?"
 "Ja." she nodded eagerly. l Long forgot that the cold dawn was
 but a few hours away. Forgot that he was tired. forgot that this girl was the | firms best shucker.
 Tell me about your home, Lilly" ht l pleaded.
 The gray eyes brightened. The gir
 stopped shivering. There in the hear white silence of the frosty midnight ant l the heavy smell of the oysters, thu | homeless pictured to the homeless { | picture of home-life on a little Jerse. l farm. Told of floors that shone witt
 scrubbing. of door-yards gay with flow l CTS Told of ducks and chickens ant
 the milking of cows, and making o
 bread. Told it with the fond tongue
 of the homesick. Lonz listened wit: 1 leaping pulse.
 | And why are you here?" he demand
 ed. Why did you leave your homer" Ach, 1t was the time-worn tale. Fla ther died and mother married again
 and the old brood had to make room for the new brood in the home nest Lilly~had drifted to Baltimore and it factories. Had become one of the SO | called Bohemians that are handled il 1 gangs. Brought South by the carloat l to work in the Southern factories fl the winter; shipped North by the car | load to work in the Northern factories | in the summer. A noisy, homeless
 crowd of many tongues and nations 1 Given to hard labor and harder ex l cesses. But Long was not listening | He was seeing again his vision of home and the face of the woman smil ing at him now through the fireligh 1 shone bright with tenderness under tn, glow and flicker. A good face. homes | and open, with a low brow above wist. full gray eyes.
 Lilly. listen! Lilly, If marry yo, | will you help me to make a home
 Listen, we will have a carpet on the | floor and red curtains and an oper
 wood-fire to sit by in the evening" | "Ach." said Lilly when she had taker
 it in. And we will have a little lamr
 on the stand that I may darn youl | socks while we talk?'
 Hendricks" stormed the boss. bolt. ing in fresh from his twenty-four hours | in town. What the devil is this heaI | about Long Cortez?"
 | He's got married" grinned the man. ager.
 Married! HI, He's married ou,
 best shucker. man! He's married the l square head Bohicky!'
 Railroad OMciaI Dead.