The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1905-10-04
PADDY
WHARTON'S
GAL By c. B.
LEWIS
Copyright, 1905. bu E. S. McClme

|
who had been station agent Mt sum
mitsville for three years had been
changed to another place down the
line, and Il new man had arrived
Properly speaking. Paddy Wharton's
domlcile was not Il cabin, but a shanty.
1t was Il combination of groggery and
boarding house and one finding no flu
yor In the eyes Of the police. Paddy
himself was man who was down on
almost everything, including law and
order and the railroads, and his wife
was n woman with a tongue in her
head. There was only one child In the
Wharton family, and she was girl of
thirteen who was generally referred to
as Paddy Wharton's gal
While her father dispensed grog and
swore and her mother cooked for the
boarders and scolded, Rose Wharton's
part in supporting the family consisted
In stealing coal from the freight cars
and Juggling 1t home on her back, Il
bushel or 50 ut n time Neither the
WhartOns nor their Xix called II steal
Ing, but the railroad folks did. The
agent had threatened Paddy's gal many
and many a time. and on three or four
occasions his assistant had caught her
red handed and taken her plumber
away and cuffed her ears She had
even been arrested. though the judge
let her go on her promise to mend her
ways. Things We're getting hot when
the old agent left. He had set out to
break up the pllferlng, and Paddy
Whartons gal was returning home
with an empty sack as often as with
full one.
The state of suspense WAS brought
about by the change II was hoped
that the new agent might be n more
lenlent man. Winter was coming on.
and Paddy had objections TO buying
coal. 1t seemed reckless waste to
pay So n ton when there We're carloads
In the yard to be stolen
Two days after the new agents mr.
rival Paddy's gal was sent over to the
depot to size him up. She WIS bare
footed and bareheaded, her face was
covered with smut. and she had de
flant gait. She was hanging about tho
| platform when the agent came out of
his office He was not over twenty
two, and Rose liked him at once. When
he smiled ut her she liked him better.
| When he raised his hat to her half Sc
rious and half In fun, md saluted.
Good morning, Miss Wharton" she
one must have told him that she was
Paddy Whurton's gal and Il coal steal
er, and yet he treated her with polite
ness. She slowly closed her gaping
mouth, rubbed her eyes TO make sure
that she was awake and turned and
fed, splitting on her apron and wiping
her face as she went. For the first
time In her life she had been addressed
by "a real gentleman" and for the first
| time In her life she had been ashamed
OF her bare feet and ankles and smut
ty face.
Before Paddy Wharton's gal reached
home the new agent was n hero In her
eyes, and the first buds of romance
were swelling I'm her soul. She had de
lighted In stealing coal under the eyes
| OF the other agent because he had
sworn Mt her and called her names and
threatened her with prison bars. In
this case ii was SO different that she
arrived home In "A doubtful frame Of
mind Could she steal from man who
had smiled at her, who had tipped hls
hat, who had called her Miss Wharton3
| swell, what sort of "A man IL herr
asked the father as Rose entered with
her finger IN her mouth.
Dunno" she replied.
Didn't you see himT'
Yep"
Did he yell out Mt you to take a
skater
"Noap"
"Then he may be all right Your
mother wants your help today, but to-
morrow you'll be hustllng for coal. 1t
just breaks my heart TO see twelve or
fifteen cars standing on that side track
and know that I'm not two bushels
ahead for the winter coming on"
All that day Paddy Wharton's gal
was 30 silent and so different from her
usual self that her mother could not
fail to notice 1t and wonder II she was
coming down with measles or chicken
pox. She went to bed to dream OF her
hero and she woke In the middle of the
| night TO wish that her father bought
his coal in the regular way. She made
| ready to start out next morning, but
| with great reluctance. She didn't care
| for the freightman nor the swltchman,
and IL a brakeman gave her chin she
| could chin back, but she felt different
| toward the agent If he should hap
| pen to catch her in the act of plumber
| ing car she would feel too ashamed
to lift her eyes to his. She took extra
| precautions this day, but fate was
| against her. She had bagged up
| bushel of stove coal, but had not yet
descended from the fiat car when the
new man appeared all OF a sudden and
said:
Good morning. Miss Wharton. Rath-
er cool this mornlngf VIII you allow
me to lift the sack DOWN. That's 1t.
| Now n hand TO you. You should be
careful about the yards, MS an accident
La liable to happen any time. Now I'll
put the sack on your shoulder. You
must be pretty strong for one so
young
He lifted the sack to her shoulder
and she started Off, but she had not
taken five steps when she wheeled
around, threw her burden ID the
ground, and with flushed face and
tears In her eyes exclaimed
why don't you call me names and
yell at mef'
But why should III
because I'm Paddy Wharton's gal
Because I'm stealing coal. Because
| I'm ragged and barefooted and hain't
| Of no account. Because"-
"Oh, well, never mind" he said
| 10