Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-06-30

fathers. and stand fastl Forward
march now. double quick. % yonder
shelters, where We will prepare to
meet the enemy and she pointed
tragically toward a large barn At the
rear Of the school-house.
Under the stimulus Of the words Of
their leader. the forces rallied suf-
f~iciently to reach the hospitable root
Of Widow Faherty's barn. Widow Fla
herty, who lived IN the upper story Of
the barn. was a devout admirer OF the
departed Miss Mullins, and, Maggie
knew, would be a valuable addition to
her forces.
When the policemen made their way
to the temporary fortress, with many
sly jokes and laughs at the easy task
before them, they met with locked
doors below and a vigorous response
from the upper window:
And don't We dare set a foot on me
premises, not a one OF We, and II my
voice can't make IL plain to We, I've
somethin' that will talk so ven under
stan It," and she held to their view a
kettle OF boiling hot water.
The arguments of the widow proved
unanswerable, and the policemen de-
parted.
The victory was won, but alas for
the way of great leaders. In the cor
ner OF Mrs. Flaherty's barn. as the
November afternoon darkened into
evening, sat the victorious leader of
the hundred. her face buried in her
apron. weeping with a woe not TO be
comforted. What cared she that to-
night her name would be upon the
tongue OF every boy and girl in the
ward, that even now the newsboys In
the streets were crying her as the
chief attraction OF the evening paper?
These things were as nothing. for
awful thought-Roderick Dhu, the idol.
of her heart, was lost. In that fearful.
moment when the advance of the en-
envy seemed to endanger her cause
she had dropped the hand of the In
FAINT Roderick, and In the confusion
which followed he had strayed away
1t grew still darker. Something
must be done, for Roderick Dhu feared
the dark shadows OF the night, and 1t
was drawing near to that delicious
hour when he was wont 10 lay his lit
tie head upon Maggie's devoted shout
der and start on his journey to Slum-
berland.
AS she hurried past the deserte J
school-house, she %bethought herself
that she had forgotten to search thai.
building.
Was mat a light at the end of the
hall? Probably the %janitor, still at
work.
Through the glass door Maggie
peeped. She drew back In disma Z.
She had quite forgotten tn this was
| the office of the despised principal.
How the hot blood did pump itself Up.
from her valiant heart, as she beheld
the hated tyrant sitting in his chair,
reading-lamp by his side. What was
that? Maggie's heart stopped pumping
for very astonishment. for. snuggled
| close in the tyrant's arms, as com
fortably as he ever lay in Maggie's
own, was the reereant Roderick, look
ing up into the %tyrant's face with the
same fascinating good night baby
ways that Maggie loved. And the ty-
rant-the hated tyrant-Maggie's eyes
almost swallowed up her face, they
| grew so large from looking, this same
tyrant was smiling down into the baby
eyes as he softly crooned a lullaby
The voice ceased singing, and the wor-
ried look that Maggie had noticed
| upon the face of the principal that
her sex, stimulated by a somewhat
troubled conscience. told Maggie that
| the worried look was one for which
she was responsible. AS II fearful that
she might be led to change her mind,
she bolted into the room, planted her
self in front OF the astonished princi-
pal, and explained somewhat inco-
h~erently:
"Oh, sir, It was me that did II all
| stirred EN- up. | did. They'd never a
n of EN- dared do 1t without; they
said so themselves. And when the cops
came, they'd everyone Of 'em backed
out, but called 'em towards. And it
/ was AiCu 1 AOol tuC UdDgt anu 1 MlSituI
I'd never been born before | ever
heard Of a strike or a union, sir. And
then you found him, and cuddled him
up for the night Just as he likes to be
cuddled, and I'm so sorry | made all
the trouble. and you don't need al
worry any more about the old strike
for I'll declare 1t all off tomorrow
morning, and the kid that dares T.
stay away, I1l-Ill-" and although
Maggie's fervent voice and earnest
eyes spoke volumes, the words were
interrupted by a strange choking IN
her throat.
II the reporters could have looked
into the SHELTON school just then, they
would have found abundant material
for a scoop, for the erstwhile leader
Of the strike, as the pent-up emotions
of the day found vent in a veritable
Niagara of tears, felt herself drawn