The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-02-06
"SALLyof
OURS"
By CLAUDE PAr1AREs

and uncultured and by no means good
looking, but considerate and kind heart
ed to degree. In way, all the boys
came to know that she had seen trou-
Bile, and they were careful not to in
dulge in remarks to hurt her feelings.
It was always ''Our Sally" who bound
up their hurts or was ready with q
remedy at the nrst sign Of mountain
fever
1t was little community. seldom
added to or detracted from, and it was
quite an event when one day a new
freight brakeman appeared among
them. He was a man Of thirty, and It
was at once apparent that he was out
Of his element. He had the bearing
and speech of gentleman.
Within an hour Of the arrival Of his
train the new hand was nicknamed
Gentleman George" and NO one at Pine
Hill ever learned that he had any other
name. He dropped into his place
among the rest, was in tdme called 4
good fellow, and things went on az BE-
fore.
Not exactly. however-n0t with "6al-
~ Of Ours" Every man Of the crowd
was in the habit Of speaking to her
kindly, but there was something be-
yond that In the attitude Of the new
man, In dim way she realized that
he was above them in birth and social
standing She had made friends with
the ordinary trainmen as an equal, but
she feared and respected the new man.
She heard 1t whispered that disappoint-
ment In love or some family matter had
made a wanderer Of him, and that add
ed to the romance.
Within a month "Sally Of Ours" was
In love with Gentleman George" but
not for worlds would she have given
her secret away. For a woman who
had no social training she was q good
dissembler, and, although some Of the
boys winked and nodded at times, none
Of them knew the depth Of her feeling.
Only once during the eight months the
new man was on the road was her Sc
cret in danger. That was when q
switch was thrown and dozen freight
cars were piled In heap. She actually
led the rescuing party, and 1t was her
hands that helped to dig out Gentle
man George" from the wreck, and
when it was found that he was badly
bruised the other men saw tears in her
eyes.
Two months after the accident tho
victim of the wreck took partner and
set OF among the mountains on pxos-
pecting trip.
The boys saw the two or with fare
well, and Gentleman George spent
five minutes looking for "Our Sally" to
shake hands with her. He did not md
her until he had penetrated to the
kitchen. Then she pretended that tbs
tears in her eyes and her flushed face
were caused by smoke. She was 80
nervous over the handshaking that the
young man looked at her In surprise.
The idea that she might care for him
was one Of the things of which he had
never dreamed. Had she confessed It
he would have smiled first and then
been hard put to it to turn thu matter
Off without hurting her feelings.
"And what's the meaning Of this. I'd
like to known asked Mother Walker
as she entered the kitchen a few min
utes after the prospectors had disap-
peared up the trail and found her help
er with her head on the table.
1--WE got-got the toothache," was the
wailing reply.
''Ump' said the other 81 didn't know
but that you'd been silly enough to
think Of love. Well. drop little pep-
permint into your tooth, and then wen
go to work and clear up these dishes"
When two months had gone by the
return OF the prospectors was looked
for daily. Winter threatened to set in
early The days went by and the SHOWS
came and the men did not return.
One evening when the first blizzard Of
the season was bowling around Pine
Hill Jack Ruthven came crawling In.
He was the partner. and he was 30
knocked about and exhausted that it
was twenty-four hours before they got
statement from him. The prospectors
had had poor luck and had delayed I'M
til the last moment In hope Of lettering
1t. Then came an unlocked for calam-
Ity. Gentleman George" had been taken
Ill, and within thirty-six hours he devel-
oped case Of smallpox.
"And you left him there to die aIoneg'
demanded Sally. ''Of course"
1--WE had no food, no medicines. And
what could dor he asked.
Shame on you forever! In twenty
four hours the blizzard will have pass
ed. What then? ask you, Jack Ruth
ven, and / ask every other man present
here-what thenT'
No one answered her. The partner
had said the distance was at least thir-
ty miles to the rude shanty they had
made headquarters, and there would be
a foot and half of snow on the ground
and zero weather after the passing
blizzard No man felt that he had one
chance IN twenty of reaching the sick
man.
"And what then2" asked the woma4
again. There was HE same silence and
shaking of heads as before.
Next morning, an hour after daylight,
Mother Walker found the young wo-
man making up bundle and putting
on her heaviest garments.
What is it?'' she asked.
II am going after George" was the
quiet reply.
'What Thirty miles through weather
like thisv'
There Is no man here. and 80 am
forced to go myself. 1t will be no use
to argue If he is alive 1 will bring
him back. Say nothing to the boys un-
til am gone. Then have them At Up q
warm room in one OF the sheds. You
can get one Of the Indian boys to bring
US food. and the operator will telegraph
to Cedar Crest for the doctor"
Sally of Ours" was gone before the
railroad hands knew anything about it.
The blizzard passed away as the day
grew older, but every man knew that
with that depth OF snow on the ground
and the thermometer standing way be-
low zero the woman had set herself a
tremendous task. Even II she succeed
ed in reaching the spot she would and
the sick man dead.
Three days passed. They were days
in which the strong and sturdy men
OF duty tried to make themselves be-
lieve that no shame had come to them
by refusing to form rescuing party,
but they ate their meals and went
about their work without consolation.
An hour after nightfalI OF the third
day Sally Of Ours" appeared. She