Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1906-04-27
SALLY
OURS
BY CLAUDE PANfARHs
Copyright. 1905. Dv Mcclure. P'autps 4 Co.


"Sally of Ours" Pine Hill was small
station at the foot OF the mountains,
and the eating house was for the con-
venience of the freight train crews and
the few mechanics kept In the shop
there to make repairs. It was Mother
Walker who kept the Eagle Hating
House. but it was "sally Of Ours" who
got most of the credit. She was a
young woman Of twenty eight, rough
and uncultured and by no means good
looking, but considerable 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.
1t was always "Our Sally" who bound
up their hurts or was ready with a
remedy at the first sign of mountain
fever
1t was little community, seldom
added to or detracted from, and 1t was
quite an event when one day a new
freight brakeman appeared among
them. He was man of thirty. and 1t
was at once apparent that he was out
of his element. He had the bearing
and speech of u gentleman.
Within an hour of the arrival Of his
train the new hand was nicknamsd
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 time called
good fellow, and things went on as be-
fore.
Not exactly. however--not with "sal-
ly 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 wanderer of him, and that add
ed to the romance,
Within month "Sally of Ours" was
In love with "Gentleman George" but
not for worlds would she have given
her secret away. For woman who
had no social training she was 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 a
switch was thrown and a dozen freight
cars were piled In a 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 1t was found that he was badly
bruised the other men saw tears in her
eyes.
Two months after the accident the
victim of the wreck took partner ana
set off among the mountains on a pros
pecting trip.
The boys saw the two off with fare
well, and Gentleman George" spent
Ave minutes looking for "Our Sally" to
shake hands with her. He did not find
her until he had penetrated to the
kitchen. Then she pretended that the
tears In her eyes and her flushed face
were caused by smoke. She was so
nervous over the Misunderstanding that the
young man looked at her In surprise.
The idea that she might care for him
was one of tho things of which he had
never dreamed. Had she confessed 1t
he would have smiled first and then
been hard put to 1t to turn the 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.
"Umw said the other. II didn't know
but that you'd been silly enough to
think OF love. Well, drop little pep
permint into your tooth, and then we'll
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 tn.
He was the partner, and he was
knocked about and exhausted that !t
was twenty-four hours before they got
q 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
III, and within thirty six hours he devel-
oped case of smallpox
"And you left him there to die aloneP'
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
lere-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 OH 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 thenY asked the woman
gain. There was tine same silence and
making OF heads az before.
Next morning, an hour after daylight,
Mother Walker found the young wo-
nan making up bundle and putting
IN her heaviest garments.
what IL itp' she asked.
II am going after George" was the
luiet reply.
WHAT Thirty miles through weather
Ike thisp
There ID no man here, and 30 ! am
forced to go myself. 1t Will be no use
10 argue. II he ID alive will bring
aim back. Say nothing to the Aoys I'M
II am gone. Then have them at up @