The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-02-09
WHEN CUPID CAME TO cALIAwAY.
By MAURICE PRESCOTT.

Too oot Schree eech F! toot-toot-
too-oot Whoo oo-oo II
To the initiated the noise sounded
like the howl of some tortured de-
mon to the initiated-and the in
habitants of Galloway Hill were all
initiated-it was only the half after.
four whistle, announcing that in just
ninety minutes, every employee of
the Callawav Cotton Mills must be in
place and ready for work.
Molly Sue opened her eyes at the
first shrek of the great whistle; then
she closed them again-she was so
sleepy! The August night had been
hot and breathless the tiny baby in
her mothers room had cried almost
incessantly, and the feeble walls still
sounded beyond the thin partition
Annie Bell, the former baby, jealous
of the new conner, and angry at being
put to sleep with her two big sisters,
had done her share toward keeping
the family awake and Lovinnia May,
over in the other bed, had been Sob
bing for hours with the toothache-
or the earache-Molly Sue was too
sleepy to remember which Oh, if
they would all be quiet for just few
minutes and let her have one little
nap But the fateful "Whoo 90 -
of the whistle was still sounding, and
there was breakfast to be cooked, and
the children to be dressed, and the
COW to be MIXED, and the pig to be
fed, and a dozen other things-and
because of that wailing baby and the
sickly mother, all these tasks must
be done by Molly Sue and Florinda.
"Lawsee," grumbled Molly Sue,
as she sat up. rubbing her eyes.
How that poor little soul does squall!
I reckon bit feels the heat mighty
bad," she added with a touch of pity.
Then she looked across the bed at
Florinda. Florinda's eyes were clos
ed, and she was breathing steadily /;
but Molly Sue was suspicious.
"Florinda Lowder, you quit playin'
possum, an git up" she command
ed. Florinda began to snore. There
upon Molly Sue took matters into
her own hands. A cuff on the jaw
may not be the most humane way of
arousing a sleeper. but there can be
little doubt as to its efficacy. Florin-
da awoke instantly, with fire in her
eyes and reproaches on her tongue.
Unheeding, Molly Sue proceeded
to give orders. You dress them
young uns, an go milk the COW an
tie her out, an send Tom to tote the
milk over to Crump's. I'll git break
fast and tend to things. Leave Annie
Belle alone; she can git up when she
wants to, an she don't need no fxin'
nohow," which was quite true, for
Annie Bell wore the same blue frock
which had been her only garment for
two days past, and would probably
do duty for as much future service.
Having mapped out her campaign,
and dressed herself at the same time,
Molly Sue departed to the kitchen,
and made vigorous attack upon the
rusty stove.
From her manner of beginning the
day, some people might have called
Molly Sueill natured ; but when one is
the eldest daughter of poverty
stricken family which has lately receiv-
ed its dozenth member, with an invalid
mother and an intemperate father,
one may be excused for many short
comings, more especially when one is
only "goin' on fer sixteen. !" Molly
Sue did not reason thus, however !;
she seldom reasoned, for that matter |;
she merely ''done things"
On this particular Saturday morn
ing her "doin' things" proceeded so
satisfactorily that by half-past five
the family had been dressed and fed +,
usd the wage carriers started toward
the mill. In this company were in
cluded all the children over twelve,
and also the twins, Lovinnia May and
Furley, who were only eleven. The
law SAYS, of course, that no one under
twelve shall work in mill but the
twins were large for their age, and,
besides. the family finances needed
their support, so their father had told
the boss they were twelve, adding
the mental reservation that they were
"mighty close to hit, anyways" /"
Molly Sue fingered after the others
had departed, for a moments fare
we'll to her mother and the baby.
Then she twisted her we'll oiled hair
into a sleazy pompadour, pressed a
worn pink ribbon into service as a
collar, tied her fabby sunbonnet with
coquettish bow, and hurried after
the children.
No, not hurried. Molly Sue had
reasons of her own for not wishing to
join the boisterous group ahead.
Nevertheless, casual observer would
have supposed her to be much sur
prised when Travis Little suddenly
appeared at her side. She screamed
and started, then walked on with the
air of one much annoyed by his pres
ence, though curious little smile or
her lips, and faint color in her sal.
low cheeks, encouraged Travis to be
lieve that he was not unwelcome. Ir
truth, she was trying to calm the
frantic beating of her heart, and as
s1re herself that she was not excited