Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1909-11-05
The Battle
BY
CLEVELAND MOFffH
Novelized by the Author
From His Great Play of
the Same Name
Copyright. 1909. by C. W. billing
ham Co.
CHAPTER I.

since begun their weary tramp
home through the darkness In
~ the crowded tenement district
OF which Market street is the longest
ed center. the most densely popuiated
thoroughfare of New York. Inc
streets were still empty in comparison
with what they should he few hours
later. but quiet-never.
AT no hour of the day or night Is
that quarter of the city without its
noises. They succeed each other in a
regular. daily repeated order one
can tell by them each hour OF the
twenty-four And as the street has
its noises, so has each house.
An alarm clock ratified in a large
room in one of TIL towering tene-
ments. built of brick, without orna-
mentation, made hideous by row upon
row of narrow windows.
A young woman seated at table In
a corner of a squalid room had not
looked up or stopped for moment In
her occupation of gliding plaster fig
ures with a brush which she dipped
from time TO time in pan. A lamp.
shaded so as to throw all the light 1t
gave directly upon her work, stood be-
side her. The rest Of the room was
dark.
A mans sleepy. quarrelSome voice
came from somewhere beyond the
room.
What time is it, Jenny"
After I. You'd better get up"
The girl was strikingly handsome
in buxom, sensuous way, but the
droop of resignation of her mouth
struggled with the line of revolt that
met it from the delicate nostrils down.
ward. Her eyes shone dark under the
arched eyebrows. In them there were
unrest and knowledge of good and
evil, a vague wonder and look of
hunger of mind and heart.
The room as she turned around to
survey it was seen to contain two
iron bedsteads in one Of which there
were man and two children, while
the other contained younger man.
Both beds were tousled and untidy.
The young mans clothes had been
thrown in a heap on the foot of his
The elder mans lay partly on chair,
partly on the floor beside it.
Moran. Jenny's father, sat up in bed
Jenny returned to her work, sitting
down with her back toward the beds.
Cant sleep with that kid cough
ing and kicking" grumbled Moran.
Didn't sleep wink"
He slid his feet on to the floor, drew
on his shoes, hitched up the trousers
in which he had slept. crossed over to
the sink and washed his face and
hands. Then he turned to bare table.
which. with three cheap, rickety
chairs. completed the furniture.
He cut off hunk of bread and ate,
grumb,ing the while. his watery eyes
wandering along the wall. staring un-
seeingly at the cheap color prints of
the rulers of Europe that formed its
- incongruous ornament.
A large picture of young man in
diving costume. veritable Hercules
his heavy helmet resting on his arm
occupied place of honor all by itself
on another wall
Moran had weak. discouraged face
with anonymously scowling eyes.
The younger man had propped him
self up in bed, lighted candle anG
was now reading paper. He was
Joe Caffrey. the widower of Jenny's
elder sister, who had died three week!
before. Now, like the two children
he was "boarder" Of Jenny's.
Hello" said Joe, looking up from
his paper. Here's description O
John j. Haggletons private yacht. H,
sails today on cruise"
"Haggletonw growled Moran. "That'
our landlord. I'd like to have hin
here!
Joe Caffrey kept on reading.
"Oh, say, listen to thisw he exclaim
ed 1.-The walls are paneled in satin
wood; under foot are velvet carpet
twelve feet wide, and
Moran jumped up in rage.
I'D millionaire" he shouted.
1t was broad daylight now. Jenn
extinguished the lamp; Joe blew OIL
his candle. Through the cheap. drae
gly lace curtains of the windows
superb view of the East river and tn
Brooklyn bridge was revealed.
AS Moran opened the door his daugt
ter stopped him.
II wish you'd stop at Mrs. Binney's.
she said. land ask her to come aroun
and look at Benny's cough. He nigh
have Group"
Benny snarled Moran. ITS 70
ten idea having those kids here. an.
way. Why don't they stay with the
father?'
"Their father" answered his daugl
ter practically. going over to the chi
dren's bed. their father pays us
month for their board"
Moran turned to go. But before /
closed the door behind him he growle'
"This is a h of a home"
The children, girl of ten and be
two years younger. whimpered. Bel
ny coughed again. then walled. H
sister put her arms around him an
soothed him.
Don't cry, you star boarders," Gale
Joe good naturally. You are goir
to have presents, do you hear? Bea1
tiful presents. Santa Claus forgot yo
at Christmas, but that was mistake
The two youngsters sat up in be
and gazed at him with eager expe
fancy.
"What are you telling them tn,
for?" asked Jenny Indignantly.
"Never you mind. Come here, En-
my"
The girl clambered out Of bed an