Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-12-14
by WlNCHELL oNlil, TNEuLNiS
THOMPSON and PAUL ARMSTRONG
y ce,yish. isos All Rights Reserved

for any girl to be engaged. I'll get
out now and leave you alone" she
ended as OLeary, astonishment and
worry showing on his begrimed face,
entered the Office.
What the matter, Lucy?" he asked
anxiously.
The girl turned to him with eager
ness.
Its about father. Is he very bad?"
The man hesitated.
well, he's got few drinks in," ne
confessed at last. But there hasn't
been much trouble up to date"
He's pretty ugly, amt he?" asked
the girl.
] OLeary laughed grimly.
You know what your dad is when
he's drunk, Lucy. He's tried to pick
one or two scraps tonight. but the men
are keeping away from him. I'll do
my best to keep down trouble. you
know that, Lucy"
The girl nodded.
Yes, / know, Joe, you're mighty
good" she said, but If anything hap
pens tonight you know he'll lose his
Job sure. I'm awful afraid, and moth
er's worse than I am, 80 I just came
over to get you to look out for him.
Is he doing the work all right?'
That's what bothers me-" he con-
fessed. "The Sommers gun s been in
the fire too long now. If it don't come
out Of the furnace soon the gun ii be
no good at all"
The girl made hopeless gesture.
What do you think Of that" she
complained. And he's the best man
over here when he's sober. Can't you
do anything, Joe?"
II am doing all I can" he urged, as
though in justification, but If that
gun 3 put in the oil bath after being
too long in the fire the tempering will
be bad"
Lucy wrung her hands despairinsly.
Lets get Mr.. Marsh" she begged.
"Mr Pinckney amt here, but Mr..
Marsh can take dad off the job and
keep him from running everything.
Sommers Is such a nice man, too, and
Miss Frances likes him. Oh, what are
we going to do, Joe?"
O,Leary looked at her blankly. The
situation was too much for him to
manage.
"Marsh's acting funny. too" he COM
hnx Smith
is, but he keeps away and don't say
nothing to him. Guess he's afraid. ~
Maybe could go in and beg him.
Couldn't / do that, Joe?" pleaded the
girl.
She turned and started for the door
which led into the works, but before
she could reach 1t the door was push
ed open and Smith, drunker and more
enraged than ever, lurched into the
office. At sight Of Lucy and O'Leary
together he Strengthened up. caught
hold Of the door moment for sup
port, then burst on them with a tor
rent Of anger.
What are you doing here?" he roar
ed. why did you come in this Of
flee, Lucy? What business you got
here, O'Leary? Amt seeing you
hanging around my house enough
without getting that girl in the Officer"
live got your dinner, father. /
brought it over to you," faltered Lucy.
And why didn't you bring it to me
risht?" he shouted. And why do you
let this fellow in the Office here be
talking to you?"
"Joe's all right, father" the girl
urged He don't want you to make
no mistake with the Sommers gun,
that's ALL
The drunken foreman turned on his
assistant with fury.
"Oh, you don't, don't you! Look
here, you keep that mug Of yours out
of my affairs or I'll break it. Do you
hear?"
But Joe O'Leary did not come Of the
race that could be bluffed. AS Smith
lurched toward him the assistant
Strengthened into position Of de-
| fense, waiting for him.
Don't waste your breath trying to
scare me, Smith," he shouted. You'd
better be getting that gun out Of the
fire before it spoils."
The sudden opposition sobered the
drunken man for a moment.
Il got a fine assistant amt I?' he
sneered Trying to tell me my busi-
ness. l know what you're up to. You
sneaked in here to talk to her; that's
what you did. Now, you keep away
from her after this, tell you. Don't
YOU come near her or I'll break you
| in two"
OLeary looked the larger man up
and down with fine Irish scorn.
Break me in two!" he sneered. If
you was to break me in two either
piece of me would get up and knock
your block off. tell you. if you ever
lay hand on me I'll kill you
In wild fury Smith rushed un-
steadily. OLeary landed once. stag
gering the big man, and then Lucy
rushed in between them.
Father! Joe! DON'T" she begged.
| You'll both be discharged"
The jarring. staggering blow had
knocked little of the fight out of the
bully. He still had sense enough to
know that in an even battle his young
! strong assistant would have good
chance and, like most bullies, he
didn't care for even battles. The plea
of Lucy gave him chance to change
the direction of his anger.
Discharged" he yelled. Who'll
discharge me? 1 can clean out the
| whole works, and r.
He was lurching about the office,
| swinging his arms wildly in time to
his drunken threats, when the street
door opened and Pinckney came In
| hastily. In a moment the manager
saw that something was wrong.
Whats the meaning of this?' he
demanded sharply. stepping forward.