The Baltimore County union, the Towson news., 1909-10-02
rHE RETREAT OF THE GREEKS.

Ny business was to find Miss Name
Cowcher, of No. II Cheeseit Street.
Since the matter was urgent l could
have wished that Cheeseit Street were
less difficult of access and freer of en-
cumbrances. The district wore an
air of resigned dilapidation the
stoops sagged, the window-blinds
lolled and the shanties inclined toward
one another. Babies, goats and quad
rupeds of the ''jast dog" variety
prospered. The rear guard of a stag
gering procession of wooden cottages
proved to be Cowcher's.
Obviously supper was in progress.
Intimation to this effect was in the
air long before I reached the back
door. One whom l judged to be
Cowcher was tilted back in chair
against the woodbox, where he mum
bled blearily and breathed with much
noise. Another, unquestionably
madame, creature of lavish proper
tions and unstinted voice, sent tor
rental volume of rough shod Eng
lish cracking about the ears of Cow
cher, and she thumped the rickety
stove with smoking saucepan by way
Of accentuation. There were many
other Cowchers of all lengths and
lasts. / asked for Miss Name, and
explained why.
can It's no wander shure you re
wantin her pictur' an an intervoo, as
ye call ut, remarked Mother Cow
cher, giving me her undivided atten-
ton. did ye hear iv the scrap she
put up in the mill rite I"
THAT just it., / said, "the mill
riot. We have heard of Miss Names
charge upon the Greek strike-break-
ers, and want to print her picture and
some of the facts In her case. /"
ssShe's the wan. Name done ut, =
exclaimed Mrs. Cowcher with ami
nation that dominated the room.
"She claned up wit dozen iv them
sthroike- breakers, an thin Greeks is
fierce divils. l tell ye, sor. She
pitched inta the hull fifteen iv thin,
an they wit stones and cloobs. An
what she done to them I couldn't be-
gin to tell ye Ye wouldn't behave ut
that in the tonne it I'D take the wind
to blow yer hat of, she had the twinty
iv thin runnin' fer their loives an
shriekin' murder an AWE .Morias. I"
Jaw, can that kind of talk, Nav,
I amt no bloomin' prize fighter, Z"
roare6 voice from the stairway, and
an instant later beheld Name. She
was huge and yellow-haired, and
challenged me with flashing, blue
eyes. 'I'm a lady, am, and they
amt uottin' goin' in that paper bout
ME that lady wouldn't stand fer. ;"
"The public is much interested in
the strike, Miss Cowcher," }" I said,
'sand especially in your part of it.
We would like to print your picture,
if you'll lend us one. 1t will be re-
turned promptly"
81 amt got no picture, (" she said.
Pride and suspicion mingled in her
tone.
Don't you moind tn wan in th'
parloor, Name, darlin !" mumbled
Mr.. Cowcher persuasively.
"Come to, Paw. This here feller
wants growed-up one"
"Don't you b'lieve she amt got
none, Mister, - said smaller Cowcher
shrinkingly. Il saw her give one to
Bob"
"That'll do fer you, Tiddy. This
here's my department, said Name.
Then turning tome she added: cts
fac, though, Bob has got one.'
"Ah," / exclaimed, "I'm very
glad. IF I should call on Mr.. Bob
and state the case, would he not lend
it?',
Here / was greeted with hoot
from Name, and the other Cowchers
voiced derisive chorus. 'Do you
know what Bob 'ud do to you if you
went to him and asked for my pic
ture::" the heroine of the strike ques-
toned dreadful1y, lowering her face
to mine.
"Not murder, surely, Whispered.
mo, but he'd eat you, young fell
ler. Why. Bob wears that next his
heart, he does"
''Is there anything to be DONE" I
asked.
"Bob 'ud never let go that picture
to you or no one else," she said,
''but-"
'sIs 1t too far ?"-Would it be ask
ing too much for you, ,-I'd appreciate
it more than l can tell, /" / stammered,
breathless1y.
Name snatched big plumed hat
from some mysterious recess under
the kitchen sink, slapped it on with
two Jerks, stab and a flourish, and
announced that she supposed she
would have to go along. At the
door she paused, and addressed a
slim, rundown slip of girl. the
image of Tillie Slowboy:-
"Look here, Liz" she said "you
come on wit me an this feller. Bob
might crumple him fer walkin' wit
me, an no chaper-oon.
Liz left off banging crockery to re-
mark that she would see her sister
hanged first. The wrath of Name,
however, altered all. As she had
brought about the retreat of the
Greeks, so she charged LIZ into sub
lection and obedience. AS we passed
out, a muttered challenge mounted
above the fumes surrounding Mr.,
| Cowcher to the effect that he would