The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-08-29

older girl, began to reel and stagger
with conscientious realism, Michael
fell upon her.
Cecilia remembered to this day the
violent shaking he had administered
with all the wiTy strength Of his eleven
years. At the time she had been more
frightened by his face of tortured anger
and its dark intensity as he dropped
her inside her own gate.
GO tell your father what l did" said
Mickey VIM. An tell him if he
wants to lick me, I'm working for SlO-
yak nights"
Cissy fled. shocked and weeping, to
the great arms Of Patrick, who heard
the tale with Unsurpassed chuckles.
He did not forgive MichaePs high
handedness, however, and shortly had
a word with Slovak. That night Slovak
told Michael to carry a big basket of
groceries around to McGirr's.
well" said the grocer impatiently,
as the boy hesitated, whats the matter
NIT you? You amt taken no stolen
junk to Mr.. McGirr, hey not?"
No" said Michael, I amt in the
stolen junk business" And went dog
gedly. but with tagging feet. He felt
like a very small boy indeed when he
swung open the yard gate and Patrick
McGirr doomed large before him.
oh" said McGirr, you're the bye
that bates girls. Why don't We get
after some o. the byes that torment
your mother-God save the poor soul
she was q pretty girl, was Mary Gull
foyle-and lave little fiYe-year-Old
childer to their playa"
Michael set the basket down so that
he could flee without impedimenta
when Patrick McGirr's wrath sought
physical expression,
4 had to stop her." he said, Offering
his proposition very seriously to the biz
man who lowered above him-Offering il
reasonably and without >self-righteous-
ness. "She was trailing through the
mud after me mother. It made me sick
to see her. You Oughter look after her
and not let her play with those NUTS. "
McGirr, instead of Offering him bodily
violence, stared hard at him. He had
lost his two little sons, Cissy's elder
brothers.
GO on into the kitchen with your
basket" said he CURLY, land don't be
layin' violent hands on other peoples
childer. AZ for Cesaylia, I'm sending
her to the convent tomorrow, so she
won't be annoying you nor your mother
for many a long day, Mickey VIM. -
ooh" said Mickey VIM, with open
eyes and mouth, for all the neighbor-
hood knew how Patrick McCirr cIung
to his little red-haired daughter.
So for twelve years the neighborhood
saw no more Of Cecilia, for in the sum
mers Patrick McGirr sent her up on a
farm in Duchess county to grow more
like a young Ceres than ever. For
Michael that incident was closed.
Patrick McGirr had taken a strong
liking to him, however, which made him
a good friend. He watched Michael
Flooding along. working here and there
in grocery stores and butcher shops
and factories, keeping his wretched
mother out of the streets, and watch
ing keen-eyed for an Independent
chance. At last, when Patsy McKenna
went to Omaha, Michael was able to
take over Patsy's horse and cart and
the good will of a flOurishing route.
Michael peddled potatoes, he peddled
oranges and cabbages and rubber
plants, and had even vended, to large
financial advantage, WagonlOads of
Long Island rabbits, much beloved Of
the Czech element on the Eastern
Boulevard.
Then Patrick McGirr, convinced that
this was a young man after his own
heart, made him a fiattering offer, and
Michael VIM became first assistant in
the junk business, and finally, when
poor Mary GuilfOyle died, came to have
a room in McGirr's house, while the
ancient horse fed luxuriously with Nc
Cirr's chunky cob.
The two men kept bachelors hall
very happily together, and both were
aghast when, on her seven
tenth birthday, Cecilia wrote with sim
pie finaIity that she had decided to come
home.
Il suppose" said Michael tentatively,
I'D best get me a room around the
corner"
McGirr stared, surprised.
What use would We be to me around
there?" said he. Keep your room. But
we'll have to get a hOusekeeper, for You
couldn't expect a cOnvent-bred girl like
Cissy TO know much about runnin' a
house"
They spent the next ten days in
fury of housekeeping and refurnishing,
so that the little frame house next the
Junk shop presented a holiday face
when Cecilia came home Even the
mass of junk in the shop was piled in
more symmetrical heaps, and the yard