Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-09-19
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A DARK DEED

By ETA w. PIERCE

beat me as much as you like, but don
you dare lay hands on her any more!
She gathered herself up from th'
floor. Granny Scragg was not hand
some woman. Her nose and chin near
ly met. She had cruel, twinkling eye'
and bristling, iron-gray hair, which
stuck straight out from her dirty cap
border, and all her rags and tatters ex
hailed the odors of the grog-shop.
You black limb" she cried-tha
was her favorite name for me. l hat
tar black eyes and hair, and my wiz
ened little face was as brown as ar
Arabs. She seized me by the neck
and in three minutes the gay spirit o.
victory was quenched within me, ant
my entire body felt like jelly.
rs that enough, Polly?" croaket
granny, when she had exhausted hei
own strength; do you want to take
Mans share again?"
Yes" l answered, defiantly, 'Tt
sooner you would kill Inc than harm
her"
1t was not her purpose to kill me
was too valuable for that, but she gave
me a lurid look.
There's bad blood in you, Poll; yor
come of an evil stock" said she. Have
your way. I'd as quick thrash one brat
as the other. It's easier to deal out
enough for both at the same time. Now
take another bottle from the cupboard
and go down to the shop at the cor
ner."
l obeyed, whimpering. Nan crept
after me, clinging to the skirts of my
ragged gown, I put my bruised arms
around her.
Don't you be afraid, Man," l said
exultantly: "She won't beat you any
more-rve won a point for you-Tm to
have all the blows now."
It was a conquest which cost me
dear. From that time Granny Scrag
whenever she became angry with Nan
would fly straight at me and pound me
numerically. She loved neither Of us
but her hatred of me had a peculiar
venom in it. Many were the crueI
beatings that I received for Nan, but
there was never a time when fiinched
or repented of my own generosity. Pain
borne for Mans sake was sweet. One
must have something to love. Even as
a child, / was unfortunate enough to
possess a nature to which worship OF
some kind was an absolute necessity
OF religion I knew no more than q
Hottentot, and the ties of kindred were
as a sealed book to me. So Nan be-
came my one only idol.
Every day Granny Scrag sent us into
the streets to beg. There soon learn
ed the power of beauty. People would
frown and brush by my outstretched
hand, but when they looked at Mans
uplifted face, with it's rose-leaf Skin
and big, violet eyes and yellow hair ir
rings and curls, nine out of, every ter
halted and turned back to give us g
penny. Many q time I should have
Jared poorly but for Mans exquisite
face.
Sometimes inquisitive ladies and
servant girls at the back doors would
ask our names and where we lived, anG
then was obliged to tell pitiful story
which Granny Scrag had beaten into
me about our poor, dear old grand
mother who was sick unto death
with no money to pay her rent or buy
medicines. 1 was not an apt liar, ant
when my interrogation began to ques'
tion me too closely, l usually broke
down and took to my nimble heels
Nan, being shy and timid, left all the
talking to me. She just clung to my
rags and let her lovely face plead fol
her. 1t was far more eloquent than my
tongue.
She was very little creature to sent
into the streets. l love to remembei
that l always did the best l could fol
her. When it rained covered her will
my rags; when she cried with cold
warmed her in my bosom; when W.
were both hungry, and our share o.
broken food was meager, she alway!
got part of my allowance to add to hel
own.
Sometimes we would wander away
through the streets to a great, greer
place, where there were trees and foun'
tains, and seats upon which one coulC
rest, and deer in an inclosure. AND
farther on we found gardens and bed!
of flowers, and water with a boat ant
swans upon it-paradise, indeed, to two
helpless dwellers of Harmony Alley
The sunshine and the bloom and thu
beauty made US cry.
"Oh, Polly, dear, let's stay here
ny Scrag again."
But the tempter was in our Eden
One day Nan thrust out lawless hant
and broke q cluster of flowers from
blazing border. At the same momen
l espied a cop, or blue-cOated guardian
of the peace, advancing upon us, ant
with a wholesome fear of the power
vested in him-a power which al
dwellers of Harmony Alley dreaded,
tore the flowers from Nan, and tieC
with her in terror and dismay. W.
never dared enter our paradise again
And now in this record which hav'
been called to write, l, the beggar o
the streets, the miserable waif of Har
mony Alley, come to that day of day.
which changed everything in life TO
me and for Nan.
Before sending us forth to prey upol
the public this particular morning
Granny Scrag took occasion to al
minister to me a timely warning:
I'm not going to keep you two brat
Longer for nothing" she cried. Poll
you black limb! why don't you tell tn
public about your poor old dyinl
grandmother who can't pay the rem:
Haven't l clothed you all your life IL
purple and fine linen. and kept you ol
the fat of the land? Amt your bene
factor? and yet I'll warrant you can
look man nor woman in the eye AM
tell that story stra light. And so yol