The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-03-01
Ring Romances.
BY "Tlm."
BRIGHTON BILLS WATERLOO

.
A pretty, slender girl had been hur.
rying along tumble.down, dingy
thoroughfare near the river.front In
London. It was in the evening, AMI
Btevedores. longshoremen. dock labor.
ers and sailors filled the streets and
public houses along the Waterfront.
The maiden had run the. gauntlet OF
many staring, admiring eyes, but her
evident responsibility had saved her
from insult until she found her pass.
age contested by a great hulking fell.
low. With an evil lecr he inquired
into the girls reason for haste. ana
when she drew back, pale with fright,
he uttered an Indecent oath and grasp,
ed one OF her little hands In his big,
dirty hst.
H''Not 80, fast, little 'un,r he exclaim.
ed. Yes too purity to he runnin'
habout halone. Hill just see that We
get 'ome hall right"
With smtrk which contorted his
british face into an ugly grimace, lie
took hold of the girls arm. She sought
to tear herself free, but she was as
an infant In the grasp Of the brawny
giant, who laughed loudly at her con.
tortions. A few of the men In the
crowd joined in the mirth but others
muttered growls OF rage and, with
clenched fists. pushed their way to
where the girl was struggling In the
arms OF the bully. Their ardor var.
ished when they recognized the fel.
low. for he was Brighton Bill. known
throughout that section OF London as
"the Mapping. terror" aud feared by
all. Tho stevedores and longshore.
men OF London. in the sos were hard.
working, hard.swearing. hard.drinking
men, rough and crude. but insulting
women was not In their line. Most OF
them had known the weight OF Brigh.
ton Bills huge fist. however. and al!
knew him by reputation. so they were
not inclined to go to the rescue OF q
maiden In distress when II meant a
fight with the Mapping terror. They
were hardly .to.Sbe. blamed, for Bill
knew not the meaning OF mercy. In
combat he sunk his fang.like teeth
into his opponents, gouged out their
eyes, habitually hit foul. and when q
man was SO unfortunate as TO 60 down
before him. kicked his PROSTATE foe
with wild fury. sd
Crying pitifully. the girl had ceased
struggling. and between her sobs was
begging her captor to release her.
when Brighton Bill. who was vastly
amused by. her fright, found himself
grasped bysthe shoulder and ,whirled
around., Loosening hts hold on his
victim. who slipped away through the
crowd; the Mapping terror confront.
ed man as. tall as 'himself--qulte six
feet two-but slenderer and lighter in
weight.
wat, wat"-Bill suffered In his
anger and surprise that anybody
should dare to interfere with him.
"Ye're bloomin' coward said the
newcomer, aud followed these insult.
ing words with a slap .on the face OF
the astounded bully. Mad with fury,
Bill dashed out wildly with his fist,
but the young giant .nimbly lodged
the blow. 80 =
"a ring! IA ring!:.'s was the cry.
Men came running from every direc.
ton and surrounded the pair.
why, hits Tom King" somebody
shouted. n
wat! The softy!"
Derision and pity mingled with the
cheer which greeted the announce
ment OF the name OF the man who had
dared the wrath Of Brighton BILL
Tom King was dock laborer well
known to many of the men. In his
boyhood he had been sailor, but at
the age Of twenty he returned TO his
native London to engage In the hard
toll Of loading and unloading vessels.
He was giant In stature, but ofsa
quiet and studious disposition. In.
stead Of spending his nights carousing
drinking and lighting In the public
houses, he devoted all his spare time
to study under theSdirection Of kind.
" German baker who was also a
scholar. Toms desire to get an .'eddi.
cation" was viewed with amusement
and disgust by his companions OF the
docks. More than that. be lived with
an old woman named Wingrove. who
kept respectable lodgings, and treated
her with all the sveneration OF moth.
er. So far as anybody knew, Tom King
had never fought In his 1ife-and now
he was due for dust-up with the bel.
licose,. brutal Brighton Bill.
When the ring was formed-and
there were even q few police among
spectators-Bill uttered q hoarse and
terrifying below and rushed at his
COMPONENT The speefatnrs held Their