The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1916-05-26
copyrlght by Small. Maynard & Company

light Of Indignation and complacence.
The red hair seemed to bristle with
turbulence and pride.
Mary Alice went on soberly picking
up her scattered load. Vaguely the
possibilities of this pugnacity stirred in
her mind Maybe the boy would SIX"
her, too. But all at once he grinned. q
let me help you" he said. care
they all dirty? It's too bad. What are
you goin' to do with emp
"Take 'em home again." replied
Mary Alice. "Mother'n have to wash
'em all over"
The red-headed boy picked up the
last dust-smutted napkin and watched
Mary Alice pack the big misshapen
load into place. She swung the little
wagon away from the fence and in
silence started down the hill
where you goin'?" demanded the
boy.
"Home"
where's that2"
::sCalvert street"
"Oh," said the boy. He knew all
about Calvert street by reputation. It
ran through the neighborhood known
as 1.-THE Devils Truck Patch"
81 guess I'll go long with you,'' he
decided. Maybe those fellows might
bother you some more; they won't II
I'm along, though"
Mary Alice neither accepted nor re-
jected this proposal. She went silently
down the hill, leaning back to check,
the pace Of her loaded wagon.
whats your nameY demanded the
boy.
'Mary Alice Brown"
"Mine's Willett, Francis Willett," he
informed her, quite gratuitously. "Tm
Galahad Knight"
Mary Alice Brown showed no curl
osity concerning the complexion or du-
ties Of Galahad Knight.
Its club" Francis explained. 1--WE
have ten members and we're all
pledged to puttect the weak against
the strong. That's why I licked Lutey
Travers. / got up the club myself
read all about the idea in book. A
knight Is a fellow that swears that
whenever he sees beauty"
The knight paused and scrutinized
under an electric light; for the golden
gate at the street head had now faded.
as all symbols are prone to do. He
went on:
"Er-beauty-or anything-in dis
tress. OF course you aren't-that Is,
you were In distress, SO came to your
rescue--seeY
He steadied the topping wagon as
Mary Alice eased it across curbstone.
The little girl heard his complacent
chatter all too indistinctly. She was go
ing home empty-handed and-they
needed the money so bitterly.
Mary Alice shuddered. Francis Will
lett, finding in his own virtue re-
ward heightened by rehearsal, babbled
cheerfully Of Galahad knights and ex-
planned in detail how they differed
from Boy Scouts. Mary Alice wished
he would go away.
At last they came to Calvert street,
threading the Devils Truck Patch. 1t
was full Of people; men and women
lounged upon front stoops. children in
droves played on the pavement. Both
sidewalks were bordered with the win
dow lights OF stores. largely saloons.
1t was a tough5neighborhoo Francis
Willett had never seen that street be-
FORE Some raucous-voiced urchins
swarmed by, jostling and boisterous.
They were very dirty and very happy.
The boy from Clipper Hill lost little
of his assurance. A drunken man
lunged past, swaying and tottering.
and as he went he mumbled thick bias
phemies.
"My graclousr' said the boy. little
appalled,, "Do you have to live herew
"'Course / do" answered Mary AL
ice. 1t was almost the first time she
had spoken. my folks live here. l.
got to stay with them, amt IT.
Ell suppose so. Which is your
house?'
Mary Alice turned up an alley, mar
row and dimly lighted and crowded.
Before tenement house she stopped.
Here's where i've" she said. She
did not invite her escort in; she did
not thank him for his knlghtly conduct;
she looked at him and wished he would
go away. He was very SNUG, In his
neat clothes, with his round, good
humored, complacent face. He had
never known trouble in the world.
''Oh, yes" he said, craning his neck
to view the spider web of fire escapes
that decorated the front of the build
ing. swell, guess won't stay. My
father doesn't like for me to- Say,
here's present for you. The Gala,
had Knights are all pledged to-
He held out something in his hand.
something which he drew from a
pocket where it jingled against others
of its kind. II was a particularly
shiny half-dollar.
nfovU AIf.of l-1I<aA fnfn the GOOD