Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-01-12
eleventh EPISODE
The Saving of Dan 0'Mara

Young Peggy O'Mara was troubled
In mind. She had become suspicious
Of her own father. On more than one
occasion of late that debt-harried
toiler from the Applewaithe works
had been visited by stranger who i'm
pressed the sophisticated young Peggy
a. anything but attractive. And an
honest man. Peggy argued with her,
Delf. finds no need for stealing up to
Q house at night and closeting himself
with its owner behind the locked door
of q cellar workroom. So the spindle
legged daughter of Dan O'Mara, watch
ing for her chance. decided to investi-
gate
But the gfrfy chances for investi
cation were limited. for Peggy was q
hard-driven young housekeeper. with a
bedridden mother to look after as best
she could. Late one night, however
when Dan O'Mara had led his mystic
rious visitor into his cellar workroom
and locked the door behind him, the
girl slipped of her broken-toed shoes
and stole silently down to that under
ground chamber of mystery.
There. with her ear to the keyhole
she overheard enough to confirm her
darkest suspicious. She stole away
stricken in spirit and struggling in
vain to keep back her tears. for the
girls love for her toil-hardened father
II not always blind. was at least with
out limits. She waited until the mys
terious visitor had stolen out through
the house, with parcel under his
arm. and then once more made her
way down to her fathers workroom
The door, this time, was unlocked. Sc
she entered noiselessly and crept over
to where Dan O'Mara sat staring al
the wall with unseeing eyes.
Pop. what're you thinkin' about?'
suddenly asked a tremulous voice
close to his shoulder.
He swung about like a shot.
What should l be thinkin' about? ?
he demanded.
You're thinkin. about that man wht
was down here ten minutes ago." wa.
the girls answer.
What man." equivocated the cul
prit.
Chinatown Charlie"
"And how'd you know he's called
Chinatown Charlie?" demanded rebel
hous-eyed Dan O'Mara.
81 know more'n that, pop" said thu
girl, with a gulp II know that cit,
crooks ropin' you in for work l never
thought you'd dol"
Work? What work."
There's a bunch of opium SNUG
glers got wise to the fact that the dy,
works Is bringin' in tons of that Kai
SOW wood from China. And certain o
them blocks is goin' to come in hol
low, with secret marks. and your,
hide II here until that hop runner TO
Chinatown Charlie comes and carrie
1t away in a laundry bag!"
well, what about it,"
You can't do it. pop. Hop SNUG
Gins a pen job. and you know It,"
81 got o take me chances" protest
ed the man.
But this amt givin' you q chance
pop"
Amt your mother got to have med
icine" demanded her father. Ain
we behind in our rent? And amt tn
company locked me ten a month sine
that one-armed man had me machin
work taken away from mel"
But you'll have more'n your ma
chine taken away from you. poI
You'll be Queered with the company
for tamperin' with stock. and then tn
bulls IL get wise and send you up tn
river for smugglin'!"
I've thought that out, me gerll. ~
no love for goin' against the law, a
me time O. life, but l guess we've 20
to take chances. We've got to. or q
under for good and all! For I'm think
IN your poor mother was right whel
she said there was no crime so blac
as the crime o. bein' poor!"
The face of the young girl hardened
The look that came into her eyes wa
openly anarchistic.
But they'd promised to raise you
pay. over to the dye works." she re
minded him.
Instead o. which they took off m
machine and gave it to that one-arme
snitch who claimed I'd been workir
against the company by tryin' to In
vent a chemical color that'd soon b
sendin' their old logwood plant Z tn
scrap heap,'
A fighting light came into the Celti
eyes of the thin-blooded young girl.
They've never given you a chanc
none o. them!" she passionatel
avowed.
Then see that you don't be spoiliI
me last one!" warned her father q
he got up from the table and pr,
ceeded to hide away an artfully no
lowed out block Of Kaisow wood.