The Winslow mail., 1918-12-27
Strike of the
John Kelly Local
@A<D
BY James Gardner Sanderson
, Copyright, The Frank A. Munsey Co.S

Annie raised her hand menacingiy,
but the quick duck and upward, fenGa
fng swing of Johnny's arm failed to
follow. Instead of this usual maneu-
YER her son caught the hand and held
It, looking angrily and fearlessly into
her eyes. Annie gasped in bewllder
ment and struggled weakly. The siG.
nlhcance of the resistance became sud.
denly clear, and she cast herself int0
the low chair beside the window.
"Wurra!" she sobbed. "Wurra! ON.
Johnny Oh, Johnny boy!"
She rocked her body to and fro. and
the walls lost nothing in volume by
reason of the apron over her head
Her son eyed her in disfavor.
"Aw cut it out" he muttered uTs.
easily. "Pm thirteen and big enough
to be me own boss, l guessl"
"Kapin' company wild a crOss-ey@G
girl in Oliver Street!' interjected Az
ME sharply.
"She amt cross-eyed!"
you'd ought to be glad OF tR' goO0
home I've, give We since your GaGAeP
died. God have mercy on his e0wa
It's not afther cross-eyed girls b9fGl As
gOin', NEITHER" walled Annie.
"She amt cross-eyed p snarled john
ny, stung by the repetition. "EG n
likes a girl I likes her, and it's moo
even me mothers business, uRGegs
stand?"
me wild my rheumatisma&acsg
Many's tn time I've stood in tn gnO1
earnin' living to support you'll ER Y
was many tn mother, I'd bat yggl
acrost tn face for talking back G La&,
reproached Annie.
You'd only bat me once, the@s" RD.
torted Johnny stoutly.
Mrs. Kellys grief broke forth afResA,
Her son surveyed her sullenly Gm@
reached for his hat.
"I'm goin' out" he remarked,
Mrs. Kelly gave no sign of hsving
heard.
I'm goin' down to Oliver strWgss"
he added tauntingly.
Then Mrs. Kelly removed the apEGa,
"You go down to Oliver street anS2
you can stay there" she said, tgpaae
bling.
"All right" replied Johnny. sFEl
stay there! And you can be geGting
some one else to help sell your Dar
pers," he added shrilly. az wom'Gl"
The slam of the door closed the @1S"
cussion, and Mrs. Kelly sat by the
window alone. The fountain Of tears
evap0rated swiftly in the heat OF hes
gathering wrath.
"Shtruck, has he?" she muttereA
aloud to the silent room. "Readin'
thin coal mine stories, it's like. And
he'd be LAWN me FIR a red-headed hu9s
sy-th' divil sind her joy of him! ALI
right, let m! I'll not take IN back,
not FIR President O'Roosevelt and tin
whole crowd Of arbitrarieS. I know
me businessl''
With the final sentence Mrs. Kelly
rose and set about her evenings work.
The vigor with which she banged the
iron fryin'-pan upon the table beside
the kitchen sink spoke volumes for
the earnestness of her resolve.
"Me wurrkin' me hands to tn bone
an him lettin me! It's on a grating
he can sleep this night" she said saw
agely, at the end Of two hours of un-
assisted toll.
AS she f1ounced from the kitchen,
outraged motherhood caused her to
lock the door viciouSly, and to indulge
In the hope that the autumn night
might be cold.
During all the following day Annie
stood at her post in front of one OF
the newspaper buildings on Park Row.
Annie had been selling papers at this
particular stand for more than ten
years, and in the crowds streaming to
and from the taidge there were dozens
whose days would not have been fully
begun or ended without a CHEEKY word
and hurried purchase as they paused
before her. And usually as CHEEKY q
word had been tossed back to them.
On but one occasion-when Johnny,
as baby, lay very i'll with diphtheria
could her customers recall such de-
preston.
1t CHANGED that one of the oldest,
who remembered, and who now no
ticed Johnny's absence, made In
quiries.
Annie told her woe volubly. The
man shook his head.
"Better arbitrate it," he said grave.
ly. Seems the only way to do buGa-
ness nowadays" Then he dashed
around the corner for trolley car.
Johnny remained obdurate, and iH
the tenement on Cherry Hill dust
gathered for three days upon his bed
Mrs. Kelly ate desolate breakfasts and
did all the work. At dusk ON the
third day she followed an insisteal
impulse and went for little WALL
Totally oblivious footsteps carried hes
stout and rotund figure down ineg
Oliver street. She happened to NO
tice the croSs-eyed girl sitting on hez
doorstep in close and unabashed con
verse with boy who was not Johnny
Shortly oftnrwar6S 10 rat11rpad hovnO