Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1918-11-14
Strike of the
John Kelly Local
@><n
BY James Gardner Sanderson

Copyright. The Frank A. Munsey Coz

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 bewiIder-
ment and struggled weakly. The sig
nificance Of the resistance became sud
denly clear, and she cast herself into
the low chair beside the window.
"Wurra" she sobbed "Wurra Oh,
Johnny! Oh, Johnny boyp
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 disfayor.
Jaw, cut 1t out" he muttered I'M
easily. I'm thirteen and big enough
to be me own boss, | guess /"
"Kapin' company wild a cross-eyed
girl In Oliver Streetw interjected An
ME sharply.
"She amt cross-eyedp
you'd ought to be glad of tn good
home I've give ye since your father
died. God have mercy on his sowl I
It's not afther cross-eyed girls he'd be
G0in'. neither" walled Annie.
"She amt cross-eyed p snarled John
NY stung by the repetition. IF /
likes girl l likes her. and it's not
even me mothers business, UNDER
standT
Me wild my rheumatismatics
Many's tn time I've stood in tn snow
earnin' living to support you If
was many tn mother, I'd bat you
acrost tn face for talking back t. me-"
reproached Annie.
You'd only bat me once, then" re-
torted Johnny stoutly.
Mrs. Kelly's grief broke forth afresh.
Her son surveyed her sullenly and
reached for his hat.
I'm goin' OUT he remarked.
Mrs. Kelly gave no sign of having
heard.
I'm goin down to Oliver street."
he added tauntingly.
Then Mrs. Kelly removed the apron.
"You go down to Oliver street and
you can stay there" she said, trem-
bling.
"All right" replied Johnny. "Pn
stay there! And you can be getting
some one else to help sell your pa
pers," he added shrilly. Il w9n'tr'
The slam of the door closssS lie dis
cussion. and Mrs. Kelly 81 BY the
window alone The fountaiM tears
e ,a9bsr,ns ,. swiftly in the 0f her
"Shtruck, has hep she Z. ered
aloud TO the silent roomA in'
thin coal mine stories, it's \ ~ Mhd
he'd be lawn me FIR red-he8sa ed has
sy--th' diyil sind her joy of him All
right, let m I'll not take m back,
not f'r President O'Rooseyelt and tn
whole crowd of arbltraries. | know
me business r.
With the final sentence Mrs. Kelly
rose and set about her evenings work.
The yigor with which she banged the
iron fryin' pan upon the table beside
the kitchen sink spoke volumes for
the earnestness Of her resolve.
Me wurrldn me hands to tn bone
an him letin met It's on grating
he can sleep this night she said saw
agely at the end of two hours of UNI
assisted toll
AS she bounced from the kitchen,
outraged motherhood caused her to
lock the door ylciously, 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 bridge there were dozens
/ whose days would not have been fully
/ begun or ended without a CHEEKY word
and a hurried purchase as they paused
before her And usually MS CHEEKY Il
word had been tossed back 10 them.
/ On but one oCcusiou--Whca Johnny,
as q baby, lay very Ill with diphtheria
could her customers recall such de-
preston.
1t CHANGED that one Of the oldest.
who remembered, aud who now no.
ticed Johnny's absence, made In
Quitas.
Annie told her woe volubIy. The
man shook his head.
Better arbitrate it, he said grave
~. Seems the only way to do buSi-
ness nowadays" Then he dashed