Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1919-04-19
When Twelfth
Street Loves
tCopyright)
By JEROME O. BEATTY

tCopyright)
Everybody who was anybody on
Twelfth street knew That when Terry
Malone got Ia he q dealer al the l.. &.
Way, Mary ponohue would stop maxi
ing out checks nj the Antitrust lnun-
Try substitution and begin light house
keeping IN II three-room HAT on -Four
teenth.
Terry had been II cnppcr On The l.. c.
Way three summers. and there never
was II better capper than Terry nc
cordng To Honest Bit Cnnnnn. who
owned the gambling privileges on the
"plen>ur. steamer" For Two dollars
dny Terry sailed with the steamer
every afternoon and every night aud
on each trip won from Sl0o to $1,000
az the roulritc-wbe"l. the spindle, aud
the klnndlke game. And AZ the end
n each trip. before Honest Bill would
lei him OF III" boat Terry would give
bnck all the money he had Won.
Terry'> first knowledge Of gambling
| had come when he was lockout for the
poker game In the rear 81 his fathers
saloon and was known "a the big gam.
] blrrs aS q likely Md The dealer ~
the spindle gam" on the l.. &. Way
was going 20 quit to run n hnndhook.
aud Honest Bll had promised he Job
To Terry.
II paid FIVE dollars n day mud was
easy work for battery Oh spindle
| Is not difficult 70 operate md after
| few moments practice even mn anna
| fcur could make Honest Bilfs whirlInc
| arrow do things a Sclf-respcctIne we'll
behaved arrow would not thlak ~ DO
| ing
| Twelfth street was proud ~ Terry
| aud his employer. for Twelfth street
had code OF morals all It's own. II
| labeled Terry rs mn honest. hnrd-work-
lng young man for, as far rs Twelfth
street knew. Terry never had robbed
house or dragged nm intoxicated man
down an alley. With Twelfth street
| gambling was an honored profession
contest ~ wits.
Torrance Malone was proud Of Mary
| and who wouldn't be; Her dark
| brown hair always was dressed Just
So. and her eyes laughed continually
at her little Irish nose. Her mouth
WINS a little impertinent perhaps; hut
| Twelfth street itself Is impairment.
The Young men brought their laun-
dry To Mays office ana stopped 10
| talk fashions and actors and baseball
with her Mary was an expert on
all three subjects. and was willing "a
chat and smile with all OF thcm-for
she was paid on Il percentage basis
Hut 10 all Invitations 10 dinner ar Ia
| thenterS She had the same answer:
| Sorry but there's no chance" And
she would fash in their eyes the two
and one sixteenth carat engagement
| ring that had cost Terry $751; nj a Bra
zlian diamond emporium.
Then came the "\ew Deal" rs the
| newspapers called H. A cyclone Of
| civic righteousness swept the city. driv-
INK out the chief of police and the com
| mlSsloucrs that had appointed him. TIL"
| criminals were notified 10 leave town,
Honest Bill and his friends wcr"
chased right in with the second.story
workers much to the honest indigna-
tion ~ both parties concerned. The
| l.. C. Way was turned into n picnic
steamer and Terry was ont Of job.
Honest Ri saw what was coming,
and got from under. He settled down In
his fat. hogan to become acquainted
with his wife and family. and prepared
10 run for alderman 81 he second
ward.
But Terry couldn't say.
| I'm be baek soon" he promised
Mary. hravcly sitting II desire to take
long. deep breath and crowd down
something that was sticking IN his
thrnAt.
"And IN walt forever. Terry" Mary
| vowed
Terry went To chicago where his
friends told him, the going was good.
Eft II wasn't. He wrote every day
for several days lie became dIscour-
aged In strange city, and he onG"d
for Mary and for Twelfth street
Mnry's letters we're aS cheering ms
hours Of editing could make them. She
kept him informed n> To the cleanup.
and warned him that. although She
would give anything 20 See him. he'd
better keep away. Several ~ tho boys
who had stayed were in tail awaiting
trial
"Id rather be in jail IN Kansas
city than b. mayor of Chicago" wnS
Tcrry'> answer. Eut be- sia,cd III cht
cago.
Everything was an right mti Mr.
Sufl. k,Un, first bnS,iunu. aud rllriu.