Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1919-07-29
When Twelfth
Street Loves
(Copyright)
By JEROME q. BEATTY

| CtSIyUOuy WIZ was duyU UOuy Ou
| Twelfth street knew that when Terry
Malone got to be dealer on the L. G.
Way, Mary Donohue would stop max
ing out checks at the Antitrust laun-
dry substation and begin light house
keeping In three-room fat on Four
teenth.
Terry had been capper on the L. @.
Way three summers, and there never
was a better capper than Terry, ac-
cording to Honest Bill"> Cannan, who
owned the gambling privileges on the
pleasure steamer" For two dollars
day Terry sailed with the steamer
every afternoon and every night, and
on each trip won from S100 to $1,000
at the roulette-wheel, the spindle, and
the Klondike game. And at the end
Of each trip, before Honest Bill would
let him off the boat Terry would give
back all the money he had won.
Terry's first knowledge Of gambling
had come when he was lookout for the
poker game in the rear Of his fathers
saloon, and was known to the big gam.
blers as a likely kid. The dealer at
the spindle game on the L. @. Way
was going to quit to run handbook,
and Honest Bill had promised the Job
to Terry.
It paid five dollars day and was
easy work-for battery on spindle
is not difficult to operate, and after a
few moments practice even an anna
teur could make Honest Bills whirling
arrow do things self-respecting, we'll
behaved arrow would not think Of do
ing.
Twelfth street was proud of Terry
and his employer, for Twelfth street
had a code Of morals all its own. 1t
labeled Terry rs an honest, hard-work-
ing young man-for, as far as Twelfth
street knew, Terry never had robbed
a house or dragged an intoxicated man
down an alley. With Twelfth street
gambling was an honored profession
q contest Of 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
was little impertinent, perhaps; but
Twelfth street itself Is impertinent.
The young men brought their laun-
dry to Mary's office, and stopped to
talk fashions and actors and baseball
with her. Mary was an expert on
all three subjects, and was willing to
chat and smile with all Of them-for
she was paid on percentage basis.
But to all invitations to dinner or to
theaters she had the same answer:
"Sorry, but there's no chance" And
she would flash in their eyes the two
and one-sixteenth carat engagement
ring that had cost Terry $7.S7 at Bra
lillian diamond emporium.
Then came the New Deal" as the
newspapers called 1t. A cyclone OF
civic Righteousness swept the city, driv-
ing out the chief of police and the COM
missioners that had appointed him. The
criminals were notified to leave town.
Honest Bill and his friends were
classed right in with the second-story
workers, much to the honest indigna-
ton of both parties concerned. The
L. G. Way was turned into q picnic
steamer and Terry was out Of a Job.
Honest Bill saw what was coming,
and got from under. He settled down in
his fiat, began to become acquainted
with his wife and family. and prepared
to run for alderman Of the Second
ward.
But Terry couldn't stay.
"PIl be back soon," he promised
Mary, bravely sitting desire to take
long, deep breath and crowd down
something that was sticking In his
throat.
"And III wait forever, Terry" Mary
vowed.
Terry went to Chicago where, his
friends told him, the going was good.
But 1t wasn't. He wrote every day
for several days. He became discour-
aged in a strange city, and he longed
for Mary and for Twelfth street.
Mary's letters were as cheering as
hours Of editing could make them. She
kept him informed as to the cleanup,
and warned him that, although she
would give anything to see him. he'd
better keep away. Several OF the boys
who had stayed were In jail awaiting
trial.
"Td rather be in jail in Kansas
City than be mayor Of Chicago" was
Terry's answer. But he stayed in Chi
cago.
Everything was all right until Mr..
Spike Kelley, first baseman and cham
pion hitter, began crusade against
corporations by taking his shirts and
collars to the Antitrust laundry.
Mr.. Kelley, who was distinguished by
the fact that he never wore the same
necktle twice in the same week, al
ways brought and called for his laun-
dry.
He was especially proficient in d.
lnting upon the good times that come
to a baseball players wife, who sits
in a box at the games and always trav-
els with the team.
Mary's letters to Terry began to
contain more and more warning OF
what the police would do to him If
they caught him.
Terry in the meantime had obtained
per1nenent address, and was clerk
ing in Chicago clothing store. He
had tried gambling, but had had no
success.
Terry was writing regularly to Mary,
and never cid he suspect that his
sweetheart had subscribed to the pa
per that issued a pink sporting extra,
and that she had traded autographed
photographs with Mr.. Kelley.
Neither did he know that Honest Bill
again was q respected citizen, and that,
the reform wave over, Twelfth street
contentedly was saying: II told you
So" His information came from
Mary's letters. and he had an idea that
honest citizens were being sent to the
penitentiary for matching for carfare.
The green baseball diamond was
winning the fight from the green gam
bling table. Mary was puzzling ner
brain every few moments. wondering
how she would break the news to