American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1919-05-02
When Twelfth
Street Loves
Copyright
BY JEROME q. BEATTY

# I~sftIYUOht VIM MhN uilfDblg Oh
Twelfth street knew that when Terry
Malone got to be a dealer on the /. G.
Way, Mary Donohue would stop max
Ing out checks at the Antitrust laun-
dry substation and begin light house
keeping In a three-room fiat or Four
teenth.
Terry had been n capper on the l.. @.
Way three summers, and there never
was a better capper than Terry, nc
cording to Honest Bill" Cannan, who
owned the gambling privileges on the
pleasure steamer" For. two dollars
a day Terry sailed with the steamer
every afternoon and every night, and
on each trip won from 500 10 ST 900
at the roulette-wheel, the spindle, and
the KIondike game. And at the end
of each trip, before Honest BIZ 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 WINS lookout for the
poker game In the rear Of his fathers
saloon, and was known to the big gam
blers as n likely kid. The denler at
the spindle game on the J.. 9. Way
was going to quit to run n handbook,
and Honest Bill had promised the Job
to Terry.
II paid five dollars n day and was
easy work-for n battery on n spindle
ls not difficult to operate, and after n
few moments practice even an anna
teur could make Honest Blll's whirllng
arrow do things n self-respectlng, we'll
behaved arrow would not think of do
Ing.
Twelfth street was proud OF Terry
and his employer, for Twelfth street
had II code OF morals all It's own. 1t
labeled Terry as an honest, hnrd-work-
Ing young mnn-for, as far as Twelfth
street knew, Terry never had robbed
n house or dragged mn intoxicated man
down an alley. With Twelfth street
gambling was an h0nOred profession
n contest of wits.
Torrance Malone was proud of Mary
and who wouldn't be2 Her dark
brown hair always was dressed just
NO. and her eyes laughed continually
ut her little Irish nose. Her mouth
was q little lmpertlnent, perhaps but
Twelfth street itself ls impertlnent.
The young men brought their laun-
dry 10 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 n 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 fash In their eyes the two
and one-sixteenth carat engagement
ring that had cost Terry S7,S7 at a Bra
lillian diamond emporium,
Then came the "New Deal,' as the
newspapers called It., A cyclone of
civic righteousness swept the city, driv'
ing out the chief of police and the com
mlssioners That had appointed him. The
criminals were notified to leave town
Honest Bin and his friends were
clnssed right In with the second-story
workers, much to the honest lndlgnn
ton OF both parties concerned. TIT
l.. G. Way was turned Into n picnic
klehiltF anu ifEls WIS "ht VI T" JN"'
Honest Bin saw what was coming
and got from under. He settled down II
his Hat, began to become acquainted
with his wife and family, and prepared
TO run for alderman of the Secon'
ward.
But Terry couldn't stay,
"Tl be back soon," he promises
Mary. bravely sitting Il desire to TAX
II long, deep breath and crowd dow
something that was sticking In hi
throat.
"And I'll wait forever, Terry" Mar
vowed.
Terry went to Chicago where, hi
friends told him, the going was goo'
But II wasn't. lie wrote every day
fer several days. lie became dlscoul
aged In a strNnge city, and he longe
for Mary and for Twelfth street.
Mary's letters were as cheering Il
hours OF editing could make them. Sh
kept him Informed as TO the cleanup
and warned him that, although sf
would give anything to see him, he
better keep away. Several Of the DO,
who had stayed were In jail awaltir
trial.
"Td rather be In jail In kans'
City than be mayor OF Chicago" WI
Terry's answer. But he stayed in Oh
cage.
Everything was all right until NJ
Spike Kelley, first baseman and char
pion hitter, began "a crusade again
corporations by taking his shirts al
collars TO the Antitrust laundry.
Mr.. Kelley, who was distinguished
the fact that he never wore h san
necktle twice In the same week, f,
ways brought and called for his lau
Org.
lie was especially proficient In
latIng upon the good times that COZ
10 n baseball players wife, who 81
In a box at the games and always ira
els with the team.
Mary's letters to Terry began
contain more and more warning
what the police would do to him
they caught him.