Grainger County news. (Rutledge, Tenn.) 1917-current, 1919-05-01
When Twelfth
Street Loves
(Copyright.)
By JEROME G. BEATTY

Everybody who was anybody on
Twelfth street knew that when Terry
Malone got to be dealer on the l.. c.
Way, Mary DonOhue would stop max.
ing out checks at the Antitrust laun,
dry substatiOn and begin light house
keeping In n three-rOOm fiat on Four
teenth.
Terry had been a capper on the l.. o.
Way three summers, and there never
was 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 500 to $1,000
at the roulette-wheel, the spindle, and
the KlOndike game. And ut the end
Of each trip, before Honest Bill would
let him off the boat Terry would give
back all the money he had won.
II paid five dollars day and was
easy work-for battery on spindle
Is not difficult to operate, and after O
few moments practice even an anna
teur could make Honest Bits whlrlinp
arrow do things self-respectlng, well.
behaved arrow would not think of do
ing.
Twelfth street was proud Of Terry
and his employer, for Twelfth street
had 4 code Of morals all its own. II
lobaIaJ Tnrry nc or, bnpoct hard .unrly,
Ing young man-fOr, as far as Twelfth
street knew, Terry never had robbed
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
browG 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 then--for
she was paid on percentage basis
But to all invitations to dinner or tC
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 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
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. c. Way was turned into q picnic
steamer and Terry was out Of job.
Honest Bill saw what was coming
and got from under. He settled down il
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.
"Tll be back sOon," he promised
Mary, bravely sitting a desire to take
n long, deep breath and crowd dowr
something that was sticking in hi.
throat.
"And III wait forever, Terry" Mar!
vowed.
Terry went to Chicago where, hi
friends told him, the going was good
But 1t wasn't. lie wrote every day
for several days. He became discour
aged in Il strange city, and he longe(
for Mary and for Twelfth street.
Mary's letters were as cheering a!
hours Of editing could make them. Sh,
kept Linn informed as to the cleanup
and warned him that, although sh,
would give anything to see him, he't
better keep away. Several of the boy
who had stayed were in Jail awaiting
trial.
Everything was all right until MI
Spike Kelley, first baseman and cham
pi0n hitter, began crusade agains
corporations by taking his shirts ant
collars to the Antitrust laundry.
Mr., Kelley, who was distinguished b.
the fact that he never wore the sam
npckiie twice in the same week, al
ways brought and called for his lam
dry.
He was especially proficient in ii
Eating upon the good times that com
to baseball players wife who sit
In a box at the games and always tray
els wnh the team.
MaYy's letters to Terry began t
contain more and more warning q
what the police would do to him
they caught him.
Terry in the meantime had obtaine
a ppIlrcHcnt address, and was clerl
Ing in a Chicago clothing store. II
had l'et gambling. but had had n
success.
Terry was writing regularly to Mary