Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-12-24
SUNNY DUCROW
CHAPTER I
.,rst Appearance in Public.
BY HENRY ST. JOHN COOPER

ain YOU, Bert; you've got to loo
=, the bright side of things In thi
Sn World" the girl said
W" Tbs boy, trudsing by her side. shifted
'rbere isn't no bright side Of moth
inei' he said.
.co on!" she said briefly.
.Tts all very well for you!" he grum
Mad you're q girl; you don't get HI
and slogged aoou' limo 'e 'ne' >
down on me y
"pecause you've always got q miser
-.,a wig or, YOU" she said. III yo,
,,os ao,e 20 be like me. laugh and make 'en
,snsh, too, you'd be all right!
~ hate it!" he said .passionately; "1
,,,a III IT'S bad enough in the summer
With the wasps buzzing. round you. ant
Ws' ths smell-the sickening smell Of tn,
tnI,,ng sne sugar and the raspberries ant
ts po.''rs rresstNbnt the winters worse still
nn.. onions and the shallots and thS
srne,I OF the vinegar makes me Ill"
well, It won't be for long!" the gir
'Aia; He looked at her. How do you mean
y ,or "va va but the Jam and pickle factory?
10, o,,1Wbat on else?" She looked at him with
sudden scorn in her blue eyes. There's
siI The blessed world, ain't there? You
don't s'pose, Bert Jackson, that I'm n, go.
ing to ST.. stick I,s IN j., pickle ia''0f' I'LL n'
HE what are you going to DO then7 Get
nIoce az 'ousemaid, Or
p'tsSh She darted a look at hi him, then sSd. sgd
denly ssipped him gba BY yyointed tne arm smsrs
r,Stor- rnS -brougham was rolling noiselessly
ILL., the street; a chauffeur In livery
1y@ was driving; beside him sat footman
IN livery; his arms folded across his
chest. "see that? That's ny mark Be
fore I'm done I'm going riding IN car
khot parf ~
He laughed mirthlessly.
aAll right you see! !" she said. you
wait and see. one day III remind you
of what just said. Wait ana see "
was a thin, white-faced, narrow-chested
lad Of about seventeen. The girl by his
aide was Of the same age, but there was
iris difference between them; while the
lad walked with dragging footsteps and
lowered head. the girl stepped braVely
along the pavement
She was a little girl; the crown Of
her flaming head only just topped the
boys shoulder. Hers was the hair. that
the greatest OF The old masters loved
gold that is so rarely seen in gray, Eng
land Rude little boys In the streets
who had no art in their souls, put their
hands to their mouths and beloved
carrots !" after her. But she did not
Laughter cleaned in her blue eyes; it
Yipped over the edges Of her rather
large mouth. Whatever happened, she
laughed her good temper was unassail-
able II she fell down the narrow
tory she laughed though she might have
bruised herself badly.
It was Bill wilkins, the foreman at
the, factory. who had three years ago
chrlstened her sunny"
what with your bloomin' red 'ead
I'D ho
blow. me II you amt like a streak of
sunshine comm into the place! 1t does
chap good to look at you. Sunny's a
good name for you, and that's what I'm
from that moment. Others ell into the
habit Of calling her Sunny. She was
| Sunny even on the pay-sheet when the
small amount of her weekly wage, eight
shillngs and siXpence, was entered to
the credit of Sunny.
"You won't never ride in no motor
car unless It's omnibus. or'-the boy
paused-"maybe a motorhearse," he said
/ lugubriously.
"'You shut up!" Sunny said. I'm not
going to ride in no hearse yet a while.
I've got a lot to do before that time
comes. What you want. Bert, is a day
out in the country"
What shant get :" he said "Coun-
uy-the country wasn't made for me-
amt got the. fare; besides, what
Run about and pick flowers and let
the wind ruffle. your air and-and-oh
everything" the girl said. Her eyes
flashed. her, white. teeth glistened.
that's what I'm always longing for,
Berthe country! Sometimes I feel
as II couldn't hardly breathe here in
these streets Bert. IL only you and 1
could get a day out there !''
he shook his head. Where's the
money coming from?"
SInnV nIt hn- "a
ana produced eight shilllngs and six
pence She had been paid off half an
nour ago at the factory, for It was Fri
Gay nght--pay night.
,rnt,m That ain'tt yours" he said. Your
SSsntii Ssnt y be all over 1t when you get
,n 7 know; but If she could spare me
TWO shillings this week."
"SShe won't!" he said. mot her!"
,ba.H, no, l s'pose she won't; anyhow,
yfSs "wRas about aS harm yo,, trying" she said.
,,'I 1--we got my money-six bob," he
ssald. Father Il be waiting for it: il
( was TO take back only FIVE and eleven
"'I oreak my neck for me, he would !" |
M 6"t 5ert she said suddenly. II want to
when ne make UP my mind to do a thing,
aS IL, somehow! I'm going to do it p
lou amt got the money" he said |
p1ss,s,psondhs,ntly. ps,,son "and you can't get it
49,, y win" she said. She set her small
white white even teeth. I'm going to get the
money; you and nell get It !"
eSSo So .ousebreaking for me !" he said.
,.s Sne laughed happily. mo, know a
Seuer s"a t way" she said. Bert. you meet
What for?"
Meet me and I'll tell you," she said
|sfeanra na!r r,13 an hour. Good-by. Bert, and
,,s She e. left him at the corner of the
|,Ssalked on. She almost danced % alone o
|ine I'M pavement; there was n light spring
r. her step; a distant organ was grind
lie |tIS oH tune and she danced along in
uHIt with the music
csrsOSious srs So. her stocking we're very
creased S0S and out at the heel. her dress
Sse 'au never been made for her. but had
|,,rsIo rs% Sut down and cobbled up in some
|sbanssnIausyy sba,snuy fashion; Yet hopelessly
completeIiv csI 'fb1'1gh b'1 1t was. 1t could not
SneS Son,, OF her little figure, Her hat was a
eran,S straw; there was a hole In the
if'nG' of WI through which protruded a wisp
ish' br,iidair' mair' She was pretty in rogu-
|lttie' 'I5talaht. pna almost impudent way. Her
tSe' Ss'e eIS nose turned up very distinctly at
nre ns end, her mouth was large, but the
sbe were very red. and the teeth, that
|e |snoh showed so lavlshly when she
Ne nv.o were bril lliantly white. She had
pure, almost transparently white
her ptJiAIon pniSon that often goes with hair of
Sy EyF troon tToLGr, But its perfection was marred
|compeS5msnm,t GO mnpeeGSK5esmthat are also often an ac-
the ff%adLnent frndLnLent OF red hair. Somehow
bart 'atrH1es suited her: they seemed
Personality. u "er s'owlhg young
ElI1ahnyy, who had been christened
Row F"pTrn %lrnt Ann, tripped down the mar
pened an ~, mttle street Presently hap
Ern1saal EaSseS with her; one Of her ~ broken ]
9Id boots flew of her foot; it
Fam Ea'Geu I@1,a half-circle in the air and
% "Droto uoWn " In the gutter.
In 90, ~ : Sne said, "Ill realIv baya |