Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1922-10-19

CONTINUED from last week)
CHAPTER XXI
(Continued) -.
Friend Williamson

Arrived at Lancaster, Brocker drove
to low tavern which he kept, near
the outskirts of the town, and loosing
Marie's bonds, which had not been
necessary for some time, as she was
almost unconscious from distress and
fatigue, he roughly ordered her to get
down, and as she could scarcely walk,
took her by one arm, and showed her
Long to the door, which he opened,
and pushed her in, saying, "In yuh
60! i reckon yer safe enough now
His wife, a coarse slatten of a wo-
man, coming toward them, he said to
her, Here she is, Bet! You jess look
arter her till l put the team away.
An yuh min yer eye" he added to
Marie, shaking his fist at her, "or
we'll see who's boss here"
Quite exhausted and faint, the poor
child fell on the dirty floor.
"Here, you'll" the woman yelled at
her, "git right up, an behave, or
Brocker'll git arter you."
Marie tried to rise, but could not,
and family said, water, please"
The woman, fearing that she was
really about to faint, and dreading the
anger of her lord and tyrant, if he
should see her in that condition, quick
ly brought filthy-looking glass with
a little water in it, but it smelled and
tasted of liquor, and Marie could only
take a sip or two.
Don't like it, eh ?" said the woman.
81 reckon yuh1l hev to learn to like
it all right"
The few drops of water revived her
slightly, and she was sitting up on
the floor when Brocker entered.
"Git up! Git right up!" he shouted
at her, cracking his whip which he had
brought in. "Git up, tell yuh, or
I'll find a way to make yuh. I'll cure
yer stubbornness."
Marie tried to rise, and stood tremb-
ling for a moment, but the effort was
too great, and she swooned and fell.
The monster had offered her nothing
to eat all that day but dry, hard
crust of bread, although he had taken
precious good care of himself. He ut
tered an oath, and yelled to his wife,
"Git some water an douse her."
The woman brought the water, and
threw some of it on Marie's face and
head, and~she slowly revived.
"Now then, Bet, you take the lady
up stairs" ordered Brocker, "an' show
her to her room; an take off them
fancy togs."
"Brocker," said his wife, who began
to pity Marie little, "she can't walk
up stairs yet; let her stay her till she's
better"
cup she goes" shouted the man,
"af l hey to carry her. Come, darl-
in" he said in tones of mock tender
ness, as he picked her up, "daddy'll
carry yuh agin. Like to be carried,
don't yuh?"
He was evidently half tipsy, and
continued, as he carried her up the
stairs, "NoM kiss yer dear daddy,
Moll! Pm yer own dear daddy, yuh
know, an yuh haven't even kissed me
onct yet" and he tried to put his
rough lips to hers. "What!" he ex-
claimed, as she turned her face away
from his whiskey-saturated breath,
"yuh won't kiss yer dear daddy as is,
or orter be, eff he isn't? s all one,
Moll, yuh1l kiss me yet, bet yer life,
an yuh1l call me pop or dad, which
ever yuh like best, one or t'other," he
concluded, placing. her roughly on a
broken chair. '
"Brocker," his wife called, "thers
a man down here wants yuh," and so
got him down stairs.
Relieved by his absence, Marie look
ed feebly about her, and saw that she
was in small attic room, with only
one window, most of the glass in
which was broken. The walls and
floor were indescribably filthy, and
the room reeked with the foul odors OF
kitchen and bar-room. The broken
chair on which she sat was the only
one in the den, in one corner of which
stood a low bedstead propped up
with a rickety stool at the footboard
and covered with a ragged and dirty
puilt. Other furniture, or apology for
it, there was none. Tired. unto death
she managed to totter to the bed, and
threw herself upon it, and at last the
bitter, bitter tears that would not
come sooner, began to flow, and sobs
81 ,&{A<. mnv,-