San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-01
CHAPTER |.
Through the Mist of Dawn.


Sallie Peck was almost the last
of the employees to leave the side
entrance of the Fair Deal Five
&-Ten but she seemed in no hurry as
she stopped along through the mud
with none of her usual buoyant elias
ITCHY. 1t wasn't the tedious day be
hind the counter which had dulled
her spirits, for two long years OF
them stretched in the past and al
though they had kept her young
body slim and her pretty little face
pale they had not taken the CLINT
from her rudy gold hair nor the
snap from her deep blue eyes. II
was just the general futility OF
things.
| Had any still, small voice dared Ia
insinuate that this general futility
was summed up in the back of her
mind in six feet of solid Drawn with
curly brown hair and twinkling hazel
eyes she would have corbated the
! thought with scorn and yet her feet
Jagged more slowly as she APP
preached the lighted window of Zim-
mer's furniture store. The walnut
dining room suite was still there, the
one that she and Mike had stopped
to look at only two nights before ;
she could almost feel the gentle tug
of his big hand on her arm and hear
the wistful note in his voice when he
asked her. wasn't it swell?" Two
nights ago, and last night when she
thought he was on duty at the sta
| ton house hadn't he gone TO the
Empire Picture Palace where that
red-headed Name Dorsey played the
piano and taken her to supper at the
Elite,
Sallie hurried past the picture
| palace and along the struggling line
of shops to the railroad bridge. Name
could play all right. Sallie had to
hand that to her; hadn't she plugged
away at the latest ballads and jazz
numbers in the sheet music depart
ment at the Five-&-Ten for six
months right next TO Sallie's own
counter?
A sharp gust of the March wind
caught Sallie as she crossed the
bridge and made her clutch the rail
in a grip that split her neatly mend
cd brown glove straight across the
sharp little knuckles, but she hast
ened on needless of the calamity,
Ma Brennan would keep supper
hot for her. of course, but Ma had
had a hard days wash and she
wasn't so well lately in spite Of all
that fat. There had been place for
her in that dream of the future which
although it had never been put into
definite words ad seemed of late to
fill the girls waking thoughts - a
little cottage away from the inces-
SAINT roar and CRIME and coal-dust OF
the tracks where Ma could sit in COM
Portable idleness and read the lurid
detective stories 50 dear to her heart
and Mike out of the fullness of his ex-
perience on the Force would kid her
about them when he came home
But that dream was over now,
Nora jerks, of the tinware, had been
to the Empire the night before and
the Elite afterward with her intend
ed and Nora wasn't the catty kind to
tell her what she had seen just to
make her feel bad. Louise GrOte
from the ribbon counter had chimed
in, too; her brother had the beat
down near where Name Dorsey lived
and Mike had brought her home
more than once lately.
Sallie had replied with a bravely
gay assumption of unnconcern but
now she brushed angrily' from her
eyes something singing which the
sharp March winds had not brought
there and started to turn in at the
nj. EttIn uota xt-ban small mis-
shapen form emerged hurriedly from
the gloom and caromed against her.
"Hughie, :" She put out a hand to
steady the slipping crutch. where
you going so quick"
"Oh. Sallie. you didn't see Pa as
you come long, did you?" The boys
voice was breaking with anxiety.
Hes at it again! / dunno where he
got it and he's gone.'
"Gone!" Sallie echoed, winding her
arm about the bumped shoulders.
Its most time for the seventeen.
amt it? Your pas prob'ly right
own there Mt the junction now.
ready to throw the switch same as
| usual"
Il gotta go see," The boy took a
! fresh grip of his crutches. Hes
pretty bad this time. Don't let that
| Thorkinsen girl know; she said her
pad report him the next time"
He hobbled off as a shaft of light
| streaked out on the porch of the
house next door, just beyond which
he lived with his father, and Use
| Thorkinsen's long, inquisitive nose
was poked out.
| dat you, Sallie she simpered.
Il fought somebody bane wit you.
Wanter run over after supper? We
| got two new records"
! Thanks. Ilse," Sallie interrupted
shortly. Pm tired tonight"
"Oh, if your faller bane comm to
see you"
He isn't. I'm - I'm just tired
Some other time"
Ilse shut her door as Salle went
up Ma Brennan's path which PARA
leled the ThOrkinsens scant twenty
feet away. llSe was 80. lanky an.
sharp-featured and as sallow as tn,
| hides in the tannery where she WORKED
| as a stenographer.
Hello. dearie!' Ma Brennan turned
smilingly from the stove. Der broaC
face red and moist with The heat
Don't you bother gOin' upstairs
Wash your hands at the sink an SCI
right down. Was it Michael yoI
was talkin' to just now at the gate:'
Sallie ignored the question an,
shifted accusingly.
MA Brennan. that's steak, Their,
was cold ham left
Just a suitch thatll do for you
breakfast. | was thinkin' good bi
o. red meat would hearten We thi
raw night, child"
Sine waddied over. placing tn
heaped-up plate before the girl aut
then set steaming cup of tea De
side it.