Maggie: A Girl of the Streets
wind of early autumn raised yellow dust from cobbles and swirled it against an hundred windows. Long streamers of garments fluttered from fire-escapes. In all
Withered persons, in curious postures of submission to something, sat smoking pipes in obscure corners. A thousand odors of co
ant along the crowded ways. He was hanging bac
mmie, come ahn. Dere's Jimmie and
on. With the obstinacy of his order, he protested against being dragged in a chosen direction. He made heroic endeavors to keep
ed boy, drew near, the little girl burst into repro
swelled d
deh hell,
immie, an' yeh knows it puts mudder out when yehs come
be threw back his head an
ed Jimmie. "Shut up er I
rl reeled and, recovering herself, burst into tears and quaveringly cursed him. As she sl
r alone on the street. It's like I can never
is attacks. The babe bawled tremendously, protesting with great viole
d up dark stairways and along cold, gloomy halls. At last the father pushed o
tove to a pan-covered table. As the fathe
o dart behind the others and in the scuffle the babe, Tommie, was knocked down. He protest
until he rattled. She dragged him to an unholy sink, and, soaking a rag in water, began to scrub his lacera
at a tragedy. The father, with a newly-ladened pipe in his mouth, crouched on a backless
oundin' 'im. When I come nights I can't git no rest 'cause yer allu
ncreased in violence. At last she tossed him to
her hips and with a chieftain-li
of contempt. "An' what in the dev
out cautiously. The ragged girl retreated and the ur
and put his great mudded boot
" he murmured
husband's eyes. The rough yellow of her face and
but finally arose and began to look out at the
aid. "You'd better let up on the b
in't had a drop," s
, in which they damned each
under the table, his small f
althily over to the corn
uch, Jimmie?" she
! See?" growled
wash deh
aw
ll
y kid I'll break 'is f
he wall as if resolved
his hat and rushed from the room, apparently determined upon a vengeful drunk
he room until her children we
ear the heads of her children. She shrouded herself, puffing and snorting, in a cloud o
s, now," she cried with sudden exaspera
ing high from a precarious infant chair and gorged his small stomach. Jimmie forced, with feverish rapidity, the grease-env
he carried little Tommie into another room and laid him to sleep with his fists doubled in an old quilt of faded red and green grandeur. Then she came and moaned b
the chair with a dish-pan on it. She tottere
ther. His practised eye perceived her gradually emerge from a muddled mi
broke a
ted to her feet
n hatred. The fervent red of her face turned almost to purple. The
bled, panic-stricken, to the next floor. An old woman opened a doo
me? Is yer fader beatin' yer mudder
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