This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1911 edition. Excerpt: ...poignant and tragic. But Mary stood with her thin arms crossed, an absurd little figure in a heavy green dress much too big for her. "Oh," said Mary, with all the public-school English she had gained in a twice-a-week training, "they says she's a bad woman and she goes with fellars. They told the ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1911 edition. Excerpt: ...poignant and tragic. But Mary stood with her thin arms crossed, an absurd little figure in a heavy green dress much too big for her. "Oh," said Mary, with all the public-school English she had gained in a twice-a-week training, "they says she's a bad woman and she goes with fellars. They told the charity man on her and he told the Squire and he says he'll take Stevey away and me, too, later!" The man entered, a towel in one hand, with which now and then he daubed his head and neck. "Who said that, eh?" he demanded. "Peoples." "What people?" Mary showed her teeth. "Don't you know he was back?" "Your pap? When?" "Yesterday. Everybody knows that." He came closer, whistling softly. "So the man come back, eh?--You see, I was on the night shift. He come back, eh? Did he hit her?" Mary spoke proudly. "He kicked her!" "What else?" "He yelled on her--he went out on the street and hollered on her. He hollered so loud, everybody went out and heared him. He called her bad names, and then everybody called her bad names, and then they told the charity man and the charity man told the Squire and they'll take her baby away!" The woman leaned forward, crying sharply. "No take my baby, no!" Her voice rose to a wild cry. "No! No!" The man turned and stared at her. Then a sweet smile showed on his wizened face. "Tressa, don't you get a-scared. It's talk, every bit of it! Take the baby? Never! Don't you get a-scared!" He clenched his fists. "The dirty liars!" he muttered. "But don't you get a-scared!" The woman spoke in a low voice, slow, and in pain: "Me cry all night--me no stop...
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