e bread."

"Give me that money, you devilish brat!" and stepping forward he struck
her a blow in the face.

She staggered.

Some of the bystanders laughed. Some called her a plucky girl, and one,
more nearly drunk than the rest, thinking that he was in a dog pit no
doubt, called lustily, "Sic 'em! Sic 'em!"

Maggie cast an appealing glance around the room. All of the men had
been drinking. Some were nearly intoxicated. The bartender was sober,
but it was his dollar that was involved; he could not interfere.

Poor Maggie! She stood her ground bravely. It was the last; she could
not let it go. The enraged man gave vent to his passion in a volley of
oaths. "Give me that dollar, or ---- I'll bust your head. I won't stand
such treatment, you ---- fool!" and suiting the action to the words, he
drew from under the stove a heavy poker and started toward her.

Someone caught his upraised arm.

"Let her go, Dam Crow. Let her have her dollar. You've done the square
thing. Not a stingy bone in your body."

A laugh followed this speech, in which Damon Crowley joined, and which
seemed to put him in better humor. He threw the poker down heavily and
taking the frightened girl rudely by the arm pushed her toward the door.

"Tell the sick lady her husband wants her to have tea, nice warm tea,
plenty of tea, and this is your share," and opening the door he pushed
her into the passageway and gave her a violent kick.

The crowd inside laughed loudly and then went on with their drinking and
swearing as if nothing had happened. Such visits as the visit of Maggie
were of too frequent occurrence to cause any prolonged ripple of
excitement.

Poor Maggie! She lay groaning on the cold, slippery ground, just
outside this licensed, money-making pet of Uncle Sam's.

She was half crazed with pain and growing numb when two young gentlemen
came along. One stooped and picked up something lying in the street.

"Gad! I've good luck," and he held up the dollar.

"Please, mister! it's mine. Give it to me quick. It's all that's left."

"And what did you do with the others? Come now, you've had a little too
much of the stuff inside, but you'd better move on or you'll freeze."

"Let's call a policeman."

"Too cold to stop. They'll find her; and if she freezes, well enough.
Her kind are of no use to the world."

Then the speaker dropped the dollar in his pocket, and taking his
companion's arm hastened away.

"O God! O God!" groaned Maggie.