The Project Gutenberg EBook of Michael O'Halloran, by Gene Stratton-Porter #10 in our series by Gene Stratton-PorterCopyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the copyright laws for your country before downloadingor redistributing this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook.This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do notchange or edit the header without written permission.Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of thisfile. Included is important information about your specific rights and restrictions in how the file may be used. You can alsofind out about how to make a donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved.**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts****eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971*******These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!*****Title: Michael O'HalloranAuthor: Gene Stratton-PorterRelease Date: December, 2005 [EBook #9489] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was firstposted on October 5, 2003]Edition: 10Language: English*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MICHAEL O'HALLORAN ***Produced by Brendan Lane, Richard Prairie and PG Distributed ProofreadersM I C H A E LO ' H A L L O R A NGene Stratton-PorterCopyright 1915, 1916ContentsPAGEI. Happy Home in Sunrise AlleyII. Moccasins ...
The Project Gutenberg EBook of Michael O'Halloran, by Gene Stratton-Porter #10 in our series by Gene Stratton-Porter
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**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts**
**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971**
*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!*****
Title: Michael O'Halloran
Author: Gene Stratton-Porter
Release Date: December, 2005 [EBook #9489] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first
posted on October 5, 2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MICHAEL O'HALLORAN ***
Produced by Brendan Lane, Richard Prairie and PG Distributed ProofreadersM I C H A E L
O ' H A L L O R A N
Gene Stratton-Porter
Copyright 1915, 1916
Contents
PAGE
I. Happy Home in Sunrise Alley
II. Moccasins and Lady Slippers
III. S.O.S.
IV. "Bearer of Morning"
V. Little Brother
VI. The Song of a Bird
VII. Peaches' Preference in Blessings
VIII. Big Brother
IX. James Jr. and Malcolm
X. The Wheel of Life
XI. The Advent of Nancy and Peter
XII. Feminine Reasoning
XIII. A Safe Proposition
XIV. An Orphans' Home
XV. A Particular Nix
XVI. The Fingers in the Pie
XVII. Initiations in an Ancient and Honourable Brotherhood
XVIII. Malcolm and the Hermit Thrush
XIX. Establishing Protectorates
XX. Mickey's Miracle
CHAPTER I
Happy Home in Sunrise Alley
"Aw KID, come on! Be square!"
"You look out what you say to me."
"But ain't you going to keep your word?"
"Mickey, do you want your head busted?"
"Naw! But I did your work so you could loaf; now I want the pay you promised me."
"Let's see you get it! Better take it from me, hadn't you?"
"You're twice my size; you know I can't, Jimmy!"
"Then you know it too, don't you?"
"Now look here kid, it's 'cause you're getting so big that folks will be buying quicker of a little fellow like me; so you've
laid in the sun all afternoon while I been running my legs about off to sell your papers; and when the last one is gone, I
come and pay you what they sold for; now it's up to you to do what you promised."
"Why didn't you keep it when you had it?"
"'Cause that ain't business! I did what I promised fair and square; I was giving you a chance to be square too."
"Oh! Well next time you won't be such a fool!"
Jimmy turned to step from the gutter to the sidewalk. Two things happened to him simultaneously: Mickey became a
projectile. He smashed with the force of a wiry fist on the larger boy's head, while above both, an athletic arm gripped him
by the collar.Douglas Bruce was hurrying to see a client before he should leave his office; but in passing a florist's window his eye
was attracted by a sight so beautiful he paused an instant, considering. It was spring; the Indians were coming down to
Multiopolis to teach people what the wood Gods had put into their hearts about flower magic.
The watcher scarcely had realized the exquisite loveliness of a milk-white birch basket filled with bog moss of silvery
green, in which were set maidenhair and three yellow lady slippers, until beside it was placed another woven of osiers
blood red, moss carpeted and bearing five pink moccasin flowers, faintly fined with red lavender; between them
rosemary and white ladies' tresses. A flush crept over the lean face of the Scotsman. He saw a vision. Over those
baskets bent a girl, beautiful as the flowers. Plainly as he visualized the glory of the swamp, Douglas Bruce pictured the
woman he loved above the orchids. While he lingered, his heart warmed, glowing, his wonderful spring day made more
wonderful by a vision not adequately describable, on his ear fell Mickey's admonition: "Be square!"
He sent one hasty glance toward the gutter. He saw a sullen-faced newsboy of a size that precluded longer success at
paper selling, because public sympathy goes to the little fellows. Before him stood one of these same little fellows, lean,
tow-haired, and blue-eyed, clean of face, neat in dress; with a peculiar modulation in his voice that caught Douglas
squarely in the heart. He turned again to the flowers, but as his eyes revelled in beauty, his ears, despite the shuffle of
passing feet, and the clamour of cars, lost not one word of what was passing in the gutter, while with each, slow anger
surged higher. Mickey, well aware that his first blow would be all the satisfaction coming to him, put the force of his being
into his punch. At the same instant Douglas thrust forth a hand that had pulled for Oxford and was yet in condition.
"Aw, you big stiff!" gasped Jimmy, twisting an astonished neck to see what was happening above and in his rear so
surprisingly. Had that little Mickey O'Halloran gone mad to hit him? Mickey standing back, his face upturned, was quite
as surprised as Jimmy.
"What did he promise you for selling his papers?" demanded a deep voice.
"Twen—ty-five," answered Mickey, with all the force of inflection in his power. "And if you heard us, Mister, you heard him
own up he was owing it."
"I did," answered Douglas Bruce tersely. Then to Jimmy: "Hand him over twenty-five cents."
Jimmy glared upward, but what he saw and the tightening of the hand on his collar were convincing. He drew from his
pocket five nickels, dropping them into the outstretched hand of Douglas, who passed them to Mickey, the soiled fingers
of whose left hand closed over them, while his right snatched off his cap. Fear was on his face, excitement was in his
eyes, triumph was in his voice, while a grin of comradeship curved his lips.
"Many thanks, Boss," he said. "And would you add to them by keeping that strangle hold 'til you give me just two seconds
the start of him?" He wheeled, darting through the crowd.
"Mickey!" cried Douglas Bruce. "Mickey, wait!"
But Mickey was half a block away turning into an alley. The man's grip tightened a twist.
"You'll find Mickey's admonition good," he said. "I advise you to take it. 'Be square!' And two things: first, I've got an eye
on the Mickeys of this city. If I ever again find you imposing on him or any one else, I'll put you where you can't.
Understand? Second, who is he?"
"Mickey!" answered the boy.
"Mickey who?"