Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-08-18
The way I have been bitten. though.

J Dy some lOIkS IdS uduG ulO lIldG CdS0-
hardened that sometimes I've wondered
whether I've got any heart left, and the
wife had to interfere, telling me I've
been spoiled with prosperity, and grown
unfeeling.
It was that as made me give way
about Ruth; for one day, after having
my bristles all set up by finding out that
three good sound machines, by best
makers, had gone, nobody knew where,
who should come into the shop but a
lady-like woman in very shabby
widows weed. She wanted machine
for herself and daughter to learn, and
said she had heard | would take the
money by installments. Now just half
an hour before, by our shop clock, | had
made vow that I'd give up all that part
of the trade, and was very rough with
her-just as am when I'm cross-and
said "No."
"But you will if the lady gives secu-
rityp said my wife, hastily.
The poor woman gave such woe-be
gone look at us that it made more out
of temper than ever, for could feel that
if I stopped should have to let her
have one at her own terms. And so it
was; Tor there, if / didn't let her have
4 first class machine, as good as new !;
she only paid seven and one-half down,
and undertaking to pay half crown
week, and no more security than moth
ing
To make it worse, too, if didn't send
the thing home without charge Luke
going with it, for he was back at home
now, keeping my books, being grown
into fine young fellow of twenty-five /;
and | sat and growled the whole rest of
the day, calling myself all the weak
minded idiots under the sun, and telling
the wife that business was going to the
dogs, and should be ruined
You ought to be ashamed of your
self, Tom," she said.
$50 ! am" says l, didn't think 1 could
be such fool"
Such fool as to do kind action to
one who was evidently lady born, and
come down in the world"
"Yes," | says, "to be living in Ben
nett's place, where Pve sunk no less than
ten machines in five years."
EYES," says the wife, "and cleared
hundreds of pounds. Tom, am
ashamed of you-you a man with twenty
workingmen busy up stairs, a couple
of thousand pounds worth of stock in
the bank, a"
Hold your tongue, will your" I said
roughly, and went out into the shop to
try and work it off,
Luke came back soon after, looking
very strange, and was at him directly.
where's the seven an si1P" / says
angrily.
He didn't answer, but put three half
crowns down on my desk, took out his
book, made entries, date of delivery,
first payment, when the others were due
and all the rest of it-and was then going
into the house.
mind" / said sharply, "those pay
ments are to be kept to the day; and to-
morrow you 60 down to the Rollys, who
live nearly opposite to 'em, and tell 'em
to keep an eye on the widow, or we shall
lose another machine"
"You needn't be afraid, father" he
said coldly; they're honest enough,
only poor"
was just in that humor that I wanted
to quarrel with somebody, and that did it.
"When | ask you for your opinion,
young man, you give it to me, and when
[ tell you to do thing, you do it." / said
in as savage way as ever / spoke to the
lad. on 60 over tomorrow and tell
the Rolys to keep strict lookout on
these people; do you hear?"
Father" he says, looking me full in
the face, 81 couldn't insult them by do
ing such a thing" when, without another
word, he quickly walked out Of the shop.
leaving me worse than ever.
For that boy had never spoken to me
like that before, and / should have gone
after him feeling like mad, only some
people came in, and didn't see him
again until evening, anda good thing too,
for I'm sure [ should have said all sorts
of things to the boy that [ should have
been sorry for after. And there I was,
Tuning and fretting about, savage with
everybody, giving short answers, snap
ping at the wife, and feeling as man
does feel when he knows he has been in
the wrong, and hasn't the heart to own it.
It was about o'clock that was sitting
by the parlor fire, with the wife working
and very quiet, when Luke came in
from the workshop with book under
mems piece, and what was due to them,
and the sight Of him made me feel as if
wanted to quarrel.
He saw it too, but he said nothing,
only put the accounts away and began
to read.
The wife saw the storm brewing and
she knew how put out was, for | had
not lit my pipe nor yet had my evenings
nap, which always have after tea. She
did what she so we'll knew how to do
filed my pipe, forced it in my hand, and
just as | was going to dash it to pieces
in the ashes, she gave me one of her old
looks, kissed me on the forehead, as with
one hand she pressed me back into the
chair and then with the other she lit a
splint and held it to my tobacco.
I was done. She always gets over me
like that and after smoking IN silence
for half an hour, was lying back with
my eyes closed, dropping off to sleep,
when the wife said what had gone be-
fore had not heard:
Eyes, he's asleep now.'
That woke me up of course, and lay
there shamming and heard all they said
in whisper.
GLOW came you to make him more
vexed than he was Luke ?' says the wife,
and he told her.
II couldn't do it mother" he said, ex-
oi+ Iii no Shes