Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-05-29

/
l-him only for marrying Of o step-mother that
| Annie didn't like, don't knows ever blam ed
her for she had the neurology done up IN nan, An,
| wish she wasn't there-when / got TO her
fathers house this night tell you, to take my
girl TO theaytre-ma'am,s she wouldn't 60 with
I'm obliged to you" she says, 'but ain't q
| going. don't feel like IT,"
But I've got the tickets" says I, for she'd
never spoke like that to me before. "Its the
play you aid-its the Pearl of the Necktie,
Factory; for she mad a shine to see the Pearl OF
the Necktie Factory" it had run hundred
nights; she'd talked about 1t q sight and so I'd
got the tickets give dollar for them two
Why, what's the matter. An E,s says 70,
She was setting on the sofa in her fathers
| setting-room for her step-mother was scolding
OF the baby in the front chamber, and we was
by ourselves.
So she turned her pretty head aud looked at
did and didn't. Seems as If she would and
wouldn't. Seems as If she should and shouldn't
You didn't come awe a Wednesday" so she says
| tome.
81 couldn't come on Wednesday," says to
/ was clearing trouble under Charles River
bride. done the best could"
Wen" she says, II went 0, "Wednesday, I'VE
seen the play. I've seen the Pearl Of the Neck
tie Factory and don't knows care to See 1t
again. she says; "You could have come II
like You are she did cali me a smart fellow,
don't you seer he can do . thing If he set out
to-"
There's one thing" says very slow, for /
was that cut, there's one thing the smartest
man can't do: he can't make girl reasonable
"Ifi it's SO bad al that" says she, II wouldn't
waste your vallyable time sitting here. Maybe
you can spend 1t BETTER" says she, land SO can
And up she gets and leaves the sofy. ana OF
she goes up stairs.
you'll be so polite as to excuse me-" she
says, my step-rnother desires me TO scold the
Daoy ior her TINS evening. on account OF her
he s.Yit having struck TO her ers,na:
terSood, cries 1; like that
Il amt that bound to you not to go with who
neither"
Ma,am they seem little things to get between
ever did seem SO small as they do now l come
TO tell 'em. If 1t had been a big thing, I'd have
| known what to do with it-sornethlng like q
runaway horse, or an avalanche, or fellow
could have hit, or something like that. But ii
wasn't nothing but that little thing-the way q
but all my muscle wasn't GOOD s ior thai! against
that strange, small, pretty creature in the work.
ing of her mind. I could have carried her in
| these here arms from Boston to San Francisco;
l could have climbed to the top OF seventy
hve foot telegraph pole with her and held her
baby on the sofy, beaten by the working OF her
| mind.
L got my hat and left There wasn't nothing
else TO do. i got my hat and cleared and out
into the street and there walked and walked.
was raging mad. was mortal burt. went
from mad TO hurt and back again from hurt to
mad like should die for il. I'm u slow man in
my temper. but when its up, take IL out; same
way with my feelin s-she'd hurt my feelin's.
didn't know she could. She had her little
| tantrums and little ways with me; but she
Now I'll III tell tell you. whist was S walking up
| and down outside and raging to myself, saw q
man come up and ring her door bell. He come
! quite sudden to my sight tor there was street
| light opposite her door, and he come flash! be-
| meath 1T ali to once. He was rugged up in all
his sunday close and he had blarsted curly
didn't need no spiritOOal mejum to tell me it
was Charley Scattergood. Worse take him!
| She come to the door herself. She did. She
wasn't taking care of no slep-baby. She had
her things ON, and her little hat set sidewise on
she had, her Sunday gown with fxins ON it
| made OF fur or feathers, and there she stands,
for she seemed to be going somewEeres, and 1
"Nilloa, Nan."-for he did, he called her Nan.
But had always called her Annie. She never
put her hat on the side of her head for me. She
never stood that way, with her hand against
her-that silly little bOyish way-with me.
She's been all girl to me. But she says:
another fellow; and she laughs and mods Sat at
him: and TOR all IL was SO silly. she looked SO
| there. i could have killed him.
But, ma'am, when she come to shut the door,
and he went in and see him in the front entry
beside her; and said: Hes DRUM nim feen In
Well She didn't 60 anywhere with him, for
l watched TO see; maybe she had the sense to
make out his condition; maybe her father
| wouldn't let her-for 1 knew her father
was TO home and would look after her-and 20
come away.
| come away, and home / come acrost the
ferry, and looked up at the stars, for 1t was
such pleasant night, and I'd been so happy
coming overland 1 went from hurt TO mad
and went from mad TO mad, and then went
from mad TO terror-lest he should get her alter
! all. And cursed him for I could have killed
him. cursed him on that terry all the way.
seemed to say to him:
ThaTsy you've 60. girl She
hGve her. Let her be! I'll fling you overheard.
| and felt about In the dark as if I'd got him
And hung my arms across the railing as If it
was l huug him over. And looked down
as i see him going under. And watched the
J paddle wheel as ii it draw-awed him in. but
/ cursed him tor hated him.
! think had sort OF lever In my brain, for
/ never wanted to kill a creature before in ali NV
days lit was kitten Or yellow pup, or If it
was an old hen, 1 didn't like to do it, But,
have stoInped on him, or II I'd seen him under
I a locomotive inline wouldn't have cared I
die. went from mad to murder in my heart
/ upon the Jerry boat, so help me God
Ma am, where DO you think them things come
| from, plumb. into mans soul? II he was a
| steady man and tried TO do his dooty and liked
his fellow creatures and had gentle thoughts
! 10 man. Seems as if 1t Uos a brain fever-when
you love girl. Seems as If you ,Ods mad
Indn-li IL Is girl. seems as If it amt YOU that
! love her; it's a devil or angel loves her and
/ he angels you or devils you and there You be!
| Well. lie wasn't on the ferry-boat. He was
setting there beside Of her in her fathers sitting
room. Drank. And calling OF her Nan,
So didn't murder him. for it wasn't handy.
J and went home, for my sister that was q wild
/ der lady made me some catnip tea aud give IL
| 10 the cat, and so / went To bed, and went to
sleep. But i give the theay.re tickets to a
horse-car driver that 1 was acquainted with
| that had a girl that sQuinted. II seemed q pity
| TO waste 'em.
| Now that night there come q storm It was
sleet-storm III tell you about it. It sleeted
/ IKE The EVIL all that night, and come morning
/ II you was to look out, IL was like looking on
| world OF Ice that made yeu think of u crea-
/ ture frozen dead; like 1t was the corpse Of q
! world. 1t was the worst seet-storm we had
that winter, for mad u reason to remember
said I'd tell you what q trouble man is
Hes one OF them detailed TO pick out trouble
that's the way the name come TO be given TO us
| The telephone business Is q mighty accidental
business; something happens ali the time
/ First you know your lines won't work. Maybe
/ you sent u message and il sticks sOmewheres
| Its the trouble men that have to fnd ont
where's. They keep US for that purpose That's
| and howsomever that lines out OF kiIter. from
| Boston To California. that's our business TO 6nd
| out. Maybe it's broke by wind; maybe tt give
! way under the ice; or it's beaten down NV
snow; or it's struck by lightning; or it's crossed
| somewheres by somebody else's accident-some
| telegraph companys had bad luck and tied
| you up; or it's got catched beneath a bridge
| Tor we have TO work under water as well as over
air aud you wouldn't believe 1t Of q telephone
A ear ri = aa~.