Wichita eagle., 1888-09-27
THE PRESENT MRS. CRIME.

the worst side OF his wifes character afOre
marriage and the sweetness after. But
bein' tinman, with as good an outfit as
travels New England road, bilers, pans,
brooms, teakettles, an all sorts o nicknacks,
bein' included, get a pretty good back view
Of what learned folks call society. An it
was about o folierin' my trade in this fashion
that l first saw the present Mrs Crime
She was at the wash tub an the suds was
flying for all they was with. She looked
pretty, too, though you might not think it
from the work she was at, for she had red
hair and the water he'd made it curl around
her forehead, an the rubbin' he'd made her
cheeks rosy, an somethin' I'll tell of when l
get to it he'd made her eyes snap.
1t was one of those big houses in suburb
she was doin' work at as third girl, to help
the old folks back on the farm. She could
a-gone into a mill to work. but somehow she
didn't take SO kindly to mill work, she told
me afterwards, as she did to homework even
if homework was more drudgin and con-
fnin'.
The back yard to this house was q green
sort O. place, with lots O. bushes an trees
afore you got in full sight O. the kitchen
door, an when I'd got where | was pretty
near good view o. the primises, an afore
could get another sight o the little woman at
the tub, l heard somebody say, with lots o.
solid meanin' n, The tones:
''You do tlia5 again, an I'll do something
more than tak-now mind"
| stepped ont in full view o. matters, an,
there little mite O rugged up babyhood was
spillin' dirt into the washtub.
1t was an aggravatin' thing, an know
jest how that little woman felt. There she
was working away for dear life-for it was
late an could see there was still a big pile
o clothes unwashse-an that little wretch a
GRIMM an THROWN in fists full O. dirt l
jest wondered what'ed happen.
As | kept comm nearer the house, the
young rascal ran out for another handful.
an with a face at me skipped back lively as
a cricket, anticipatin', no doubt, the fun of
more scoldin.
But he missed his calculations He hadn't
no more than put his inverted body close to
the tub than the little woman he'd been a
tormentin' just swooped down on him easy
and swift like an without a mite o. fuss or
waste O breath, landed him plump in the suds
slippers, velvet dirt an all While YOU
could count perhaps five she held him there
a bleached out little sinner, too completely
knocked out o his reckonin' to even cry.
Then she set LIN, all drippin' like drowned
rat, on the floor, an held him fast by the
shoulders.
''You've done that times enough" she said,
with grain o temper that found it easy to
forgive, IAN no one has stopped you. Now
I've taken you in hand, an We'll see what'll
come of it. Go tell your mother, an tell her
I'm ready to give her an explanation. Now
you CO."
With a howl that would have done credit
to a FIJI Islander, the soaked torment started,
an his self constituted discipliner went to
rubin fast and furious, as if she he'd still
something TO work off.
In spite o the temper, 1 should hev liked to
give her hearty hand shake but | knes
enough about suburb folks an their relations
to their third girls to know such proceedin'
wouldn't be prudent; it wouldn't help the
third girl a mite, so jest Travelled back the
way he'd come, without word about bilers
or anything else. felt pretty sure the fewer
spectators to the scene that would follow,
when that youngsters mother came down
stairs, the better.
The folks in the kitchen he'd seen me, but
knew at least one of them would be more
comfortabler if l left, an wouldn't lay up
agin me any leavin' out o. manners But l
made it in my way to call around there an
see If they had any rags or old paper they
wanted to swap for tinware.
The third girl wasn't there, only the second
girl ironin' subdued like at table. She said
they didn't trade with pedlers-they bought
all their tin things down to the store. Then
/ looked round careless, an asked where the
other girl was, but at that she looked scared
an said she didn't know, she'd been dis
charged an no one knew where she'd gone
l was mighty sorry at that. for I'd admired
that plucky dousin', in spite of the bit o.
temper Wen, said goodby to the second
girl an travelled back to my cart.
For more than two months tangled round
on my tin cart maxim good bargains an
swellin' my bank account few dollars each
week. always was of thrifty turn. an it
come easy to lay by somethin', so do not
speak of it to make credit, only as fact.
l thought lots about the washin day an Won
dered what the two women he'd said when
the young torment he'd told his ma ALWAYS
smiled when l thought on it, because / was
pretty sure the mistress didn't get the best of
it in words anyhow. An somehow, between
you and me, mistresses could have deal Of
plain speakin' done to em without havin'
more'n their share
But one afternoon drove into farmyard
an come near runnin' smash into another tin
pedder establishment that he'd got there
ahead of me. With due respect for the fell
ler's rights, was preparin' TO turn round
en- git out. when l heard voice that some
how seemed familiar:
YOU'RE a swindler,- it was sayin', ian
you know it, The bottom TO that kittle Is
Just the poorest kind O. stuff, an the nose hes
come off an been fastened on again don't
want TO trade with you, an l won't, so you
may as well gol'
ats my little washtub beauty SAYS to
myself, wonderful glad, an 50 it was She
followed the man, a meachin'. cross eyed
chap, TO the door, an | could see she was
almost rs angry as she was on that first
mornin' I'd seen her. She wasn't so pretty
this time either, for she he'd towel round
her head an faded out calico dress an
boots that vas out at the toes, but somehow
nv heart gave q thuElp an was down off'n
nv Vaughn in no TINA
Marie | Kin make trade with YOU ]
saws, more jerky than ever spoke before
We'll, maybe you can she says, eyin' me.
! knew she vas tTyin' To place me, but
couldn't / wanted 10 help her. but soueho~
CotuoD una the WOldA ! co0I0 OILY ollnS
out my best kittles and knock OF half the |
regular price, on the ground that | wanted 70 |
dispose on EN- quick, SOS to lay IN q new an |
improved stock
was longin' ID know If this waa Der home, |
but couldn't think o no way to find ont with |
out asSin' in 50 many words, an tnAs hadn't |
the courage TO do.
She handled the things carefully. but al Of |
sudden, when thought she was e1aninin' |
The nos, 81 nv bi~r.<1 txaIistI4 she s-,aka I