Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-16

pleasure now in spoling everything she put on
the table. l like my steak underdone; she burnt
It to clnder. l like my chops well done; she
hardly warmed EN-. / like my eggs boiled
three minutes and half; she boiled en- ten.
And when we had potatoes they were like bull
let's After a bit we spoke again. Of course: but
II was nothing but sulk. sulk. sulk, and cry,
cry cry, from morning 10 night. At last l
thought 1t might do Molly good if gave her a
taste of single blessedness.
you for
And you're not the man." says she. firing
up, Il took you for
Sorry for it," said /. but Tn the same as
ever was-and ever shall be, Molly; bear that in
mind. I'm free to confess you're wearing me
out, and m going away bit for a rest.
Good radiance to bad rubbish" says she.
packed up a little bag of clothes. and after
to 60.
I'm off. Molly" saws L
w ont You take me with you" says she.
II won't take yon anywhere with me-" says
L, mi you give up being contrary
Where are you going SAID she, land how
long will you be gomez"
Il amt made up my mind" saws l. Il shall
go somewhere i'll the country for peace and
quletness: and shall be gone just as long as
please You shall have fifteen bob a week to
live on. I'm away, and when / come back
nope to find you another woman"
waited minute or two to see whether she'd
say anything kind. and whether she'd offer to
KISS me; but she didn't speak or move, so just
says, 'Ia-ta. Molly" and off went
L didn't go fur away. but l went where l
wasn't known, and found a farmhouse where
they had cocks and hens. and pigs and three
cows. and a horse and cart and where they
LOGGED and boarded me for ten bob week 1t
was so quiet there and so pleasant with the
ANIMALS and children. that / regularly enjoyed
myself Why give a name that wasn't nv
own can't tell you; think it must have been
because didn't want Molly to come after me-
Before left London got an agent to collect
my rents and wrote on paper that he was to
give Molly fifteen bob n week and no more. and
was to put the rest in the Post-Ofice savings
bank in my name. l put in pound myself
before went away and gave EN- my signature,
SO that no one could take it out but me.
Well guv'nor, l did enjoy myself at that
farmhouse. and l stopped there six months.
and let my beard grow. l had always shaved
clean, and when l looked at myself in the glass
and saw my face covered with hair, give you
my word. didn't know ii was me. was an
other man, and what with taking another
name. L a most felt as if wasn't Thomas Blind
weed at all Molly won't know me when git
back. thinks l. What game it'd be to pass
myself off for another feller.''
Why did keep away so long? Well. to give
her regular dose. / thought of her q good
deal. and looked at her picture that I'd brought
away with me- and did feel a bit soft some
times. I'd no fear of Molly doing what wasn't
IiSHt; sIe De ds BOOu as BOlu II II WASH [ Tor
her temper. In the six months | was away
got regularly fond of a country life and
thought how pleasant it'd be for me and Molly
to live there with fowls. and pigs, and cows.
and horse and cart. l don't despair yet of
bringing her to my way Of thinking
Well. guvnOr when the six months was up
| thought I'd go home and have a. look at nv
wife. so packed up nv buds. and off set
mustn't forget to tell you that there'd been big
railway accident two days before started.
took a last look at myself III the glass Nv
own mother wouldn't have known me- Molly
will be surprised" thinks l.
was glad to git back. and as l got nearer
and nearer to Mollie l got fonder and fonder of
her. Well, when | was in this neighborhood
saw lot of people knew but not one of EN-
knew me, was that changed. | passed the
Royal George, where we had our wedding party
and there was little crowd outside.
What's up. mate?" says 1 to a man, disguis-
ing my voice, speaking husky like.
IAN inquest says he.
Whose inquest?" saws l.
tom Blindweed's." saws he.
''Oh," says l, Tom Blindweed's. Is he dead
them
Killed in the railway accident" says he.
Il m sorry to hear that" says l.
$50 am l." says he. Tom wasn't a bad
sort"
l thought I'd go in and attend my own in
quest, and see how II was Citing Oh. 1t amt
| often q man gets chance like that, and it
1t was all right. There was the coroner.
there was the jury, there was the witnesses
and. among the witnesses. Molly and Dick
Pawson According to what they said. and
| what everybody else said. l was dead and no
mistake. Eight men had been killed in the
railway accident-me among EN- Nv face
| had been cut about: but there was nv height
| there was my build; and. what was really
| curious, there was my finger and toe. If
you'll look at the little finger of my right hand
you'll see the leavings of an old cut on the
knuckle that gives the finger a peculiar shape
L can't hold it straight. Similarly the big toe
! of my left foot is bent right under lust as
though it was cut in half. The man that was
| found, and that nobody came forward to own
| but Molly, had just those marks on the same
| finger and toe; and that, and my long absence
| and my height. and my build, settled the whole
| matter. L heard my wife's evidence-I was
dead. heard Dick Pawson's evidence-I was
| dead. The verdict clinched it. listened and
| didn't say word.
went out-rather dazed must confess-not
| quite knowing now whether I'd any right to be
| alive. I'd take time to think over it. / thought
week or two, more or less. didn't matter
much to dead man. Right opposite nv two
| rooms there was room to let and from the
window of that room L could see everything
that passed i'll the home that had been mine
when was alive. | took the room, and sat the
best part of the day at the winder. Nv wife
went in and out. People talked to her. and
SoHooiSu gong 10 90 ner an In
justice. She didn't look overjoyed. Under
the circumstances, Molly" thought 1. you're
behaving becoming, and must say YOU make
| a good-looking widder."
suppose 1t was half-past 9 at night when
saw man go to Molly's rooms-Dick Pawson
Then an idea came into my head. thought il
out, and waited. Ten o'clock. Dick Pawson
didn't come out. Half-past 10. Dick Pawson
was still with Molly. l went into the street.
crossed the road. and let myself into the house
with my old latch-lley that I'd always kept
about me. Our two rooms both opened on to
the passage. The first room was our living
room, the second our bedroom. stepped very
softly. and tried the handle of the bedroom. 1t
turned; the door was unlocked. / went in.
Between that room and our living room was
| door, and listened at it. Dick Pawson and
my wife was talking There was no light in the
passage, there was no light in the bed room: but
there was light in the sitting room. Ipeeped
| through. There was Dick Payson sitting where
I'd seen him last-in my chair, smoking my
pipe, and drinking out of my glass. He was
one side of the table, Molly on the other. All
correct and proper.
setting there SO comfortable. 1t wasn't that he
but it was that he looked SO comfortable and
seemed so much at home
''Wait a bit. Dick Pawson," thinks T.
Then l fixes my eyes on Molly, and was glad
to see that she was downcast and sad and that
l got little calmer. 1t did me power of good
every time she wiped her eyes-no sham tears,
real 'uns.
..Sba'a sorrv TIM da,d &b;nl-sT