The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-27

|
We both surmised that it was more an
ger against the erring Lige than love fol
| Thompson (whom we unreasonably dis
| liked that was at the bottom of Victory.
motives.
From this time our sympathies were en-
| tirely with the husband. Rene declared
! that Thompson stole his mothers money
He knew about the hiding place ''Sht
wouldn't tell me where she hid it," say:
| Rene, with Indignation, 'but she owned
up she told him"
! There had been suspicious of Thompson
| it appeared, in regard to some church
moneys that were in his hands. Oh, yes
Rene admitted, he had paid the money
back. but not until after they had lost
| their little hoard.
Il knows nav, she sets store by paw
STILL" sag Rene, "but this fellow talks sc
smooth he's fair bewitched her. l did
write to paw where we ben, and Pm hopin
he'll git round. ! sent him all the money
nav let me keep outer my wages and my
grips"
The grips, / suppose, were Reme's tips,
which he received on various occasions
'Maw'll get her enforcement in two
weeks, she says" Rene went on gloomily,
land she lows to go back t. the country
right strait, but l amt going with her il
you all will keep me-"
Reme's prediction came true. With a
profusion of thanks for our kindness, Vic
tory gave us warning. She was going back
in three weeks to her own house We
couldn't complain as far as we were con-
cerned, especially as she had hunted up a
new cook of great gifts in sauces and sal
ads according to her former employer,
neat, industrious, indeed lacking little of
perfection except a good temper.
Rene, on this official confirmation, as it
were, of his fears, became walking statue
of gloom. 1t was at this period that he
broke a Royal Worcester plate and three
cut glass wineglasses, all of which of
course just slipped from his hands while
he wasn't doing nothing" His misery
over the wreck was such that Kate hadn't
the heart to soold him.
He came to US later and begged Kate not
TO take any money out of his wages, due
the next day
Nav, she said you'd keep most ALL" he
whimpered, cause they're the incest kind
of dishes and cost terrible sight, she says.
But if you'd please not this month, I'll
sure work for you all next month"
Kate treasured him. She wasn't going
to take his money, but why was he 80 anx-
ious to have the wages this month";
Then Rene confessed that his father was
in town, and so was Mr. Thompson.
"And Thompson, he's all fixed up" cried
Rene, "out of our money. In a black
preacher coat and silk hat. Oh, he looks
mighty fine. But paw does look pint
blank gashly. You see, Mrs. Temple, he
did ben sick ever sence he went home the
last time and the house where he ben
burned down and he lost his good clothes
and ever cent er money, and now he's
come here, all ragged, amin to git some
work and some clothes and make it up to
nav. And l don't want nav t. see him all
in his rags and Thompson strutting round
in his high hat. So 1 was reckoning I'd buy
him some clothes"
We sympathized with Rene, but as it
turned out our sympathy came to naught.
Either Victory's lawyer got the divorce
sooner than he expected, or Victory her
self found the money sooner; anyhow,
few evenings later Kate came to me to say
that Thompson was calling on Victory. l
at once wanted to look at a new expert
ment in buildings, left in the "cold closet"
to reach which one must pass through the
kitchen.
True enough, there sat a SNUG faced, six
foot negro, cleaning all over, in a black
broadcloth, with a gorgeous gold watch
chain and dazzling linen.
Victory would not let us pass without in
PRODUCING him.
1t was at this moment that there came a
ind of ha1 tod = o
door.
gered back. MY Lawd, Ligep' she
''whuts got ye?"
Lige indeed it was, and forloner specta-
Gle than he presented is difficult to picture.
He looked sick and wretched, and his
clothes were no better than rags. What a
contrast to the Respondent Thompson!
Eyes, Vict'ry, it's me-" said poor Lige.
81 know amt fit t. come t. see We in SIGH
close, but did wanter see We so badw
''All Victory said was, ''Mymyl mymyi
Liger'
BY this time-for half unconsciously Vic
tory had opened the door-Lige had sham
bled into the circles of light. He saw
AS if by magic his humility
was rent from him. His limp form straight
ened. Head erect and eyes burning he
shook his fist at the preacher.
You black niger! is you DARN come
'twixt me an my wife?"
Manda, who was on the other side of the
table, an admiring listener to Brother
eloquence, jumped up with a
scream.
You hush" said Victory quietly, don't
We be skeered up, Mandy, he won't do no
harmw She turned herself TO Lige with
actual dignity: Who you ta'kin' bout,
Mist Sanders? Not me- l amt no wife
er yourn. I got my bill O. enforcement dis
very day."
Lige gasped. The tears rolled to his eyes
"Onyhow, she amt amin to demean her
self to low down, trampin' niger like
you" said Thompson, from his glistening
height of broadcloth, Miss Vict'ry lows e
become the bride of a gentleman in the
perfeSsion''-
A swift blow from Lige's fist knocked
the rest of the sentence out of time.
Like tiger Lige flew at the white shirt
bosom and the gorgeous watch chain.
But, weakened by illness, he was no match
for the brawny preacher. who knocked him
half across the kitchen.
Manda Uttered.
"Stopf' cried Mrs. Temple, "VicSoFyi
stopi" Needing her no more than the
wind, as Lige, bleeding but undismayed, |
dashed again at Thompson, Victory her |
self flung the dish towel tight over Thomp-
sons unsuspecting head, pulling from be- |
hind with such force and fury that, thus |
larassed in the rear, he made a misstep |
and all three went down together, under |
Lige's onslaught,
Cit you razor, Liget" shrieked Victory. |
you let my husband lone or he cut you |
Tid razor.''
| believe that il was quite as much the |
layil derinC effect of Eictnrr,s Conduct as