The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1893-09-01
OLD ALB.
The Miners Helped Him for His
Wife's Sake.

"Of all the onery, wuthless, trifling
fellers ever l knowed sence l war
borned, I'm blamed if old Alb Jones
amt the wust. I've knowed some mis-
er'bly shiftless cusses in these yere dig
rin's, but never run acrost anybody
that could hold candle to old Alb, an
for down right trifin' ness I'd be willin
to ba4sz him agin creation"
The miners up in Cool Run Gulch had
Just finished supper and were lounging
on the grass, enjoying a smoke, when
old Sandy Scott gave expression to this
opinion.
'Why, Sandy, what's struck ye so
suddent?' Rile Creason asked.
Reckon feller don't have to be
struck SO awful suddent to know that
old Alb Jones amt no count, Sandy re-
piled, rather sharply.
Reckon not, Sandy. low If a fell
Ter is half-uitted he kin size up old Alb
to 't' on fust sight. Guess thar amt
q man in camp but what's figgered him
out as purity blamed trifin'. But by
sich a suadent burst on your part
kinder lowed mcbby somethin' had
happened"
"Happened." old Sandy cried
"Haint somethin' happened? Hain't it
nothin' when feller works hard in the
mine all day to have to come home an
cook supper jest because old Alb is Off
slkylarkin' round down thar at the
post, hevin' good time? Hain't that
nothin', fellers?"
"Why, vas, it is, of course" Rile ad-
mitted; "but mebby Alb has business to
keep him down thar"
Business? Reckon it amt likely as
such cattle as him 'ud have any busi-
ness anywhere, less'n it wuz with the
marshal This makes three times in the
last month that we've come down from
the mine to find old Alb gone an no
supper cooked, an I'm blamed tired OF
it. If fcller pertends to cook want
, i'm to do it, an if he can't do it, an do
it reg'l lar, why let i'm quit"
There was chorus of assent. just
then the object of comment drew near.
Doffing his old hat he said:
s'Boys, Pm sorry ! didn't get back
sooner, but I got a letter from"
''Oh. give us a rest on that" Mart
cried. ''We've heerd sich tales afore."
"But this is fact. Mart" Alb went
on, IAN want a leetle money fer
''Git out, old chap. Yer not goin' to
git no money, an yer needn't think it.
Why, blame it, yer don't pay fer yer
feed, much less earn money"
''I'm sorry l wasn't here to git sup
per-" Alb protested, ''but l got letter
| from home an it says my wife Is sick
an needs money, an I stayed down
thar tryin' to raise ten dollars to send
to her. An thought"
oval, yer thought wrong" Mart ex-
claimed, ''if yer cackilated to work us
with that story. Git out an clean up
them supper things"
Alb saw that it was useless to argue
further, and at once withdrew.
Look here, boys" says Jack Bone,
"ain't it Jest possible that thar may be
some truth in what Alb says?"
'Reckon it hain't likely" Mart re-
piled. Don't s'pose the old scamp's
got wife in the first place, an he's jest
a-tryin' to work us fer a few dollars to
spend. My notion is we'd best give i'm
ten hours to leave the camp in an If
he don't go, stretch I'm. He's tarnal
nuisance here, with his continnerly
playin' off sick an wantin' money fer
one thing an ernuthur, an the sooner
we git rid of i'm the'hetter, an I'm fer
notifyin' i'm to git"
This proposition being unanimously
agreed to, old Sandy Scott and two
others were selected to go down and
| give Alb Jones notice to skip" The
evening was warm, and the door of old
Abs cabin stood open, so that the men
as they approached had complete
view of the interior of the little room.
Old Alb was there, and, with his hands
crossed behind him and his head bowed,
paced the floor in restless manner,
stopping ever and anon to gaze at some
small object which he held in his hand.
''Humphw calculated old Sandy,
"that's blamed quare sort O. doin's,
shore"
"Wonder what he's got in his hand?"
said Jack Bone
Dunno" replied Sandy. ale pears
to git good bit o. satisfaction outen
it, don't hep"
''Wah whatever it is" remarked
Mart Barker, Il low it amt nothin'
to us, and We can't stay here all night.
Less give him the notice an git back. !"
The men came to the door and old
Mart said:
Sab, we've sorter made up our minds
that we don't care to have you in this
yere camp no more, an we want you to
! git. We give you ten hours to cl'ar ont,