The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-09

don't keep steady job?" isn't ~" MIs.
Wetherhy resumed FOR do you like
tromplng for ltseit?"
DeVlne was surprised at not having
called forth the usual temperance lee
ture by his bravado. He also felt the
personal interest bnck OF the words.
The rare magnetism Of self-obllvlon is
a potent charm In woman. Yes an
no, Mis- WetheTby." he rumlnated. You
see was workln on the railroad dur
In the strikes OF 49, / was q union
man, and ne was layin' OF, waitin' for
the bosses to come TO our way OF think-
In. Buttln' 0gin stone wall Is more
like what we wore doln'. purin' the
deadlock at the Q deepo they tried to
gie one man to drive a locomotive out o
the yards, sos to show the union men
they was others to do the work. one
after another they called EN- up az the
head office, but the men stood pat. They
sent word for me TO come up there. They
was gettln' simply desprit. Everything
at standstilL They Jest had to SIT an
engine out that night. KNOWN thro'
their records understood locomotive
drIvin', also thro' other records that
were no tin angel, they was sure o get
tin me 10 do their Job. Say! It was q
reR'lar auction. They KEEP bldaln'
higher and higher They'd give . Job
fer year, sure, an good pay an TWO
hundred down. I'm not sayln' didn't
like the looks Of the tin an wasn't
stuck on bein' on their black list.
"Dld you do It, Devineg'
He turned savugely, I'm no DUN
scab" he snarled.
But II you had done good work for
that year you would have had a
steady place and"
what do you know about III" he In
terrupted. "I'd blowed In the tin In
two months an every bum on the road
would be calm me bloomln' scab"
The approval Of ones fellows IS not
the highest motive for heroic action
lBut It is back of more physical dar-
ing and moral conquests than were
ever instigated by abstract herolsm.
And who OF us Is so ruled by that In
ner, higher ideal that he can think less
worthy Devine's tribute to public opin-
ion as II would touch him?
Come again tomorrow, Devine,
Mrs. Wetherby said. as she turned and
went Into the house.
There was a barrel of hard cider in
the Wetherby cellar, also four bottles
Of beer on ice in the refrigerator. When
Devlne came up from some work In the
basement he said to the simple minded
cook: TITS turTible weather for rheu-
mntism OF the legs" And her gentle
Swedish soul was wrung with pity for
the poor man as he came unsteady IN
| to the Kitchen II tell Mis- Vedderby
you troo,p she said. Her mistress came
out. Flow much do / owe you, De-
Vine?' She said It cody, but her heart
was sick to see how the drink had deep
ened all the evil In the mans face, and
beat little faster as she caught the
| look OF craft and cunning In his mar
| row eyes. She counted out what he
said was due him. It was more than
the amount they had agreed upon. He
took 1t greedlly; the thirst for more
drink was Grazing him,
AS Mrs. Wetherby turned he realized
drunkenly that the rings on her hands
were worth money. He lurched toward
1 her She came back step, fronting
him squnrely. "Good-by. DeVine;
you've done good work for me" she
said. at the same time holding out her
\ firm, white. Nomanly hand. which
touched his rough, shaking fingers for
one cOnquering moment.
The next week u summer rain beat
down some Of the climbing roses in the
garden. Mrs. Wetherby put her pink
line sunbonnet on. rolled up her sleeves,
tucked UP her skirt, put some storm
rubbers over her slippers and went 10
work at them. As she pulled and tied
land tackled every now and then show
er or the fragrant rose petals would
fall over her. One branch needed sup
port lust out Of her reach. She tried to
climb up on one OF the boulders under
death the wall. II was mosS-Erown
and Shiny She slipped and instructive
~ grasped the rose stalks. Her damp
pink palms were cut sharply by the
/ av,L "a a fIapn rod
scratch, almost from elbow 10 wrist
"Say-oh, / say! lemme do that,
called voice from the road. and with
out waiting for Il reply Devine. the
tramp. came up and over the terrace
you jes' set up there on the porch an
boss. an III ten TO these here rascnl.'
BIOod!" he exclaimed, as she took hei
handkerchief from her arm. SHAW
why your skin Amt no sort o use a.
an" He worked earnestly and tntelll
gently The sun sent fragrant steam
from the damp earth. There was nc
room FOE fear. nor reproach, nor angei
IN this fresh, green June world
When pevine finished the roses Z
Mrs. Wetherby's satisfaction she said
Can you beat some rugs for me now
His fare was as Ut mp by pleasure MS
face wOefully out OF practice in eS-
pressing that emotion can be,
When he brought u pile Of dustet
rugs from the line he found Mrs
Wetherby polishing brasses Mt the kit
chen table. Devlne hung around In 81
uncertain way for some moments. HI
cleared Ills throat once or twice; thei
he took n drink or water. Finally h
blurted out; Il played you n bloomin
mean trick Saturday"
Did you, Devine?"
"Yes'm. ! come up here an see tn