Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-11-28
WHY WILKINS
HIRED MAN Ran AWAY
By JOHN n. RAFTERY.

Sunday morning. while Mrs. wilkins
kins, in defiance Of the social etA.,s
of Lake Hill. put on his overalls. and
rake in hand. attacked the carpet OF
dead leaves that covered his lawn. FL
knew that his wife would make d
scene if she caught him. and he knew
that his sabbath breaking would fur
nish another argument against subur
ban life. and he anticipated considera
BILE guying from his male neighbors.
and yet. in spite of all these misgiv
ings, he raked the leaves into rustlinS
piles and watched with logged salts
faction the columns of blue smoke
that rose among the oaks from his
unholy fires.
wilkins had employed seven different
hired men" since spring. None had
stayed more than a month and none
had carried away either the esteem or
good will of Mrs. Wilkins. Most of
them We're worthless. some dishonest.
some lazy and some lacked that regard
for the proprieties which the woman of
the house insisted upon. So it came TO
pass tlial W iihihs a
getting. to say nothing of keeping. a
serviceable hired man. and when the
leaves began TO fall his lawns. gardens.
vines and orchard We're in sad case. his
chicken house needed repairs. his coal
cellar was empty. his winter kindling
was unchopped and his loyalty TO sub
urban life was lettering Therefore
he had defied all precedent and on
Sunday morning attacked the work
with his own hands.
While he was bending over a russell
mound of leaves he heard a voice:
Mister. I'll clean up that lawn for
meal"
1t was a low. strong voice. musical
of tone and so opportune that wilkins
let his rake fall and looked about. The
stranger was a tall. lean young man,
dusty from a long walk. but clean and
trim as to clothes and person.
I'm just go you" said Wilkins. open
ing the gate. The big fellow walked
in. dropped his coat on the ground and
fell TO work without a word. After
getting back into his Sunday garments
the man of the house watched his res
cuer. The latter had laid aside his
round felt hat. disclosing a bullet head
closely shaved. The workers clothes.
new. cheap and coarse. i'll tit the wear
er, and as Wilkins watched him swift
ly and silently clearing away the dead
grass weeds and leaves his heart mis-
gave him. and he murmured to him
self: @EsNa,u
An ex-convict. I'll bet
Mrs. Wilkins soon came home with
Tommy and eyed the stranger askance.
heartily. but decorously, and had OBJ
served that be knew the purposes of
knife. fork and spoon, she darkly hint
ed to her husband that there was
something mysterious" about the
When wilkins felt sure
that his wife hadn't guessed the prob
able truth. he resolved to offer the man
a job. and as the latter passed out the
walk toward the road the suburbanite
stopped him with:
.'My friend, | like the way you work
and l like your looks. and if you'll stay
I'll give you 81 a week and your board
just to keep up the place. tend the
chickens and the furnace"
Thank you. sir. I'll try it." was
the answer. You don't keep horse,
and | won't have to go to town."
NO. Just stay here on the place and
do whatever you see necessary" ex-
planned Wilkins. fully understanding
the mans dislike to going into town
'.All right. sir. My name is James
Green"
Wilkins showed the tall gaunt fell
ow over the place and pointed out the
-oom over the carriage house where he
was to sleep. Tommy. who was ten
rcars old. trotted after them. deeply in
crested in the stranger
OF course Mrs. Wilkins didn't ap-
,rove OF her husbands choice She
cit sure that there was something
wrong about Green. aud as the days
vent by and he proved splendid
gardener and most useful person in
livers unexpected ways she was griev-
'usly disappointed. What enraged her
most was Green's taciturntty. Every /.
flor. of the cook and the house girl 1
prompted and encouraged by Mrs. VII +
Tins. failed 10 elicit hint about INN
elf At meals he was as silent as the
omb During the day be Kept busy
Il the back Of the two acre lot: a.
light he sat in the barn doorway tell
ng stories 10 Tommy and smoking his
,ipe.
Between him and the boy there
prang up an extraordinary compau-
onship. The man. silent with all
.thers. began TO tell his little comrade
he rarest and most extraordinary sto-
les of shipwreck- OF battle. OF wild
,easts. birds and adventures or all
finds. He knew the habits OF birds
md insects. OF reptiles and fishes. and
hese be explained to Tommy with in
mite care until the boy came TO dog
lis footsteps and sit beside him at all
lours-
The carved wooden toys. plated
Whips OF horsehair and leather and
lefty fashioned bows and arrows that
Green made for Tommy were the Won
Ter and envy OF the boys OF the neigh
,orhood. but they convinced Wilkins
hoe his model hired man had spent