The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-12-05

VILLAINS HIRED MAN.

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Sunday morning, while BITS. wilkins
was at church with Tommy Mr. vii.
kins, in dehancs of the social ethics Of
Lake Hill, put on his oyeralls. and, rake
IN hand, attacked the carpet Of deat
leaves that covered his lawn He knew
that his wife would make a scsne If she
caught him, and he knew tia. his Sab
bath-breaking would furnish another
argument against suburban l. e. and he
anticipated considerable guying from
his male noighbors, and yet in spite OF
all these misgivings, he raeed the leaves
into rustling piles and watched With
dogged satisfaction 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 month, and none
had carried away either the esteem or
good will Of Mrs. wilkins. Most Of
them were worthless. some dishonest,
some lazy, and some lacked that regard
for the proprieties which tAe woman OF
the house insisted upon, SO ii came to
pass that wilkins had hard time get
ting, to say nothing of keeping, a ser
yiceabIe hired man, and whsn the leaves
began to fall his lawns. gardens, vines
and orchard were in sad case his chick
en-house needed repairs, his coal celia,
was empty, his winter kindlng was un-
chopped and his loyalty to suburban life
was tottering. Therefore he had defed
all precedent and on Sunday morning
attacked the work with his own hands
Mister III clean up that lawn for a
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 tall, lean young man,
dusty from long walk. but clean and
trim as to clothes and person
"I'll just 90 you" said Wilkins open
ing the gate The big fellow walked in.
dropped his coat on the ground and fell
10 work without a word After getting
back into his Sunday garments the man
Of the house watched his reseuer. The
latter had laid aside his round felt hat
disclosing a bullet bead. closely shaved.
The workers clothes. new cheap and
coarse, Ill fit the wearsr, and as Wilkins
watched him swiftly and silently clear
ing away the dead grass, weeds ana
leaves, his heart misgave him and he
murmured to himself.
"An ex-convict I'll bet"
Mrs. wilkins soon came home with
Tommy. and eyed the stranger askancs.
When she had noticed him eating heart
lily but decorously. and had observed
that he knew the purposes of knife. fork
and spoon, she darkly hln,ed to her
that there was something wrong" about
mysterious" about the newcomer
When Wilkins felt sure that his wife
hadn't guessed the probable 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 like your looks. and il you'll stay
I'll give you 81 a week and your boar
just to keep up the place, tend the
chickens and the furnace
"Thank you. sir. IN try it, was the
answer. "You don't keep a 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 to town.
CAN right, sir. My name is janet
Green
wilkins showed the tall. gaunt fellow
ever the place and pointed ont the room
over the carriage-house where he was to
sleep. Tommy. who was 10 years old
trotted after them. deeply interested in
the stranger
OF course, Mrs. Wilkins didn't approve
OF her husbands choice. She "felt sure