The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1901-12-04
WHY WILKINS
HIRED MAN RAN AWAY
-
BY JOHN II. RAFTERY.

n by JoIlN IL. INAfIEh Il.
Observation-Disclosures as AAS
Sunday morning, while Mrs wilkins
was Mt church with Tommy, Mr.. vii
kins, In defiance of the social ethics
of Lake llill put on his overalls, and,
rake in hand, attacked the carpet of
dead leaves that covered his lawn. lie
knew that his wife would make n
scene IL 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 neighbours
and yet, In spite of all these misglv-
ings, he raked the leaves into rustling
piles and watched with logged salts
| faction the columns OF blue smoke
that rose among the oaks from his
unholy fires
! 1s...u ,ntirUs, -. .,,,--
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 proprietes which the woman OF
the house insisted upon. So it came to
| pass that Wilkins had hard time
getting, TO say nothing of keeping II
seryiceablc hired man, aud when the
leaves began TO fall his lawns gardens,
vines and orchard were in sad case, his
chicken house needed repairs, his coal
cellar was empty, his winter kindllng
was unchopped and his loyalty TO sub
urban life was lettering Therefore
he had defled all precedent and ON
Sunday morning attacked the work
with his own hands.
While he was bending over russet
mound of leaves he heard voice:
Mister. I'll clean up that lawn for u
meal"
1t was low, strong voice. musical
Of tone and SO opportunc that Wilkins
| LET his rake fall and looked about. The
stranger was tall, lean young man,
dusty from II long walk, but clean and
trim as to clothes and person
"Tll Just 80 you" said Wilkins. open
ing the gate The big fellow walked
In, dropped his coat on the ground and
fell TO work without n word. After
getting back into his Sunday garments
the man of the house watched his res
cuer. The Inter Ind laid aside his
round felt hat, disclosing bullet bend
closely shaved. The workers clothes,
new, cheap and coarse. Ill fit the wear.
err and as Wilkins watched him swift
/ L..
grass, weeds and leaves his heart mis-
give him. and he murmured to him
self:
AN eX-eonvlet, I'll bet"
Mrs wilkins soon came home Will
Tommy aud eyed the stranger askanee
When she had noticed him eatlnl
heartily but decorously and had oh
served that he knew the purposes OF
knife. fork and spoon. she darkly hint
ed to her husband that there was
something mysterious" about The
newcomer When wilkins felt sure
that his wife hadn't guessed the prob
able truth, he resolved to offer the man
job, and as the latter passed out the
walk toward the road the suburbanltC
stopped him with:
"My friend. like the way you work
and | like your looks, and If you'll stny
I'll give you 81 n 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 n horse,
and won't have to go 10 town.
mo. Just stay here on the place and
do whatever you see necessary" eS-
planned Wilkins, fully understanding
the mans dislike to going into town.
"All right. sir My name Is james
Green"
wilkins showed the tail, gauDt fel-
low over the place and pointed out the
room over the carriage house where he
was to sleep. Tommy. who was ten
years old, trottcd nfter them. deeply in
terested In the stranger.
OF course Mrs. wilkins didn't ap
prove of her husbands choice She
felt sure that there WINS something
wrong about Green. and MS the days
went by and he proved splendid
gardener ma most useful person IN
divers unexpected ways she was grley
ously disappointed. What enraged hen
most was Green's taelturnlty. Every
effort of the cook and the house girl
prompted and encouraged by Mrs. VII
| kins, failed TO elicit hint about him
self At meals he was rs silent as tho
tomb During the day he kept busy
at the back of the two acre lot; al
night lac sat In the barn doorway tell
Ing stories TO Tommy and smoking his
pipe.
Between him aud the boy there
sprang up an extraordinary compan
ionship. The man. silent with al
others, began to tell his little comradt
the rarest and most extraordinary sto
ries Of shlpwreck. Of battle, Of wIlt
bensts, birds and adventures OF al
kinds. lie knew the habits OF birds
and insects Of reptiles and fishes, and
these he explained TO Tommy with In.
finite care until the boy came to dog
! his footsteps and sit beside him ut all
hours.
The carved wooden toys, plated
whips of horschalr and leather and
deity fashioned bows and arrows that
Green made for Tommy were the Won
der and envy Of the boys OF the neigh
borhood. but they convinced wilkins
that his model hired man had spent
much time In some penItentlary. Mean
while, MS day by day she failed te
penetrate the atmosphere Of mystery
which surrounded him. Mrs. wilkins
grew more suspicious When she
found out that he didn't want to sc
10 the village during the day. she con
trived errnnds that would take him
there At last he quietly but positive
y refused to do her bidding, explain
Ing that Mr.. wilkins had absolved
him from any duty but such as he
could find on the place
He had been two months on the
place before he spoke more than doz-
en- words TO his employer He had
worked well. asked no fayOrs, made no
mistakes. Under his nssIdu0us efforts
the wilkins place had taken on new
signs Of prosperity aud beauty. Then