Smyrna times., 1902-01-15
WHY WILKINS
HIRED MAN RAN AWAY
By JOHN H. RAFTERY.
Observation-Disclosures

Sunday morning while Mrs. wilkins
was at church with Tommy Mr.. VIII
kins, in defiance Of the social ethics
of Lake Hill, put ON his overalls. and,
rake in hand. attacked the carpet of
dead leaves that covered his lawn. He
knew that his wife would make a
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 rustling |
piles and watched with dogged 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 were 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 that wilkins had hard time
getting, to say nothing of keeping, Il
serviceable hired man. and 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 kindling
was unchopped and his loyalty to sub
urban life was tottering Therefore
he had defed all precedent and on
Sunday morning attacked the work
with his own hands.
While he was bending over a russet
mound of leaves he heard a voice:
"Mister. I'll clean up that lawn for a
meal"
1t was a low, strong voice. musical
of tone ard so opportune that wilkins
let his rake fall and looked about. The
stranger was tall. lean young man,
) dusty from a long walk. but clean and
trim as 10 clothes and person.
"I'll 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
f getting back into his Sunday garments
: the man of the house watched his res
h cuer The latter had laid aside his
r round felt hat, disclosing a bullet head
r closely shaved. The workers clothes,
4 new. cheap and coarse, ill fit the wear
n er, and as Wilkins watched him swift
ly and silently clearing away the dead
Z grass, weeds and leaves his heart mis-
gave him. and he murmured to him
# self:
70 "An ex-cOnvict. I'll bet"
"a Mrs. wilkins soon came home witt
n Tommy and eyed the stranger askance
p When she had noticed him eating
ls heartily. but decOrOusly. and had OBJ
,g served that he knew the purposes OF
# knife. fork and spoon. she darkly hint
!. ed to her husband that there wa'
10 something mysterious" about th'
newcomer. When Wilkins felt sur
OF that his wife hadn't guessed the prob
o. able truth. he resolved to offer the maj
or a job. and as the latter passed out tn
no walk toward the road the suburbanit
ad stopped him with:
+s "My friend. like the way you work
nd and | like your looks. and if you'll sta
ne I'll give you $4 week and your boar
&C Just to keep up the place, tend tn
n+ chickens and the furnace
,.,- Thank you. sir. I'll try it." wa
the answer. You don't keep a hOrs'
and won't have to go to town?'
mo. Just stay here on the place an
is do whatever you see necessary" e!
ith plained wilkins. fully understandin
is the mans dislike to going into town.
&C. "All right. sir. My name is JAIME
re- Green
ms, wilkins showed the tall. gaunt fe
use low over the place and pointed out IL
ely room over the carriage house where
,ite was to sleep. Tommy. who was tC
in years old. trOtted after them, deeply i
the terested in the stranger,
or OF course Mrs. W'iins didn't a
The prove of her husbanus choice. )
nto felt sure that there was somethil
is wrong about Green. and as the da
are went by and he proved a splend
the gardener and most useful person
ON divers unexpected ways she was griC
ously disappointed. What enraged i
most was Green's tacturnity. Eve
effort of the cook and the house q
uch prompted and encouraged by Mrs. W
in kins failed to elicit a hint about hi
ting self. At meals he was as silent as
sent tomb. During the day he kept bu
II n at the back of the two acre lot;
night he sat in the barn doorway Il
eve ing stories 10 Tommy and smoking
lter- pipe.
din Between him and the boy tn
this sprang up an extraordinary comps
d be ionship The man. silent with
ould others. began TO tell his little comrs
lght the rarest and most extraordinary S
ries of shpwreck. of battle. of W
ldon beasts. birds and adventures of
Kinds. He knew the habits of bi
and insects, of reptiles and fishes. O
)ung ms ne Np.aiI i'..,I ~, nov como 70 ,
n to nni'e cale uA..l w -. ,"os,do hir, a.