, 1905-03-08

of one who has come to the
last bridge and is bound tc
make Il stand, u final one.
"Of course Sans M good; can't ex'
pect nothin' of him But the boys got
TO go to school; that's sure. Course
he's old enough to work if it come to
a pinch. but | want to see him get
some learnin', an he'll never get it if
he waits fer his father. I'm gettin'
plumb sick of Sam"
Mrs. Peters bit off her thread with
two sound teeth which happened to be
opposite.
"You hadn't ought to be so hard on
SAM" she said. you know, Nose,
he's good to me, an because he's I'M
fortunate you hadn't ought to feel
hard toward him.
"Unfortunate!' Nose snorted. "Just
cussed lazy, you mean What good is
he? Amt you supported him from
the day you married him? Unfortu-
nate! What has he done when he had
a job? Soldiered so much that he got
fired. Look at that job he had in
Simpsons factory at $50 a month, look
in after them machines-not three
hours work a day-an' he threw it up
because he had TO be at the factory
at 6 o'clock in the mornin'; said the
hours were so long. What did he do
down in LOuisiany? Wasn't he down
there a whole year peddlin' gospel
books or some fool thing like that, an
didn't you have to set up nights to
earn money to get him back? Better
for you if you'd let him stay there"
Mrs. Peters had dropped her work in
needle back and forth through a fold
in her dress. A battered silver thimble
capped III u%nshapely finger. Her fin
gers had the large knuckles peculiar to
people who labor with their hands.
Her almost expressionless face showed
but few wrinkles save those about the
eyes. which were caused by working
by the light of a poor oil lamp. Her
thin, dull brown hair was caught up at
the back in a little unkempt knot, from
which a few Uneven ends struggled
out.
you hadn't ought to speak so about
the Bible, Mose," she said gravely. at
amt right. Sam thought he could
make a Twin in Louisiany sellin' BIZ
bles, but he was unfortunate. You
think because you've been lucky every
n ought to be lucky too
"Yes, there's the rub, Lod. Sam
won't work, an he amt so lucky, SO l
don't see how you're ever goin' to have
anything. Some folks is lucky, an Il
lot more has to work. | always had to
work. Seems funny about Sam, too,
cause it's always the people that
couldn't make a Twin with their
hands er brains that's lucky. Seems
like work was Il kind of a habit. If
you start in at it you've got to keep it
up the rest of your life, an if you new
er begin, why, you'll get along some-
how, particularly if you've got a good
workin' wife"
MIR. Prothrow ran the end of a blunt
finger through the red stubble on his
jaw and gazed at his sister as though
wondering how she would answer that.
Mrs. Peters looked at the needle
which she was putting slowly through
and through her dress.
Il don't see how She stopped and
bent her head a little lower.
"Well" queried Nose.
well, l don't see how | can keep
LATE in school any longer. He's ten
years old, an they'd take him in Per-
kins' grocery. l don't see as they's
any chance of Sans gettin' any work
very soon, an | just can't keep on do
in it all much longer. L know faint
right for me to say that. but I can't
work like | used to-"
Mr.. Irothrow slipped down in his
chair and slid one reddish brown boot
out the full length of his leg. With
the heel for a pivot he slowly moved
his toe back and forth in a broad arc.
mo-" he said slowly; then with a
sudden attempt at sarcasm: mo.
you're gettin' so you can't work more'n
fifteen or sixteen hours a day. You
used to work eighteen.
Now, look here, LODI" he went on
quickly, they amt no use a monkey
In this way any longer! Sam is n. g.
He never did support you, an he never
will. You've been keepin' yourself an
LATE an him for the last fifteen years
with my help-an' you can't say l
amt helped you a good deal. Don't
think I'm regrettin' what I've lone for
you. You're my sister, an what I've
done has been for you an LATE. But
I'm plumb tired, Lod. I'm glad to do
anything l can for you an LATE, but