The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-12-08

making a comfortable living for her
self than eking out bare existence
with such man. Hiram was all right,
only he never stuck TO any one thing
long enough and his inventions never
seemed to be the things people wanted
Now she was almost up TO the big
re, and white sign Never before had
si.e felt free to indulge her pet extrav-
az .,ce. lat now with a steady tidy in
conc "at good clothes in plenty it did
SEGA ,Aat Providence had put that
sandwich man right there ahead of her.
Erea thesS and excited. she rushed
past the man to get front view of the
clock Oh. joy. There was the long
hoped for little face and the cuckoo
half emerging from his arch as though
the clock had stopped just as he start
ed TO announce the hour.
Samantha clapped her hands in an
ecstasy of rapture.
OH she cried. Can l get one
down on Thirteenth street now?"
For the first time she turned her eyes
from the sign TO the man whose way
she had blocked. All the light Of joy
faded from her face and left it ashen.
Hiram she cried. Hiram Shellw
Yes, Samanthy." he said, meek as
ever. looking at the trim little woman
before him and pulling surreptitiously
at his worn and soiled vest.
The pallor of her face changed to
flush of anger and resentment as she
looked at the disheveled old man.
Hiram She'll" she said forcibly.
what you dom trampin' the streets
like this? Shiftless and good for moth
in, same as you always was.'
Il don't know, Samanthy. l never
did seem to mount to anything" The
cuckoo clock swayed perilously near
barber pole but Samantha did not no
tice. She was looking at the mans
lantern jawed haggard visage and
thinking hard.
Miriam She'll she accused, you
haven't had enough to eat You can't
keep your knees stiff"
He smiled weakly. well, 1t do be
hard of an on to get a plenty. 'spe-
cially when it takes quite a bit for
wire. My new patent clothes wringer,
Samanthy"-
"Hiram Shell. you 90 right straight
down to Thirteenth street and tell those
clock people you haven't got sense
enough to pound sand in a rat holer'
But even as she spoke her eyes were
moist and Hiram, you bring a clock
up to my house. I'm going home now
to get supper ready" She counted out
S2.03 g cents for car fare. gave him
her address and told him vigorously
to hurry up before he forgot what he
was to do. She left him standing stu
pefied In the middle of the walk gazing
after her with meek If hungry eyes.
"She be Just the same as ever" he
whispered TO himself "She'd "a made
me good wife. Samanthy would"
Samantha Sanders was bustliug fe-
verishly about her rooms at the New
Rochelle apartments. True to her prov
ident New England instincts, she had
a plentiful supply Of cake. pie, apple
butter and baked beans on hand. She
had ordered recklessly at the green
grocer's on her way home, and the ia
bic was beginning to look like feast
of plenty.
Poor old Hiram She could not get
the image of his pitiable figure out Of
her mind. Even the prospect of the
new clock could not dispel the feeling
Of utter heartsickness Hiram Shell,
whose father had been justice of the
peace, tramping the streets as a sand
wich man.
There was dull aching at her heart
that was lncomprehensible to her until
Just as she showed the brown bread