The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-06-23
Seventh Page
By
w. w. JACOBS
Copyright 1905 by w. w. Jacobs.)


nny disappearance of Mrs. Grummit
as he got into bed failed to move him.
1.-THE beds broke, Bob" she said
family.
Beds won't last for ever" he
said, shortly; "sleep on the floor"
Mrs. Grummit clambered out, and
after some trouble secured the bed
clothes and made up bed In
corner Of the room. In a short time
she was fast asleep; but her husband
broad awake, spent the night in de-
vising further impracticable schemes
for the discontinue Of the foe next
doo..
He saw Mr.. Evans next morning.
as he passed on his way to work. The
constable was at the door smoking
In his shirt-sleeves, and Mr.. Grum-
NIT felt intincitively that he was
waiting there to see him pass.
II heard you last night" said the
constable. playfully. my word! Good
gracious!"
"Wot's the matter with your" de-
manded Mr.. Grummit, stopping short.
The constable stared at him. "She
has been knocking you about" he
gasped. why, II must ha' been you
screaming then! thought II sound
ed loud. Why don't you 90 and get
a summons and have her locked up?
I should be pleased to take her.
Mr.. Grummlt faced him. uuivering
with passion. "Wot would II cost Il
I set about your" he demanded, hus-
kily.
1.-TWO months" said Mr.. Evans,
smiling serenely; "p'r'aps three"
Mr.. Grummit hesitated and his fists
clenched nervously. The constable,
lounging against his door-post, sur
veved him with disnassionata
smile. "That would be besides what
You'd get from me-" he said. softly.
Come out In the road" said Mr..
Grummit. with sudden violence.
"Its agln the rules" said Mr..
Evans: Sorry can't. Why not 60
and 'sk your wife's brother to oblige
your"
He went In laughing and closed the
door, and Mr.. Grummit. after freu-
zied outburst. proceeded on his way,
returning the smiles Of such acduain-
tances AZ he passed with an icy stare
or a stron gly-worded offer to make
them laugh the other side of their
face. The rest of the day he snent In
working so hard that he had no time
to ren'v to the anxious inquiries Of
his fellOw-workmen
He came home at night glum and
silent. the hardship Of not being abe
A.
ont incnrring hard labour having
weighed on his spirits all day. To
avoid the annoyanc Of the piano
next door. which was slowly and re-
IUctantly Welding up THE Last Rose
If Snmer" note nv note. he went out
Mt the back, and the first thing he
saw was Mr.. Evans mending his path
with tins and other bric-abrac.
Nothing like H." said the consta-
HE. LOOKING uu. "Your missus gave
'em to us this morning. A little gravel
on top. and there you are"
he turned whistling to his work
again. and the other, after endeavor-
ing In vain to frame suitable reply.
took a seat on an inverted wash-tub
and IT, his pipe. His one hone was
that Constable Evans was going to
try and cultivate garden.
The hone was realized few days
later, and Mr.. Grummit a. the back
window sat gloating over a dozen
fine germaniums, some lobelias and
calceolarlas, which decorated the
constable's plot OF ground He could
not sleep for thinking of them.
He rose early the next morning.
and, after remarking to Mrs. Grum-
NIT that Mr.. Evans's flowers looked
as though they wanted rain, went of
to his work. The cloud which had
been on his spirits for some time had
lifted, and he whistled a. he walked.