The Virginia enterprise., 1908-12-11

llSnl. Zoo -nlSnt, DICK; goo night,
Mrs. Weed; goodnight, baby
They ad the neighbors in then,
and the trouble they 'ad to get Job
downstairs wouldn't be believed Mrs.
Pottle went for is wife at last, and
then Job went 'ome with 'er like a
lamb. asking 'er where shed been all
the evening. and saying ed been look
ing for 'er everywhere.
There was such to-do about it in
the village next morning that Job
Brown was fairly scared.
HE wasn't like hisself that night
up at the Cauliflower e sat up in
the corner and wouldn't take notice
of anybody, and it was easy to see as
he was thoroughly ashamed of his
self.
"'Cheer up, JOB says Bill Cham
bers, at last; you amt the fust man
as has made a fool of hisself'
Mind your own business ses Job
Brown, and I'll mind mine'
why don't you leave i'm alone,
Bill: ses Henery White; you can
see the man is worried because the
baby cant talk
"'Oh, ses Bill. 4 thought e was
worried because is wife could
I'm going to give it up, Smith,
he ses, and I'll give five pounds to
anybody ash prevent me tasting in
toxicating Ticker for a month
Bill Chambers wasn't satisfied then.
He pointed out that earning the five
pounds, and then getting it out O. Job
Brown afterwards, was two such en-
tirely different things that there was
no likeness between 'em at all. Then
Job Brown got SO mad e didn't know
Wot e was doing, and e 'anded over
five pounds to Smith the landlord and
wrote on the paper that he was to
give 1t to anybody who should earn
it, without consulting i'm at all. Even
Bill couldn't think Of anything to say
agin that, but he made a point of bit
ing all the sovereigns.
"There was quite a excitement for
a few days. Henery White e got a
eadache with thinking, and Joe Cub
bins. e got 'eadache for drinking
| Job Browns beer agin. There was
all sorts O wild ways mentioned to
earn that five pounds, but they didn t
come to anything.
"Arter a week had gone by Job
Brown began to get restless like. and
once or twice e said in Smiths hear
ing 'ow useful five pounds would be.
"He used to ask Smith for it every
night. and Smith used to give i'm the
| same answer. until at last Job Brown
said he'd go an see lawyer about
it. That frightened Smith a bit, and
| b'lieve he'd ha 'anded it over, but
two days afterwards Job was going
upstairs SO careful that he fell down
to the bottom and broke is leg.
1T was broken in two places, and
the doctor said it would be a long Job,
owing to is drinking habits, and e
gave Mrs. Brown strict orders that
Job wasn't to ave drop of anything,
even if e asked for it.
There was lot O. talk about it up
at the Cauliflower ere, and Henery
White. arter a bad 'eadache. thought
of plan by which e and Bill Cham
bers could ave that fve pounds
atween 'em. The idea was that Bill
Chambers was to go with Henery to
sec Job, and take i'm bottle of beer,
and jist as Job was going to drink it
| Henery should knock it out of is
'ands. at the same time telling Bill
Chambers G ought to be ashamed O.
hisself.
1T was a good idea, and, as Henery
White said, if Mrs Brown was in the
| room so much the better. as she'd be
| witness. He made Bill swear to
keep it secret for fear of other chaps
doing it afterwards, and then they
bought bottle O beer and set off up
the road TO Jobs. The annoying part
of it was, arter all their trouble and
Henery Whites 'eadache, Mrs Brown
wouldn't let 'em in. They begged and
prayed of 'er to let 'em go up and
just ave peep at i'm, but she would
MT. She said she'd go upstairs and
peep for EN-, and she came down agin
and said that e was little bit flushed
but sleeping like lamb
JOB promised that e would give
liquor up; but the fust day e felt able
to crawl on is crutches he made up is
mind to go up to the Cauliflower and
see whether gin and beer tasted as