The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-11-24
CHAPTER VIII.

upon him, he did not return again to
the little fat, and 1t was some time be-
fore Mrs. Harris and Beth favored
them with another visit. But this
did not trouble the young couple bit.
Commencing on that night when he
had insisted on taking his wife to a
place Of amusement, Joe's conduct to-
ward her had undergone a complete
change. Instead Of returning home de-
pressed and irritable he was nearly
always in good humor and affection
ately considerate. They needed no
other company than their own and oc-
casionally Jimsy's.
The happy transformation had been
brought about by an unexpected bit Of
luck. As Joe explained 1t to his de-
lighted wife, in his capacity Of col
lector he had become very friendly
with the manager Of concern which
transacted business with the steam
ship company, and this gentleman had
offered him $40 a week to render, whe2
required, certain little services in the
matter Of collections, which he was
able to do without interfering to any
extent with the duties the Latin
American line paid him for perform
ing. 1t was just the amount of the
advance he had asked for and which
Captain Williams had refused to give
him, and it represented the difference
between very painful sparing and COM
parative ease. And that was not all.
One thing leading to another, Joe was
enabled now and then to earn an extra
S. or $40 from other sources.
With this prosperous turn in his af-
fairs the self confidence and assurance
that long had abandoned him under
his repeated disappointments and fail
ure to make headway returned. Mo-
rose supineness gave way to vim and
energy. His old optimism had revived
in most extravagant form. He began
to be interested In the price Of real es-
tate and automobiles.
His wife, with the SOLDERING recollec-
ton of the gulf between talk and
achievement of desire and possession,
was careful to build no hopes upon
these fabrics Of vision, though she was
too wise to seek to restrain the ardor
IA nlb 1uudBludtLOh. 0u6 Ol0t hOWCNCl,
take with gratitude what the gods had
given, pending the bestowal of possi-
bly, greater favors. The substantial
addition to their means enabled her to
hire a woman who (when she felt like
it) did the dirtier work Of the house
hold that had been such a tax upon
her. Little toilet necessities and acces-
Syarsac Yt1odn thnt. Prnnlo
when he had made an extra good
week, insisted on lavishing his addi-
tional earnings upon her. New and
suitable clothing restored her self re-
Spect and the pleasure that every wo-
man feels or should feel in making
herself attractive.
Mrs. Harris and Beth could not fail
to notice the change, and it had a
gradual but marked effect on their at
titude toward Brooks, which became
more civil and cordial. Emma de-
clined to crafty their inquisitiveness
beyond admitting that Joe was "get-
ting on" To all leading questions she
returned evasive answers one reason
being that deep resentment ranked in
the heart Of her husband for the lofty
disdain under which he had suffered
for SO long and that he objected en-
phatically to the revelation Of their
private affairs to anybody, even to
Jimsy. Besides. as he had pointed
out, It would not be to their interest
for the intelligence that he was doing
outside work to reach Captain VIII
liams' ears. He would either be
dropped or SO much would be given to
him to do that there would be nc
time In which to devote his energies
so lucrat1vely elsewhere The force OF
this could not fan to be seen by Mrs
Brooks, and, thus placed on her guard
she was all discretion.
Soon Joe was doing 80 well that they
decided to take a larger fat and en-
gage a regular servant.
Another piece Of luck came to Joe
so unlocked for, in form 30 amazingly
substantial, that it almost made Emma
crazy with Joy.
Looking out Of the window about
supper time and wishing that her hus
band would come, she noticed a cab
drive up to the door and, to her sur
prise, saw her husband leap out Of It
He bounded up the stairs two at Q
time, breathless with excitement and
emptied from his pockets ON to the
table heap Of notes and gold. Their
he seized hold Of her and forcibly
waltzed her around the room.
Finally he sat her, painting and be
wildered, in chair and pushed thu
money toward her.
''There. little woman" he gasped
''thats for you, all Of it-every penn!
of 1t! You know that three days ag
when Jimsy started on that trip Of In
spection to our South American port
of call williams went too and tina
they are to be gone for two OF thre
@onthA Wen. III give yO1 a unilllel