The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1909-09-18
The Worst Man in Town.
And His Wife,
--S-sesss1
BY Lena spalding.
BY Lena SpaidinR.

-OAlOx-1
He had long had that reputation, sc
every dlsreputable deed was laid al
his door, and many of them he had
been forced to acknowledge as mis-
work. This last one he had not ac-
knowledged, but would when they
came for him in the morning, if not
before. So he and his wife sat and
waited the inevitable. They had
waited that way before on just such
an occasion. There was little said:
they both understood the situation. and
each other. 1t was so easy, so natural
to break the law, but so impossible to
dodge its agents! Better not to try.
Ihey both knew he would be sent away
but then, he had been before. He
was hard lot and she was only his
Wife She would continue to wash and
keep the home and herself until BE got
\ back. Then he would turn over new
leaf and&ao Better! He alwtys prom
1sed this and it always ended the
same; but she did not chide him; she
was his wife, and no other person un-
derstood him better. He took a dirty
worn bill from his pocket and passed
1t to her. He would not need it and
she might
The wind howled outside; they did
not notice it until the weather beaten
door flew open. He went to close it,
his ear caught another sound he lis
tened, leaning far out. His wife was
watching him, she stepped to his side.
What yer hear?"
Hear it?" he asked.
. someone hurt or drunk, We Think"
He didn't reply, but turned back into
the room and lighted lantern, then
went out and closed the door.
Five minutes passed, 10, 20; she |
turned her attention from the clock
and watched from the window in the
direction he had gone. The light an
peared. it came slowly, unsteadily.
once. twice it stopped, then came on
slowly TO the door she was holding
open. He staggered into the room un-
der his burden and lowered 1t to the
floor.
Hurt or drunk" she held the Ian
tern close to the fellows face.
Both. found i'm at the bottom of
The ledge" He walked to the door
and looked out, then closed and bolted
The woman bather the blood from
he mans face.
I'll put i'm in the other room. He's
lothin' but a kid. II they see i'm
leef they'll run i'm in, sure"
Together they moved him to the 9TH :
r room and placed him on their bed.
hen she took up her watch in the
itchen. Hours passed She sat with p.
er barred elbows on the table, her
hin resting in her water-soaked hands.
azing into space. Her reverie was in
errupted by her husband coming into :
ne room and lifting the coffee pot !
'om4 the stove to test its contents. :
I'm have it for yer in a jiffy," she .
ssured him, taking the empty pot. =,
Hes nothin but a kid" he again -
formed her; "he came here to get -
ork, and got in with the gang and =
1t goin' and lost his dough He start -
cross lots for the yard to catch a ~
eight and hike back home He was ~
Ivy an walked off the ledge" b.
Much hurt?" The woman asked the ~
lestion abstractedly Her attention
as divided between her task and the
or
Guess not, let i'm stay till he feels a..
,ht. | told i'm to go home and cut y.
out an forget it,
The sun slanted through a rent in ca
. curtain onto his face At first he
aid not think where he was or how In
came there. Slowly it all came ~
TX to him, slowly and painfully, for
made his head ache to think.
The woman was busy at her washtub m,
en- he appeared at the kitchen door. ere
} stopped to pour the coffee and ma