The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1909-07-22
The Worst Man in Town.
And Ills Wife.
.sOEOE
BY Lena SpaIding,

He had long had that reputation, so
every disreputable deed was laid at
his door, and many of them he had
been forced to acknowledge as his
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 agentsI Better not TO try.
They 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 he got
back. Then he would turn over a new
leaf and do better! He always prom
ised this and 1t always ended the
same; but she did not chide him; she
was his wife, and no other person I'M
derstood him better. He took a dirty
worn bill from his pocket and passed
it to her He would not need It and
she might.
The wind howled outside; they did
not notice it until the weather beaten
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 a 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 ap-.
peared, it came slowly, unsteeadiIy.
once, twice it stop59seasS7=ft6e then came on
SloMiS S - door she was holding
o. W. He staggered into the room I'M
der his burden and lowered 1t to the
floor.
Hurt or drunk?" she held the lam
tern close 10 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
It,
The woman bather the blood from
the mans face.
"I'I put i'm in the other room.-He's
nothin' but a kid. If they see I'm
heer they'll run I'm in, sure"
Together they moved him to the 9TH
er room and placed him on their bed.
Then she took up her watch in the
kitchen. Hours passed. She sat with
her barred elbows on the table, her
chin resting in her water-soaked hands.
gazing into space. Her reverie was in
terrupted by her husband coming into
the room and lifting the coffee pot
from the stove to test its contents.
"I'll have 1t for yer in a jiffy," she
assured him, taking the empty pot
Hes nothin' but a KID he again
informed her; che came here to get
work, and got in with the gang and
got goin' and lost his dough. He start
ed cross lots for the yard to catch a
freight and hike back home. He was
hazy an walked off the ledge"
Much hurt?" The woman asked the
question abstractedly. Her attention
was divided between her task and the
door.
"Guess not, let i'm stay till he feels
right. / told i'm to go home and cut
1t out an forget it,
The sun slanted through a rent in
the curtain onto his face. At first he
could not think where he was or how
he came there. Slowly it all came
back to him, slowly and painfully, for
It made his head ache TO think.
The woman was busy at her washtut
when he appeared at the kitchen door
She stopped to pour the coffee and
cut the bread while he bathed mis- face
at the sink.
'T slept late" he remarked apologet
ically HAS he, has your husband
gone to work."
Eyes" she answered briefly.
''He did me a great turn last nigh
and gave me some good advice whicf
I'm going to follow right away.
thought was broke and would have
to wait till dark and jump a freight
but | found this in my pocket. don
see how / ever overlooked It," II,
smcothed dirty, worn bill between
his fingers. '"Thank God did: now
can so home like a man." He ha'
passed out into the sunlight and tn
wife of the worst man in town" drop
ped onto a chair and poured for her
self cup of the black coffee. Some
thing like smile lighted her haggsr
face as she said aloud, Thank God h
can. Boston Post