Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-26

u knew him, old Lem Williams he was; but he didn't
know me. Lem was curious citizen, cranky, crooked,
light listed; but streak of grained humaneness
ran through him. l remembered something about
light he put up once for tramp with the town authori
ties. l wondered how I'd work him. My standard story
might make him think it fine chance to take Jim
Decon down peg or two.
al suppose you think your money do anything out
here with us jays, says Lem.
You won't do it for money, l told him, If
you re anything like the other guys I've struck
today; but you see they got interested and got
their money too l was stamping my feet and
warming up as fast as | could didn't know but
I'd have to walk it.
Huh! | suppose you worked EN- up over the
bank doin's; but Wescott wa MT no friend of mine
and | think he was fool, and poor kind of
stop with full period
a heard afterward that Aaron had made the
town shut up Lens blind tiger Not that Aaron
any born ins,irgent either; but the Widow
Leel's boys were getting drunk and going to the
deuce, and that put it up to Aaron. There whole
story about that Aaron got into a varrnint's nest
of leading citizens before he through with it;
but I'll tell you of that another time.
"lf things hadn't moved faster than talk, I'd
never have heard the preacher at Aarons funeral,
and that would have been your loss as well as mine
Lem said Westcott no friend of his. But I'm
going to take you out there, he stated in separate
section, and went out. Returning he spliced on the
rest of that section as if thercd been no break If
that wreath's come all the way from New York,
little matter of comfort and horsefesh amt going
to make me stand in its way. Come on! Those girls
of his that Aaron robbed SO blamed honest is ct
up with pride, and got sympathy with EN-, SEEM
pride's all they got left
~ don't know about all that told him. We were
climbing in the sleigh.
"'You don't?' He was astonished but talking time
was
we got out to the poor old Westcott place,
w Lem said, 1 thought likely that was what
brought you LENS punctuation put down the illu-
sions of time and space.
"Some took the team. I'm not expected; but
m goin' in with you, Lem avowed, and I'm goin' to
tell the preacher that you amt heard Wonder what
other Of Aarons luny doings did bring you?
But was spared the embarrassing revelation by at
last arriving at Aarons funeral. The first thing saw
the coffin. Anyone would have seen it first never
saw another decorated like it. No did It was
gay with scarlet geranium and blue lobeia and such
Man, do you know what they were? Window garden
flowers! Huh, window garden nothing Tin can flowers,
Lady Washington geraniuns and purple and pink
fuchsias and geranium leaves lvished there
the scant of the tin cans but it the rubber
plant that hit me hardest and seemed most like that
box of precious ointment another woman lavshed of
full heart once,a whole tall rubber plant down
and lying the length of that coffin. She wanted to give
it. woman, and cut down that-that proud piece
Of furniture! If you'd up in Larkinsvile, you'd
grasp all better. 1t took lot of tin make that
showing
"The preacher was just winding up; but that crooked
iveryman butted right n up and whispered to him
minute. He looked funny while he did stubborn
and grouchy purpose, and childish underneath
Aaron friend of his; but the truth was that old
rascal proud of that wreath and me as if he'd
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