Middletown transcript., 1912-03-02
RY MARY BARRET HOWARD

4Q0 ACCAAA uA4AtAh 4 u EOtA -
take up with such a poor excuse
for a man as that, l says to him
Ny sakes, I says do you think ]
am looking for somebody else to
support besides myself?
He's all / got on hand jest now
ma'am, the broker says, kind OF
an persuasivelike. But
there's more to this one than ap-
pears on the surface-you can't
always judge by a cats looks
how far she can jpmr.
I can, I says pretty sharp. ]
can tell ev'ry time, an that there
feller would never in kingdom
come earn his own salt, let alone
mine.
At that l marched right out OF
the room an down the stairs an
the broker follered US most a
block sayin' he was real sorry il
happened so, but if I'd come
again in a week he'd have u larg
er stock to select from.
FirstI was so mad at his tryin'
to work off a damaged piece O.
goods like that on me that l
would mt go next nor nigh him,
but ten dollars paid in advance is
a lot of money to throw away for
nothin' and when Saturday
came round l went back.
had my pick of more than a
dozen that time, but l didn' t have
no difficulty in maxim a choice
for, if I do say it, I'm a pretty
good Judge of men.
Be careful, Miss Ransom, don't
step on that coat! Hobo don'tlet
nobody but me touch it. Tim
was track walker. she explain
ed in response to Elinor's inquir-
ing look, an he got killed pullin'
Hobo out from under the wheels
Of an engine. You never see
dog take On the way that one did.
He was jest wild till I gave him
that old brown coat O. Tins to
lay on.
Oh, the dear, faithful little fel
low! the girl cried. Oh, Mrs.
Pickens, when / see how loyal,
how true to their best instincts
dumb brute can be it makes me
ashamed Of myself and my kind!
Mrs. Piekens looked puzzled.
Well, l dunno, she said slowly.
1t seems as if it would show more
sense if Hobo d stay with some
o them fellers that treat him 81
we'll instead of comm back here
to be licked round by Pickens
when he gifts drunk, jest for the
sake of lyin' on that old coat.
Why, Mrs. Pickens, you don't
mean to tell me that MIR. Pickens
gets ts-er--that he drinks! ex
claimed Elinor. Then you can'l
oe such a good judge Of men
after all.
don't know why not, Mrs.
Pickens retorted. Pickens is
money, maker an that's what J
was lookin' for. Them politicians
says he's the man for their money
that he can deliver the goods.
Pickens may git drunk once in
while, an he may not be what
you'd call honest, but for my part
[ call Pickens good bargain.
But your first husband must
have been so different. EIinol
faltered glancing at the protrail
above her head. He looks so kind
and-and honest.
He w2s, Mrs. Pickens, a wist.
full shadow creeping over her
complacent red face. Pickens
makes a sight most money, fol
Tim wasn't practical = you'd
know that by his losin' his own
life tryin, to save a dogs.
There was determined tilt to
Elinor Ransom's softly rounded
chin as she went down the steps
of the tenement house a moment
later. A man twice her age with
tell.tale lines above his mouth
and pouches under his watery
gray eyes, hurriedly advanced tt
meet her, tossing away as he die
so on oily, black cigar.
Here you are at last, he said
What the devil are you carrying
that bundle for? l told you t.
pay the woman what you OWED
her and say good bye to her si1cC
you insisted upon if, but you
things aren't worth botherinl
with. You've been down on you
luck so long that your clothes ar
about all in. But we'll fix all tha
little girl, he added graciously
his frown relaxing into a j9via
manner that was even more IN
pleasant than his anger. There'l
be plenty of time, after we hav,