Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-04-05

tinued along the track for a matter
OF a hundred yards, when his feet
found a narrow path which led off
in the direction of the light he had so
confidently declared was his old
woman's. Then presently, as he shut
fled forward, the other seven houses
of the row of which his was the
eighth, cloaked in utter darkness,
took shadowy form against the sky.
The handy-man stumbled into his I'M
kempt front yard, its metes and
bounds but indifferently defined
by the remnants of what had
been a picket fence; he made his
way to the side door. which he
threw open without ceremony. As he
had surmised. his old woman was up.
corner, engaged in mending the
ragged trousers belonging to Joseph
Montgomery, junior.
At sight of Joe, senior, she screamed
and flung them aside; then, white
and shaking, she came weakly to her
feet. The handy-man grinned gent
ally. He was not of demonstrative
temperament
"Joe." cried Nellie, as she sprang
toward him. Dear Joel" and she
threw her arms about him.
"Oh, hell." said the handy-man
Nellie was hanging Imply about his
neck and he was aware that she had
kissed him; he could not remember
when before she had taken such a
liberty. Mr.. Montgomery believed in
reasonable display of affection, but
kissing seemed to him a singulary
frivolous practise.
"Oh, my MANI sobbed Nellie.
"Oh, cheese it, and let me loose-I
don't like this to-dol Can't a mar
ried man come home without all this
fuss?"
Dear Joe. you've come back to me
and your babies!' And the tears
streamed down her cheeks.
Il don't need you to tell me that
got plenty sense enough to know
when I'm home," said Montgomery,
not without bitterness.
II mourned you like you was passed
away, until your letter comet" said
Nellie, and the memory of her suffer-
ings set her sobbing afresh.
ION great hell!" exclaimed Joe de-
jectedly. why can't you act cheer
full? What's the good of takin' on,
anyhow don't like tombstone talk
ut was just the shock of seem you
standin' there in the door like I seen
you so often' said Nellie weakly
IF that amt a woman for you,
miserable because she's happy Say,
stop chokin' me; l won't stand for
much more of this nonsense, you
might know l don't like these to-
dosi'
''You don't knowswhat I've suffered,
joel"
That's a woman for you every
time-always thinkin' of herself! TIC
hear.you talk anyone would think I'd
been to a church picnic; / look like
I'd been to picnic, don't l? Yes,
do--lilke hell!'
"They said you would never come
back to me-" moaned Nellie.
who said that" asked Mr.. Mont
gomery aggressively.
"E,verybody-the neighbors-Shrim-
plin--they all said it!'
Amt l told you never to listen tc
| gossip, and amt always done what's
right?" Intercepted the handy-mar
| severely.
Yes. always, joe" said Nellie.
"Then you. might know'd I'd come
back when<I got plenty good and
ready. l fooled em all, and I'm here
to stay-that is, If you keep your
hands off mel"
| "You mean it, Joe?' asked Nellie.
What? About your keepin' your
hands off me? Yes, you bet / dol"
And Montgomery by not ungen,
tie effort released himself from his
wife's embrace. This act so restored
his self respect that he grinned pleas
antIy at her.
II don't know when | been sc
happy, Joe-it's awful nice tohaye you
back," said Nellie, wiping her eyes
on the corner of her apron.
There's some sense in your sayin
that" said the handy-man, shaking
his head. 'You ought to feel happy
you don't ask after your children
! joe"