The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1916-07-07

along
oHulIo, Lem" she replied, and kept
her eyes on her work
"Ain't you glad to see me2"
"of course. Have you had hard
timer"
"Dretful; somethin' awful Work,
work, work, from mornin' It'll night.
and half-staryed all the time. That
workhouse is torture hole, if there
ever was one.
He was working up fine case of
self-pity. He had been very badly
treated. Mrs. Brown noticed that he
was clean, that his hair was trimmed
and he was not in the least thin, but,
on the contrary, looked very well fed.
81 s'pose 7 got to 90 look for job
said Lem q got to have little car
fare
Mrs. Brown looked ,lp.
stDo you mean that, Lem?' she
asked do you really want money for
car fare2 How much do you want2
Where are you going to look for a
job?''
The pale light of hope burned in her
eyes. Long years of experience seemed
to have taught her nothing This thing
had happened, oh, so many times be!
fore. Lem drew very long, woe-be-
gone face.
.'It's night work, he said. "Oyer at
the docks, stevedorin' That's the
hardest kind of work stowin,. cargo in
ships. But s'pose 1 got to sport my,
family. I always have managed to-
except when I-when had one O. my
slip-ups. But that amt goin' to hap
pen no more. I'm through. I'm a re-
formed man. All want is three dol.
lars to get me some overalls an din
ner pail an pay my fare to the docks.
They're needin' men, and can go
right on tonight"
wait a minute" said his wife, She
went into the bedroom Lem looked
after her and treated himself to a
wink.
The door from the hall opened and a
man stepped into the Brown kitchen.
1t was Sam Thomas.
"Hullo, Lem Brown. he said.
Lem looked up, startled. When a
man has been in Jail, one can't tell
what may happen.
You been away, hear" said Sam
pointedly. You're goin' away again,
amt you?"
+ What, me? Coin away again? Oh,
no. I was just tellin' Lottie Il"
He stopped, for his wife had come
in. She held three one-dollar bills in
her hand, which she hastily thrust be-
hind her, looking very guilty, as If
Sam Thomas had caught her stealing
the money.
"Hullo. Lottie,' said Sam. II see
LENS back"
yes" said Mrs. Brown. "He's got
a job-over at the docks. He's goin'
right over there now, aren't you Lem?'
"M-hm, I'm goin' right over there
this afternoonafter, I get me some
overalls and dinner pail and
AND half dozen drinks of
whisky" put in Sam Thomas coldly.
''Oh, no, no, Sam. Certainly not"
protested Lem, certainly not. Never
again for me. No, sir. I'm goin' to
work. I got good job, steyedorin';
night work, you know, stowin' cargo
in"
"You lie, Lem"
whats that?' LENS artificial-look-
ing eyes stared with dull surprise at
Sam.
you he," persisted Sam. "You
haven't got a job; they amt loadin' no
vessels over at the docks now; and
they hardly ever work nights when
they do"
"Aw. SAM whined Lem. $50 help
me, II"
Somebody's goin' to help you, but
he amt goin' to help you to no
drinks
"But, Sam, got to have some over
ais if 60 to work"
"You'll git overalls all right, all
right. You'll git somethin' else, too.
Come on, now. Well be on our way"
"What d you mean, Sam?'
"Pve got you a job, Lem. A good
job-a right swell job. You'll like il,
Lem cause know you love hard
work"
''But. Sam, I'm not very strong-I
been sick
You haven't been sick, and you're
a big, lazy, hog-fat liar, Lem Brown.
You give me another word of your sass
and I'll hand you the grandest whalin'
you ever had in your life"
Sam shook fist as big as a Chi
cago ham under the nose of the aston
ished and affrighted Lem. Then he
turned to til wife, who had stood
mutely and uncomprehendingly by.
"Lottie, this big hulk of husband
OF yours has got to go to work, and
I'm goin' to see that he does. I've been
needin' help on the place for a long
time. Lem won't make first class help.
but amt goin' to pay him much If
he can't be handled, I'm goin' to have
him sent back to iail: and this time