The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-07
A Powerful
Stirnulant
By OSCAR COX

I
len. Ma wife's powerful weak and
can't do nothin' at all She's goin' to
de hospittle dis afternoon"
| Miss Brown. a colored girl twenty
years of age, said she wouldn't mind
obliging Mr.. Jones. 1t occurred to her
that IL Mrs Jones should die she might
be Mrs. Jones herself. Jones was a
wen to do darby on the shady side OF
| forty and had three pickaninnies- Miss
Brown supported herself by washing |
and ironing and thought that II she |
could permanently change her occupa- |
| don to taking care Of a family it would |
be an advantage.
when do 20 want me to come. Mr.. |
yonesT she inquired.
ma wife's gwine to de hospittle J
about 4 o'clock. Reckon 20 mought
come round about half past T."
"All right, Mr.. Jones; I'll be dar."
Mrs. Jones was removed in the hos
pital ambulance on time. and half an
heur later Miss Brown. who was com
monty called Sue by her employers
settled herself down In her place The
children were playing in the street.
and Sue did not disturb them She
was taking an eye inventory Of the
premises and making a mental rear
rangement of the furniture when Mrs.
Jones would be removed from the hos
pital to the cemetery. Mr.. Jones, whose
, name, stripped of euphony, was simply
Nose, returned from conveying his
wife with a solemn countenance to
: find that Sue had prepared a cup Of
tea for him and had 1t set out on the
table with piece of corn pone.
81 thought yo'd come home needin'
somepin to brace 20 up. Mr.. Jones'"
said the girl.
: Her thoughtfulness braced up Nose
! as much as the refreshments.
How did 20 leave 20 po' wife2" she
! asked.
"Porely."
, rs she gwine to pull throughr'
Don know; she's powerful sick"
. Mrs. Jones lost instead of gained
; She was worried about her children.
and Nose found 1t necessary to tell her
II that he had secured the services Of
. some one to take care Of them. He did
not tell her that he had got young
e woman, for he had seen evidences al
ready that she was expecting to step
into his wife's shoes. and he knew that
'r this would worry her.
e. Perhaps 1t would have gone well
with Sue had she curbed her impa-
y, thence. Though Mrs. Jones was report
he ed getting weaker every day. she hung
ut on In a very aggravating way. Sue got
~ tired asking Nose after his visits to
rs the hospital how he had found his wife
lg hearing only the repetition. "Porely
u very porely; she's gwine down hill pow
he erful fast" So 1t occurred to the CIR
a to go to the hospital and ask questions
on her own account She bought Ave
to cent posy and, appearing at the hospi
It. tai door, was received by an attendant
he Tell Mrs. Jones'" she said, Offering
the posy. dat frien' OBJ de famil.
by brought her de flowers and hopes shet
ar. gettin' better"
he The attendant took the flowers an'
bit. was turning away when Sue asked:
I'll. MRS. Jones mighty sick"
raj "She's very low"
to- mot long to lib. 1 reckon"
mot long"
o. bout how long she gwine to las
to THE doctor doesn't expect her to liv
no the week out"
ny Sue took her departure. greatly con
to forted. The attendant took the posy {
nv Mrs. Jones with the message. Mn
he Jones was too I'll to appreciate the kin
til. attention. but the faculty Of curiosit
had not yet deserted her, and she aske
an. IL the friend Of the family had left
nt. name. The nurse said she had no
"a whereupon Mrs Jones asked for a d,
- scription of her and was told that sh
~ was a trim colored girl about invent
~ years old
,nS That night hurry call was sent Il
Nose to come to the hospital to see b
-. wife before she died. Nose obeyed Il
summons and found the invalid In
'ei state OF collapse. When told that b,
our husband was there she rallied, an
aAy Nose went to her bedside
ney Nose" she said, tax good care 9
de chillen when I'm daid-"
low "Sartin.''
"Gib all my fr1en's my Tub. ar
'ats thank de Guild gal TO de flowers 81
to brung me de udder day"
the "Wha' Guild gal7"
uck "Dunno She said she was a frie
ent of de family
ack al wond'rr-
to Nose checked himself, but too lat
on Urged to tell what he wondered at.
lied admitted that Sue might have left Il
flowers, and when asked who Sue vi
re- he admitted that she was the woms
ded who was taking care of the childre
or Perhaps II was Moses evident desl
ven to keep something back At any raj
fn- the mother took fright. She raised hs
led self with marvellous strength consi
said ering her condition and between I
nurse and her husband got the stoI
ave including some admissions from {
, In. latter as to Sues kind sollcitude in |
behalf.
the 'Yo' Nose" she said. "yo' wait
nave TO me to die to marry dat galr'
viii 81 hain't no sech thing"
Tho DE gals waitin' 70 me to die
that marry yo', Yo' s'pose l gwine to tn
Ioo, my chillen ober to a gal like dat?
sab. rs gwine to get well. Can
ambulance is gwine home right Of
She was not permitted to carry
VI her assertion, but she rallied IN
as that moment and a week later v
'aSA back in her own domicile. Miss Bro
ehe was warned by Nose Of her conf
and departed in time to avoid a seen
Keen a = title in Stock