The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1916-07-13

U.
"Hullo. Lot" he said, seating him
self near the tubs. How you gettin'
along?"
"Hullo, Lem" she replied, and kept
her eyes on her work.
''Ain't you glad to see me?"
"Of course. Have you had hard
timer"
'Dretful; somethin' awful. Work.
work, work, from mornin' It'll night,
and half starved all the time. That
workhouse is a torture hole, If there
ever was one"
He was working up n 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.
'I s'pose I got to 90 look for a job"
said Lem. IL got to have little car
fare"
Mrs. Brown looked up.
''Do you mean that, Lemr she
asked. "Do you really want money for
car fare? How much do you want?
Where are you going to look for
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 a very long, woe-be-
gone face.
ITS night work" he said. cover at
the docks, stevedorin'. That's the
haY- 1t, Il y
ships. But s'pose got 20 sport my
family. L always have managed to-
except when when had one o. my
slip-ups. But that amt goin' to hap
pen no more. I'm through I'm re-
formed man. All l want is three dol
lars to get me some overalls an a din
ner pail an pay my fare to the docks
They're needin' men, and 1 can go
right on tonight"
wait a minute" said his wife. She
went into the bedroom. Lem looked
after her and treated himself to
wink.
The door from the hall opened and
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
pontedly. You're goin' away again,
amt your"
What, me? Coin away again? Oh,
no. l was just tellin' Lottie L"
He stopped, for his wife had come
I'm. She held three one.dollar bills in
her hand, which she hastily thrust be-
hind her, looking very guilty, as II
Sam Thomas had caught her stealing
the money.
"Hullo, Lottie." said Sam. "I see
LENS back"
yes" said Mrs. Brown. Hes got
a job-oyer at the docks. He's goin
right over there now, aren't you Lem ?"
"M-hm. I'm goln' right over there
this afternoon-after 1 get me some
overalls and dinner pail and"
"And a half dozen drinks OF
whisky" put in Sam Thomas coldIy.
"Oh, no, no. Sam. Certainly not"
protested Lem, certainly not. Never
again for me. No, sir. I'm goin' to
work. l got a good job, stevedorin';
night work, you know, stowin' cargo
in"
You lie, Lem"
whats that?" Lem'N artifclal-look-
ing eyes stared with dull surprise at
Sam
You lie" persisted Sam. 'You
haven't got job; they ain't loadin' no
vessels over at the docks now; and
they hardly ever work nights when
they do"
Jaw, SAM" whlned Lem. $50 help
me. I"
Somebody's goin' to help you, but
he amt goin' to help you to no
drinks"
But, Sam. got TO have some over
alls If go % work"
you'll git overalls all right all
right. You'll git somethin' else. too.
Come on, now. Wen be on our way"
what d. you mean. Sam?"
"Ive got you a job Lem. A good
job--a right swell job. You'll like it.
Lem, cause 1 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 Iandest whalin'
you ever had i'm your life"
Sam shook n fist as big as a Chi
cago ham under the nose OF the aston
ished and anrighted Lem Then he
turned 20 tb wife. who had stood
nutely and uncOmprehendlngly by.
"LOttle, this big hulk OF a husband
OF yours has got to go to work. and
I'm goiu' 10 see that he does I've been
needin' help on the place for long
time. Lem won't make first class help.
but I amt goin' to pay him much. II
he can't be handled, I'm goin' to have
him sent back TO jail; and this time
it'll be the penltcncory. for ossautin'
you and Mary Alice that night
"Aud listen. Lottie Maybe he don't
look &c; but somehow I've got a sus-
piclon that there may be the makin's
OF "a man in that Unstable carcass yet.
Anyhow, I'm goin' TO undertake the
job So long Lottie. See you next
week. Come on, Lem"