The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-02-09
The Only Fool
BY M. QUAD
Copyright, 1916, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

Sarah Martin married Jim Hewson
because she was hired girl and work
ing for 81 week; because, again, she
was tired of work and wanted home.
Jim Hewson married Sarah Martin
because he also wanted a home and
because he knew that she earned So a
month. That would pay the rent on a
cottage In village in those far back
days.
Jim was lazy. He was born that
way and couldn't help it. He hadn't
energy enough to sweat a shirt collar,
and therefore when he worked he got
paid according to his energy, which
pay seldom exceeded 10 cents a day.
The bridal tour of the newly weds
consisted of walking a mile arm in
arm, each with a basket on the free
arm, to a huckleberry swamp mile
away. There they picked twelve quarts
of berries-that is, Sarah picked ten
quarts and Jim two. Then they walk
ed back to town and sold the berries
to a grocer for GO cents In cash.
you see," said Jim as he jingled the
money in his hand, I'VE can get along
as easy as grease. This money would
buy us provisions for week.
The bride half laughed at the re-
mark, but soon felt serious and hadn't
much more to say. Two weeks later,
however, she had Jim had gone to
see her in the kitchen in which she
worked and was feeling glad that he
was married man when she said:
Jim, have been thinking things
over
'We1P' was the query.
II have come to the conclusion that
/ was either a lunatic or an idiot to
have married you. You are all wrong.
You are lazy and shiftless. You haven't
got the energy of potato bug. You
want me to work and support you in
stead of it being the other 80. II
you were the best husband in TIA state
l wouldn't do it."
well. what are we going to doY
asked the husband after a lapse of
minute
Il can't get divorce from you, Jim, |
for haven't got the money to put one
through. If we agreed on a separa |
ton it would do me no good for Ia
still be bound to you. If | was free
altogether ] might stand a chance OF
getting husband who would provide I
a home and comforts for me-"
You mean If / should die you'd
have your chance?"
The wife didn't reply. She only
looked at him.
Jim rose up and left the house with.
out good night and went to his bed
of hay in the stable, and for an hour
lie did more thinking than he had done
in a year before.
In about a week he tried suicide He
went over on the railroad track in
midafternoon, and when the o'clock
express came along he was standing
between the rails and facing it. The
whistle screamed and footed, but Jim
stood there as If spiked to tie. The
engineer tried to stop the train, but
the pace was thirty miles an hour
when the cowcatcher did its work
Five minutes later man who had
witnessed the accident from forty rods
away came running up just as the vic
tim was climbing the fence of a corn
field into which he had been hurled
He had a slight limp in the left leg,
but that was nothing for Jim TO kick
a bout.
Sarah had heard of this attempt and
started out to look for Jim. but she
didn't have the luck to find him. He
was missing from his usual haunts fOI
three or four days. and then he turned
up on bluff overlooking the mill pond