The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-04-19
The Tough Guy

| iOOh came mo HIS eyes JUST 4ldd
a runin with young Hatton.'
The red faded from her face and a
grey white mask seemed to slip down
over it. you don't mean Hattoni
Not Hatton's son. Ernie. you amt
| done"
A dash of his street-corner bravado
came back to him. "Aw, keep your
hair on, Ma. didn't know it was
| young Hatton when 1 hit m. An any
way nobody his age is gonna tell me
where to get off at. Say, wen a guy
who amt twenty three, hardly, and
that never done a lick in his life except
go to college, the sissy, tries t."
But the first sentence only had pen
| etrated her brain. She grappled with
it, d;zzily. Hit hirnl Ernie, you don't
mean you hit him! Not Hattons
senl Ernie!"
When she quavered her next ques-
ton, What was he dom in the mill pa
he turned toward the stairway again,
hinging his answer over his shoulder.
"Learnin' the business, that's what.
| From the ground up, see? Well. be-
lieve me he don't use me as no ground
dirt. An when I'm talSin' the screen
off the big roll-see?-he comes up
to me an says I'm handlin' it rough
an it's a delicate piece Of mechanism.
Who're your says Never mind who
I am he says, I'm werlSin on this
job he says. an this is a paper mill
you're workin' in he says, not a boiler
factory. Treat the machbnery ac-
cordin', like a READ workman he says.
The simpl just stepped down OF the
platform Of the big press and I says,
We'll, you look like a kinda delicate
piece of mechanism yourself 1 says.
| an need careful handlin', SO take that
Fop- ct a An with that
handed him one on the nose"
"Oh. Ernie. fr Gods sake! What
they goin' to do to your
He was half way up the narrow
stairway. she at the foot of it, peering
| up at him. "Tliey won't do anything.
I guess old Hatton amt so stuck on
havin' his swell golf club crowd know
his little boy was beat up by me-"
| He was dumping about upstairs
now. So she turned toward the kitch-
en-, dazedly. She glanced at the clock.
Going on toward five. She got out a
painful of potatoes and began to peel
them skilfully, automatically. At FIVE
thirty Pa came in. At six, Minnie.
She had to go back to the candy store
until nine. Five minutes later the
supper was steaming on the table.
Ernie" called Ma, toward the CELL
! ing. "Er-niel Slippers on" The
three sat down at the table without
waiting. Pa had slipped off his shoes
and was in his stockinged feet. They
ate in silence. 1t was a good meal A
| European family of the same class
would have considered it banquet.
There were meat and vegetables, but
ter and homemade bread preserves
and cake-true to the standards of the
extravagant American laboring- class
household.
Buzz usually cleaned up after sup
per. But tonight when he came down
he was already clean shaver, clean
| shirted and his hair was wet from
the comb. He took his place in silence.
His acid Stained work shoes had been
replaced by his good tan ones. Evil
IDENTIFY he was going down town.
Buzz ate little. His mother, forever
between the stove and the table, ate
less. But that was nothing unusual in
her She waited on the others, but
/ mostly she lowered about the boy.
Ernie, you amt eatin' your pota-
toes; look how nice an mealy."
Don't want none" He slouched
from the table.
Minnie, teacup in hand, regarded
him over it's brim with wide. malicious
eyes. Il saw the Kearney girl go by
here before supper, and she rubbered
in like everything"
You're a LIAR said Buzz.
Buzz had been headed toward the
front porch. He hesitated and turned
now, and picked up the newspaper
from the sofa. Pa Werner, in trousers,
shirt and suspenders. was padding
about the kitchen with his pipe and
tobacco. He came into the sitting
room now and stood a moment, his
regarded Buzz with beady, narrowed
eyes. you let me see you around
with that Kearney girl and I'll break
every bone in your body. The huzzy!"
Suddenly. "There she is again!" cried
Minnie from her bedroom. Buzz
shrank back in his chair. Old man
Werner, with a muttered oath, went
| to the open doorway and stood there,
putting savage little spurts Of smoke
streetward. The Kearney girl stared
| brazenly at him as she strolled slowly
| by, slim and sinister figure. Old man
Werner watched her out of sight.
Buzz, with a wary eye up the street,
| slouched out to the front porch, into
the twilight of the warm May evening
| Charley Lembke, from his porch across
the street, called to him: Coin down
town."
"Yeh. I guess So"
Amt you afraid of bein' pinched?"
Buzz turned his head quickly toward
/ the room just behind him. He turned
/ to go in. Charley's voice came again.
| clear and far-reaching: Il heard you
had run-in with Hatton's son, and
knocked him down. Some class e you,
Buzz, even If it does cost, you a job"
| From within the sound of a news
paper hurled to the floor. Pa Werner
was at the door. Whats that.
| What's that he's sayin'? Come in
here" Pa Werner faced him, black
browed. rs that right, what he said :?
Lemblxe? Huh?'
Sure it's right had a run-in with
Hatton. an licked him. and given
my time. What you goin' to do about
| it,"
| The two men faced each other. The
one a sturdy man-boy nearing twenty.
with a great pair of shoulders and
Z