Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-26

dow-Swiftys own particular seat. as
/ happen to know. And hanged If he
amt smokin' the fancy meerschaum
I'd presented Swiftly with only last
Christmas.
| He's big man, Mudgett, as we'll
as poddy one; with a thick neck
and great heavy head that he car
| ries sort OF canted forward. A thick
| Tipped heavy -jawed party. with a lot
! of toused hair and a long. ragged lip
ears. putty colored. Only his eyes are
| small; the restless, shifty kind. His
, cheap gray suit is baggy and wrin-
killed.. and dingy across the knees.
Shoes run over at the heel. A great
| slob of a man.
| Anyway, he sure did look out of
/ place in that neat little fiat. and in
| contrast to Mrs. Gallagher. specially.
She's more or less of husky person
herself, but she carries her weight
| well. and even when she's cooking
dinner, as she now is. manages to
company. When she discovers I've
come home with Swiftly, she makes a
hasty trip to the gas stove and then
| joins US. rollin' her sleeves down as
she takes chair.
! Its a fine muddle, amt it, Pro-
fessor McCabe?" says she.
I mods my head sympathetic. De
cided on anything?" I asks.
Not yet" says she. "All I can see
| is that I'm a wronged woman"
II like thatw chimes in Mudgett.
"Wronged woman I'm a wronged
man. I'll say"
"Ahr-chee." snorts Swiftly, as his
contribution to the debate.
I think he meant to add something
scrappy. too. but bushes him up.
Easy now" says I. Lets hear what
Mr.. Mudgett has to say"
If you measured it by noise and
the number of words. it was quite a
lot. He has hoarse, boomin' voice
| that probably used to scare the liver
out Of bunch Of circus hands. but
and sometimes trails off into an odd
whine. He's little shy of ideas. too.
Mainly he harps on the fact that Min
ME has gone and married again with
out consultfn' him.
I'll leave it to you, professor" says
he. "if it amt kind of a raw deal. No
! divorce or nothin'. and her livin' with
another man. Some one told her I
was dead Ell? So she ups and marries
again. Well. I amt one to hold any
; hard feelin's: We didn't get on any
too well. Minnie and me. If she's
found somebody she likes better.
that's all right. Gallagher amt any
Adonis. I must say. but he seems like
quiet, respectable party. Provides
! for her fairly well, Judge. though I
uOu CdIc uIuCH iOT HIS ldStc III
smokin' tobacco. Still maybe I could
put him onto a brand that"
Say" I breaks in, that amt ex-
actly the point. you know. What
Swiftly wants to understand is this:
What you going to do?"
"Me" says Hiram. "Oh. not much,
I guess Just stay around"
"Here? demands Minnie.
Mudgett mods careless and proceeds
to dig some wax out Of his right ear
with his little fngernail.
II think I'll have something to say
about that, Hi, Mudgett," says Min
ME. her eyes fiashin'.
You" says Hiram. "Oh. no, Min
ME. You amt in a position to say
much to anybody: that is, unless you
want to talk to q judge"
"Oh" says she. lettin' out a moan.
Which seems to leave Hiram with
the whip hand. He amt cocky about
| 1t, just calm and self possessed. He
| has a loose front tooth that he can
wiggle up and doyn with his tongue.
and he does 1t. Had his stable man
| ners right with him, Hiram.
| You mean" says I. that you in
tend to stay on here with Mr.. and
Mrs. Gallagher"
| 1T there amt any strenuous objec-
ton. and I guess there ain't." says
Hiram. They've got an extra room.
the boards good. and I'll be away on
| and of. But It'll be kind of nice to
have a regular home once more eh?"
| eff you're askin' me, Mudgett."
says I. I'm pleased to tell you just
how I've got you sized up. You're a
cheap. low-down CRATER"
Me, too" says Swiftly. "And I'll
knock his block or"
| 'If you do" says Hiram, It'll have
Minnie pinched for bigamy."
Swiftly stands starin' at him, his
| fingers punched.
| The can. you know I warns swiftly.
| "Oh. ohg groans Mrs. Gallagher.
! whats the matter with lettin'
things 60 on as they are?" suggests
Hiram. Il won't be much trouble, and
you'll soon get used to havin' me
around. Eth. Minnie?"
/ III suppose wo must" says she.