The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-07-23
GOOD DEEDS
A COMPLETE NOVELETTE,

| his shoulder Wn1lo ne Shamefacedly
ruffled up the brown hair over her
ears.
But the wife of "dip" and the wife
of soldier cannot be too emotional;
she dried her tears of happiness, and
in silence they tramped up the five
flights of stairs to the two dingy rooms
they called home.
"Shall get you some eats, Harry"
she asked, patting his arm while he
hung his cap on the nail driven into
the back of the door. 1t was sign
of her feeling for him that she, alone
of all the world, called him by the
name his mother had given him. 81
got some pork chops yesterday
shall cook them with tomatoes, the
way you like? l thought they'd be
little surprise for you"
"Bless your heart, kiddo!" he said.
He caught her in his arms and kissed
her gently, this time without shame
facedness. "And 1 got little surprise
for you tool" he told her. "Come
here! Say, lamp the look O. that!"
He drew out the pocketbook, opened
| it and threw the four bills on the table
Found it-lot of good Christians
wouldn't even look at it-left it for me.
| Say, how does it look?"
Hail Columbia" murmured the
girl; land 1 was just wondering how
we was going to eat after tomorrow!
Say take the little one and go out for
a pie? Well have a gorge-and You
won't have to go to work again for
week or two, will your"
She reached for the bill with sun
light, sunlight especially because he
wouldn't have to work at once, it ap
peared, on her face, but he stopped
her.
wait" he said There's another
thing that's got to be settled before
eats. Set down.
The girl sat down across the table
from him. The sunlight disappeared
from her face under a sudden mist CT
doubt. He sat down on the other side.
The money and the purse lay neglected
between them.
"That squealer-that Simp Karpy-
seen anything of him since left? he
demanded.
She stammered: "Why-Harry-
no-I-no, haven't" She was fright
ened by the change that had come
over him. He was suddenly hard,
sneering, wolf-cruel; his lips lifted at
the corners to show his teeth.
81 amt never said much" he
growled, "but I always thought may
be it was some on account of you,
wanting to get me out Of the way,
you know, he squealed on me. You
know how he always made up to you.
Now been thinking"
But, Harry, never so much as
looked at him-I never" she cried.
THERE know it it. You don't git
me right grille" he said, and laid
one of his hands, his long, white
supple hands, on her. 81 know you're
On the square. Here's what's on my
mind: That Simp, that squealer--
while I was up I swore I wouldn't
be out day before l croaked him.
And I'm goin' to make good-see?
| She seemed relieved that the matter
was no more serious, nevertheless she
protested: But, Harry, why not pus
it off little while, anyway? They'll
git you sure. There's been too much
of this croakin'-"
Forget it," he commanded. Hes
still hangin' round Slezak's gin
mill, amt he? You know where you
can reach him."
81 guess So" admitted the girl.
Her lips made a tight, straight line.
She was loyal to her man, her eyes
said if he was determined to be-
come murderer-well, he was still
her man.
81 want you to git in touch with
him." Sinkers became calmer now
that he had the business under way;
he leaned back and stuck his thumbs
in the armholes of his vest like Rier
chant about to consummate a deal. 81
want you to pretend you're sore on me
ready to throw me over for him
see? He don't know Pm out, less'n he
found out got ten months off for good
con, and he's too big fool to find that
out Tonight l want you to walk him
past me when I'm hangin' round back
of Slezak's, and I'll fill him so full of
hot lead"
Her eyes had taken on some of the
hardness of her own, but she inter-
rupted plaintively: "Oh, Harry. not