The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-01-31
How Madge Babe Farewell to the Old
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\ little shiver went over ne a.
William Trumbulrs grim declaration:
4 don't let nobody i've what hurts
you"
Ny alarm was not Iessened by the
old fellows partly lud!crous, partly
pathetic explanation that YOU DIN jest
like my old rudder to me, so kind and
good" William was almost K not
quite old enough to have been my
father. but his stunted brain made
him nothing but a child, simple at
that. ! knew that all the love hts
life had ever known had been centered
in his dead mother. ana his compari-
son OF me to her was the highest his
brain could conceive.
II was n dangerous thing to have
aroused such an emotion of gratitude
In so primitive nature. How danger
Gus l saw by the ferocity with which
he had attacked Mr.. Brennan when he
thought the intoxicated man was
about to strike me. What he really
would do II any one harmed me,
didn't dare to contemplate.
Nor had time for any reflection on
what might happen in the future. The
present dilemma promised to engage
whatever attention I had to spare.
Granted that our drunken landlord
had come upon the premises an hour
before his legal right 10 do so, and had
occupied himself in breaking crockory,.
still the fact remained that he had
been almost strangled by a man in my
employ, and / feared the violence of
his anger when ne should be able to
speak again.
But to my establishment my dough-
ty landlord proved good loser. The
fight evidently had cleared the fumes
Of alcohol from his brain, and 1 think
the realization he must have had that
he had almost struck a woman, hui
inflated him greatly. AT any any rate
he advanced toward me, saying with a
rather shamefaced attempt at humor;
Mr.. Brennan Apologies -.
We'll, Mrs. G-r-rahan, tbs foine,
savage watchdog yez have there. But
hen be endin' in the electric chair or
me names not Br-rennan. An per-
haps I've been 4 bin premature in
gettin' here. III be goin' away now
fer an hour, an whin 1 come back yez
will probably be out"
His tone was a question. I was too
glad that the scene which had so
nearly approached tragedy had become
commonplace. to make any protest at
the damage he had done my kitchen
ware. But when he had departed,
after my quiet assurance that every
thing would be cleared out in an hour,
Katie's lamentations were high and
loud.
Look at my jelly glasses joost all
smashed oop!" she walled. And my
beeg yellow cake BOWL" her voice rose
almost to a shrek "Oh, Villum. dear
VilIum. Wy you not shoke heem till
hees vindpipe so smash like my jelly
glasses"
I'd go and finish the job up now, if
Mis- Gramie would let me-" William
said with a wistful grin. And volatile
Katie. answering the grin with one of
her infectious chuckles, said gleefully,
with an adoption of one of Dicky's
slang phrases:
Go to Get, Villum, III hold your
coat"
Come, Katie" I said sharply, you
mustn't encourage William in any such
foolishness. And William, remember"
faced the poor old fellow with all the
sternness I could muster. you must
never talk that way again about kill
ing people Don't you know that you
could be put in prison for such Ian
guage? 1 am very grateful to you for
coming to my rescue in the way you
dll, but you must promise me you'll
never try to choke anyone again"
The Cold Fireplace
II won't never choke nobody unless
they hurt you, Mis- Gramie," he said
stuLbornly, and with that I had to be
content. and turn my attention TO hur-
ing the last loads OF household goods
from the Brennan house.
SO we'll did Katie and Jim and Will
liam work that a whole quarter of an
hour before noon the last piece of fur
niturc was on Jim's wagon, the last
bcx on Williams push cart, and Katie
safely seated in the taXicao guarding
my most precious possessions. Then
it. was that with a sudden impulse l
walked into the denuded and deserted
living room and up to the fireplace in
which not even the ashes of a fire re-
mained-!t being n hobby of mine to !
leave a rented house or apartment alb |
sclutely cleared of dust. dirt or rub |
bish.
What vision had passed before my |