Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1922-07-20
Copyright, 1870. By The Wheeler Syndicate, Inc.


'He was croupy all night, Mr.. Fod-
die; could hear him. Did you fix up
the tent over his crib and burn creo-
sote under it Ike / showed you?"
Just don't know, Miss Annie what's
eiling the little fellow. Got the lamp
alrighty; but what does 1t mean, Miss
Annie, when his little body is hot all
over, not real feverish, but just hot,
drylike"
I'll see" She was past him into
the three-wlndowed third-foor- front
and toward a small crib in its corner,
bending over and into 1t, her large
white hands gripping Its sides.
IF he needs a doctor, Miss Annie, I
amt the one to spare expense"
"Sh-h-h-h!" She raised her face to
him with her finger laid across her
lips. "He's dropped off again. It's
nothing the matter with the little fell
low, Mr.. Foddie, but just Group. My
my little one used to get just this
way, too, hot and dry-skinned, but
not real feverish. Just you burn creo-
sote tonight again and see how 1t
fixes him up"
lie advanced toward her, sloughlng
In his felt slippers the length of the
floor. There was a spaciousness and
an air of upholstered comfort about
that room once removing it from the
chilly category of the neatly fur
nished." An upholstered sofa, bulgy
but spacious, was drawn out along
side fireplace cut in monstrous
marble mantelpiece and shaped like
an inverted U. A patent rocker up
hoistered In carpet and a hassock,
relics of Mr.. Foddies connubial era,
sat by and folding bed, already
swung to concealment behind red rep
curtains. A lambrequin with ball
fringe hung from the mantelpiece. Be
fore this mantel, its pier mirror of
better days tilted to reflect the room,
Mr.. Foddie paused for view of Annie
Kineady there beside the crib.
'If that kid Of mine gets any fonder
of you, Miss Annie, his pan get jeai-
GUS"
Hes the sweetest little thing, Mr..
Foddie, just the sweetest little thing,
and so smart for only three"
Image of his pa"
''He-he just don't look one bit like
you, Mr.. Foddie."
There you go again, running me
down."
why. he-he's just the sweetest
little thing, Mr.. Foddie. Yesterday,
with you layin' down and needing
quiet, Beasley let me take him down
to the store with me In the afternoon.
Wasn't a trimmer on the floor wasn't
just crazy about him; even old Elm.
stein went out and bought him a sack
of candy"
Same way when l take him down
to the store. Girls from one end of
the floor to the other just honey the
little geezer So"
She withdrew her hand softly from
the heart Of the crib, but little wall
rose with it,
"See, he likes my hand" and she
replaced 1t with a tremolo of great
pride in her voice; he likes it."
carpet rocker and fitted the ten tips
of his fingers together. His mustache,
80 suspiciously lighter than the hair
brushed so painstakingly across the
thinning spot, raised again in smile,
revealing flash of teeth and cells /!
loid-looking gums.
$50 do L" he said.
''WhatT
Like it7"
Fer glance flashed to the door. n |
stood open.
'Nons Of that" she said.
~Why notr
you know why not"
You great big beauty, you, what's
that got to do with lit"
Nothing to you and lots to me-"
you've left himl'
"Have not
"Whatta you call living away from
him like this six months and trimmin' |
hats for a Twin, I'd like to know, II |
1t amt that? New way of living with
your man."
II know what I'm doing. What you
don't know about my business would
fill book"
"Tryin to reform a drunk, Ell? Bet.
ter try to run the Mississippi river up
Washington avenue"
what do you know7 Why, he
why, he amt touched drop since the
night ] left, and I've got his sister to
prove It, He's taken the pledge six
months ago and is as sound as a dol
lar since. IL know what I'm do
mgr
Then why don't you go back II
you amt afraidH Why amt you fol
lowing up the postmark on them let
tiers l see layin' down for you on the
hatrack all the time? You're so crazy
about him you wouldn't even see him
that time he came to town after you.
/ got that straight from Beasey her
self. Is that your way of showing you
amt afraid?"
why, you--yop don't know nothing
about how things are with me and
and him. I've stuck this long, and to
make sure I'll stick it out another few
months IL 1t kills me. Liddy herself
says should. I'm going to see 1t
through until May day, and then-if
it's lasted-Pll be sure enough to go
home and"
until whenf"
"Until-aw. what's K to you? It's
my business"
"You big sassy doll. don't you talk
to me like that; yeu big Sassy doll,