Smyrna times., 1932-08-10
WEEKLY STORY
AROUND TABLE
Reading to While Away Time
Under the Evening Lamp
When Days Work is Done
INTERESTING READING
kits"
BY Tyra L. Fuller


home to him. 1t was warm with
her playful presence.
Jim loved her. Ii had been a
mutual case of love at first sighti
With the coming of Kits. Jim
for almost decace known as Hat
tons hard-boiled bachelor"
ed his longtime pals. No longer
was he seen nightly at the Croqui-
mole club.
His cr0nieS missed him. They re
sented his desertion and muttered
darkly Of "a rag, a bone and a hank
of hair" Bill Hannaway voiced
everybody's opinion when he vowed
that he never would have believed
that "Jim would 60 sentimental
over d-n 0rnery female"
No. Jim had always been quite
the opposite to sentimental. Hard
boiled" was the word. And no won
der. He'd lost both mother and ia
ther when he was just baby. He'd
been dragged up (there's no other
term for IT'D for nine years by a
viragO aunt, and then, having COM
mitted some slight offense and fear
ing the dire results, he had run
away.
To be exact. the young Jim had
climbed into an empty freight car,
had cried himself to sleep.
He emerged from the freight car
into little backwoods town where
he either could not, or would not
answer any questions.
AS no one knew where TO ship
him, he became a town charge and
young Jim found out the meaning
of hard work.
He remained long enough to learn
to look out for himself, hoped an
other freight and was carried some
hundreds of miles, north by west.
Jim was now sixteen and quite In
dependent, for. by dint of skimping
and boarding, he had managed to
amass the vast sum Of S13.75.
Once again Jim's destination was
decided by fate. He awoke on the
second morning TO find his car side
tracked near a pleasant little town
name of the town was Hatton, he
learned, and when he strolled into
the general store to buy some sup
plies-to show he was no tramp
he gave his own name as Marden.
He was looking for q job. Jim
confided to the storekeeper, kind
ly soul who apparently knew
everything. and everybody for miles
around. Old Tom Cragge, red
checked. roly-poly. with a heart as
big as his beIIy-which was saying
something-told Jim the farmers
all about there were looking for
sturdy. capable hands.
"You won't have no trouble findin'
a job, son." he said. land if you
can't land one. come back and old
Tom Cragge'll set you to work"
The first real kindness he lad had
ever metI No wonder old Cragge
came to mean father, mother and
family to Jim Marden, and his
death some years later was trag-
edy to the orphan boy, just growing
into young manhood.
When Tom Cragge died he left
Jim a small house with an acre of
land, two, three miles out of Hat
ton. He left him some money. too,
with directions to furnish the
house. and make a home"
Jim followed instructions con-
scientiously. he furnished the old
place after a fashion. He slept
there. and got his own breakfasts.
Jim was going on thirty when
Kits came into his life. He fell for
the little thing right away. And
when she showed she was willing TO
come and share his small house
with him. Jim's Joy knew no
bounds.
Then the place blossomed. II be-
came liveable-
II was Jim's happiness to get her
anything and everything she want
ed. Hadn't she given him-homei
Jim was In the general store-nov
run By a distant relative Of the late
Tom Cragge-running an eye over
his penciled list of wanted supplies.
Cream liver kits loved nver)
and bacon matches. kindling.
M-m-m.
Loaf of bread and some coffee
he told the storekeeper, aand I'll
be going along"
.Boys are havfn' a little poker
game tonight" volunteered the man
behind the counter. "Guess they'd
like to have you SIT in."
But Jim was In hurry. and said
so. he had to get home. Homel
What was Kits doing, he won
dered as he sped along In bis old
fiivver. How would she meet him
tonight? (That was one of Kits
charms. Sometimes she would come
down the path to meet him. Some
times she would hide behind the
kitchen door and jump out at him.
Sometimes he would have to go |
through the house calling her name,
n - -