The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-02-10

| nan, NO. Wait. All my parcels
nr n ! in this fellows hack. Couldn't
We sober him up?'
W. Ne can try" Jerry replied.
Il, wont to the barmaid and ask
~ ~ her 10 get a mug of strong
c"rfrr from the kitchen. "No,
nct three cups" he added. think
o inc, he could do very we'll with
~, - coffee himSlf and probably
Tho Young woman would feel the
same way.
The coffee came, and they
drank it. and young Mrs. Alfred
S,M;tL told Jerry about her plans
for her husbands birthday which
would fall tomorrow. She had a
friendly. informal way of speak
mo and of looking up at a per-
son for agreement. She wa sa lit
tIr common. Jerry decided, but as
harmless as kitten. Her hus-
hand ought to be stricter with
her. He'd not want Polly to go
around getting into difficulties
This way and asking help of any
one that happened along.
The coffee Sobered the cabby
remarkably. He eSemed to re-
member his responsibilities as
soon as he had dOwned ii.
DO You think he's all right
now" the girl asked Jerry.
Eyes. I'll put you in the hack"
Jerry said. offering her his arm.
He was still thinking of Polly, and
how a thing like this must never
happen to her.
And so it was that the young
woman in the Sky-blue bonnet and
the sky-blue dress that was cut
SQUARE at the neck walked out of
the Unicorn and Crown Tavern
on the arm of the American sea-
man, Jeremiah Whitfield, whom
she had been paid to dupe.
Her name was Maize Miller
Tor so she had called herself on
the stage) and her love of money
frequently got the better of a ma
tiveiv soft heat. She had been a
fairly good singer in the music
halls before she married the own
or of the Sheaf of Wheat Tavern
that stood on the edge of town
on the road to Plymouth, and
she'd not lost her looks or her
fetching ways. She was devoted
to her husband, a gross handsome
fellow with a graSping nature; she
not only aided him by serving as
barmaid of his tavern but by mr.
ing out as a lure for the press
gangs as we'll.
But only in the more genteel
cases." she would tell you.
Well. Maize admitted, this was
a genteel case and no mistake.
Jeremiah Whitfield was a gentle
man and there was no need at
all to put him in his place. She
smiled up at him impersonally'
and said:
This is mighty goo dof you,
sir. | Just wish my husband could
thank you personally. Where s
the hack, Cabby? Pm so turned
around | can't remember where il
was | got out of it, ;,
Down this way" the man said
What? Down that side street,
Jerry said, "You wait here, Mrs
Smith, I'll fetch the rig to you.
"Oh. no" she answered hastily
Just take me to it. That vii
save time"
The street was dark, so sur
prisingly dark that Jerry Whit
field commented on it. London:
poorly-lighted city, it seems tc
me-"
Sometimes the sperm oil give:
out in a lamp" the girl said, "anc
then the lighters have to 81
fetch more. You're not {
Londoner I take it, Mr.-Mr.-'
Whitfield. No, Ma'am. In
used to smaller places" D.
The driver walked to the rca,
fthe hackney coach. To the
crouching figure he encountered
there he spoke a few kissing
words out of the side; of hi:
, mouth.
Maize Miller kne wwhat wen
on there, and her heart revolted
There was yet time to save thi!
kind, laundering young man who
had risen to her distress as a fist
rises to bait. She thought of tht
; girl who had been with him today
in the park and on the bridge.
the tall pretty creature who evi
IDENTIFY loved him with all he
heart. No, she would no
think of, that girl! She would
| think only of the five pounds tina
/ this business would yield her ant
that she could proudly take hom'
to her husband.
Il was thought of this unwor
| thy mate of hers that brough
Maize to earth and turned he
, again into woman of business
She pretended to grope TO rtH
hack step. While jerry was point
ing it out to her, the crouchin,
Figure back of the hack moved il
cautious orbit through the dark
ness and closed in on him. -. ;
! ; a. cudgel wrapped sparsely il
rags came down on Jerry Whit
fields head from the rear and h
erumpled without knowledge o
i, what had happened. Never di'
man lose consciousness with S
| little concern for himself. Blu
through the confusion Of hi
mind. before utter darkness en-
! quilted him. there passed the ter
| riblc meteoriv thought of Poll,
Chelsey waiting for him
| waiting