Glacier County chief., 1940-10-04
JACK I'M THE POT@1 Dorothy West

trad tTade 2, Amt I always treate a your your
Sure. Mr.. spiro," she answered NOR
yously.. Il was telling my husband met
laSC night, amt another man treats
me LKe Mr.. Spiro. And said / wished
could settle my bill" -'0N
-, See he said triumphantIv "it,s
like said. You're one of nv best c,, s ,
toners. Worrying about your Bill when
amt even worrying. l was teiIing
your nyestigator-" he paused sia9e
niticantly. when Mr.. Edmunds eess
a JOB, know Ill get the balance Nr
hdnluhdS got himself a JOB maybe?"
She was stiff with fright. mo. I'd
nave told you right off. and her, too
amt one to cheat on relief I was was
! only saying how I wished I could
settle. wasn't saying that I was"
! Wei. then, what You want for sun
per?" Mr.. Spiro asked soothingIy,
Loaf of bread" she answered CRATE
! July. Two pork chops, one kinda thick
! can Of spaghetti, little can of milk"
The purchases were tented, Mrs,
! Edmunds said goodnight and left the
store; She felt sick and ashamed. for
5nh mad turned tail in the moment
that was to have been her triumph
over tyranny. 'N''
A little boy came toward her in the
familiar rags Of the ncighborhood
children. Suddenly Mrs E5munds could
bear no longer the intoIerable weight
OF her mean provisions
Little boy" she said.
her. VISA ~
Here She held out the bag to him.
Take it home to our mamma. It's
food. It's clean"
! He blinked, then snatched the bag
! from her hands, and turned and ran
I Ct ~ RI tEN,
he had come.
Mrs. Edmunds felt better at once,
Now she could buy really good sup
per. She walked 10 blocks to a better
ncIghborhOod and the cold did not
bother her. Her misshapen shoes were
winged
She pushed inside a resplendent
store and marched to the meat coun-
Ter. A portcrhOuse steak caught her
eye. She could not look past it. It
was big and thick and beautiful.
The clerk leaned toward her Steak,
madame"
That one"
1t was glorious no; to care about
the cost Of things. She bought mush-
rooms, fresh peas, caullflower, toma-
toes, & pound Of good coffee, q pint
Of real cream a dozen dinner rolls
and I maple walnut layer cake.
Tie winter stars were priCkinE the
sky when she entered the dlmly lit
hallway Of the old-law tenement in
which She lived. The dank smell smote
her instantly after the long walk III
the brisk, clear air. The Smith boys
dog had dIrtied the hall again. Mr.
johnson. the jaAi.Or, was mournfully
moppMg up.
'LvCnln. Mis- Edmunds, maam," he
said p.aintively.
"E5rn!ng Mrs. Edmunds said coldly.
Suddenly she hated Mr.. johnson. He
was SO humble.
Five children shared the uninhabit-
able basement with him. They were
always hLIG-sick, and he was always
Il, = cct!ug his duties TO tend to them.
The tenants were continually deciding
10 report him TO the agent. and then
at tie last moment deciding not to.
III be up tomorrow, see bOu. them
windows. Ms Edmunds, ma am. My
baby KEEP frettin' today, and I been
20 By dOctorn.'
Those children need a mother"
said ,.I-s. Edmunds severely. You
ough5 10 get married again
MY wife ain daid,.' cried Mr.. john
son, hooked out OF his SerViIigy she :
in that T. B. home. B Ell there two
years and bout on the road to health"
Well" said Mrs. Edmunds iacon-
ClusIveiy. and then added brislly. II
been waiting weeks and weeks for
Them window strips. Wln;er,S half over.
If the place was kept warm
"YesIn, MIS- Edmunds," he said
hastily. his boodShot eyes inlp!oring.
rs that oil furnace. 1 done tol' the
agent time and again, but they ain
fiXin' to fix up this house long as all
you all is relief folks
,,,o.
whel! Mr.. Edmunds' key turned in the
lock OF the tiny three-room fiat. His
step dragged down the hall. Mrs. Ed
munds knew what that meant: No
man wanted" Two years ago Mr.. Ed
munds had begun, doggedly, to canvas
the city for work, leaving home soon
after breakfast and rarely returning
before supper.
store. After losing it. he had spent
his small savings, and sold or paWned
every decent article of furniture and
clothing before applying for relief.
Even so, there had been long inVeS-
LEGATION while he and his wife slowly
starved. Fear had been implanted III
Mrs. Edmunds. Thereafter she was
never wholly unafraid. Mr.. Edmunds
had had to stand by and watch his
wife starve. He never got over being
MI. Ednunds stood in the kitchen
doorway, holding his rain-streaked hat
in his knotted hand. He was 40, and
he looked like an old man.
I'm back he said. Cooking sup
PERI"
It was not a question. He seemed
unaware OF the Intoxicating odors. -.
She smiled at him brightly. Smell
He shook suddenly with the cold
that was still in him. Smells like al
ways to me-"
Her face fell in disappointment, but
she said gently. You oughtnt to be e
walking around this kind of weather.
i was looking for work." he said
fiercely. Works not going to come
knocking"
She did not want to quarrel with
him. He was too cold. and their sup
per was too fine. :.
"Things.n pick UP in the spring,
she said soothingly.