Plain Mary Smith

eckon I can slide over the next little while. You guess what a crazy-mad man, who's fed his mind on darkness for years, would be likely

nobody'd blamed him for getting orry-eyed. But he might have asked me what I had to say-a woman-killer gets that show. He used me bad enough, so Eli interfered. "I don't care if I

ught to have washed up a bit, and not give her such a shock,

mother," I says. "I

oy foolishness in this, so she choked down her feelings, got a basin,

it's always that way, though, when a man has made his mind up tig

n wrong; I should have done more; I didn't, thinking things w

ike?" I asked her. I grew old

he cried. "My boy, t

"How could I h

was

very time I couldn't promise to be.... There'd come a day too oft

ing; talking so fast his words were broken; stamping around; quoting Scripture one minute, crying threats and slaughter the next. It was pitiful. I hustled, getting things ready; I knew, a little more of listening, and I'd have nothing but contempt for my father. Then mother's voice rung out, telling him to leave until he could talk like a man. Usually, she could force him, when she wished, hers being so much bigger a m

r spoke calmly. "You hurt my arm, holding it so tight," she said. "That certainly isn't necessary." He had grace enough to beg her pardon. Finally, she got him to leave. A good job. That day had been a trifle too

, my boy, you are right," she says,

nife; "and I'll just slide out q

n," she says, "with your mother to say good-by. You ha

t will make it ba

what any one can say, you've been a good-" She broke down, all at once. The rest of it she cried into my shoulder, whilst I told her about how I'd be rich and great in no time, and father'd come around all right a

e every time I defended a woman, why, she'd leave, too. That part of it stuck in mother's mind; she would not listen when I told her it was only one of the reasons for the row. And she summed the thing up by saying I was determined to leave; that it was best all around; and that he must act like a human being and a father for once.

and father both waving

nd gintlemen," says he, "ye here behold th' koind friend that led Mick Murphy-that's licked the country-to bang a bit of a bye, after misnamin' a dacent woman." Smash! goes the

ween ninety and nine thousand Murphys claiming him as their start. And my best friend is old Mick. He cried when I fir