oud he never did! You couldn't have dragged him
there!" said Mrs. Montgomery, and the ready tears dimmed her eyes.

"And you couldn't have dragged him away quick enough if he had a-come!
Now don't you get tearful over Joe, you can't call him no prodigal; his
veal's tough old beef by this time! But I never had nothing in
particular against him more than I thought he ought to be kicked clean
off the face of the earth!" said Mr. Shrimplin, rolling his drooping
flaxen mustache fiercely between his stubby thumb and its neighboring
forefinger.

Such personal relations as the little lamplighter had sustained with the
handy-man had invariably been of the most friendly and pacific
description. Esteeming Joe a gentleman of uncertain habits, and of
criminal instincts that might at any moment be translated into vigorous
action, Mr. Shrimplin had always been at much pains to placate him. In
the heat of the moment, however, all this was forgotten, and Mr.
Shrimplin's love of decency and rectitude promptly asserted itself.

"It's easy enough to pick flaws in a popular good-looking man like Joe!"
said Mrs. Montgomery, with whom time and absence had been at work, also,
and to such an extent that the first dim glint of a halo was beginning
to fix itself about the curly red head of her delinquent spouse.

"And a whole lot of good them good looks of his has done you, Nellie,"
rejoined Mr. Shrimplin, with a little cackle of mirth.

"He never even seen his youngest!" said Mrs. Montgomery, giving
completely away to tears at this moving thought of the handy-man's
deprivation.

"I reckon he could even stand that," observed Mr. Shrimplin unfeelingly.
"I bet he never knowed 'em apart."

"Why he was just wrapped up in them and me,--just wrapped up!" cried
Mrs. Montgomery.

"Well, he had a blame curious way of showing it; no one would ever have
suspected it of him!" said Mr. Shrimplin.

"I guess this wouldn't have happened if his own folks had had more faith
in Joe, that's what wore on him,--I seen it wear on him!" declared Mrs.
Montgomery, in a tone of melancholy conviction.

"In the main I'm a truthful man, Nellie,--I wish to be anyhow; and I'll
tell you honest I was never able to see much in Joe aside from his good
looks, which I know he had, now that you call them to mind. No,--I think
a coat of tar and feathers would be about the thing for Joe; he's the
sort of bird to wear that kind of plumage. My opinion is that you've
seen the l