13

12.

The iceman ignored the last remark. "Look here, Mr. Ham,"
he said, "you knows you wants more'n a nickel's worth of ice. It
melts mighty fast on a hot day like this."

"A nickel's the last cent I've got, and you ought to be
glad to get that much," Fred grumbled.

"All right, I'll bring you a nickel's worth, but you oughta
buy more," nagged the iceman.

"Stop that shouting and arguing. This is a respectable
neighborhood," Fred snapped. "Bring the ice, if you're going to,
but be quick and quiet about it." The iceman obeyed promptly, but
seemed to take savage delight in lugging the dripping ice through
the front door and he apparently overlooked no opportunity to create
untidiness and disorder.

"Miss, you see it's like this; when a fellow once got all
the good paying work he could do, really made big money, and then
had to come down like this it sure hurts. Why, I've owned three
automobiles at different times, but I ain't got one now. When it
come to a show down I decided I'd rather own my home than a car.

"I've been married twice, and there's one daughter and
three sons in our family. I don't believe in bringing more children
in the world than you can have a resonable prospect of being able to
raise and educate right. Both my wives and me were reared up here
and went through the Athens' schools at the same time, and those two
girls were the best of friends. My first wife's child - my daughter -
was about three years old when I married the second time. If I was
as good a man as the two women I married I wouldn't be in the fix I'm

1870