Joe Glenn
Joe Glenn is a telegraph operator in Hinksville and Ruby Glenn's husband. He is a rather unattractive man who was able to marry Ruby only by worshipping her constantly. Although he is described by his wife as a “good, noble and unselfish”1 man he becomes very obedient when his dominant mother is around. He never intervenes when his mother mistreats his wife.
As Ruby puts it: “When we were alone he [Joe] approved of everything, but when his mother was round he'd sit quiet and let her say he didn't. I knew he'd let me have my way afterwards, but somehow that didn't prevent my getting mad at the time.”2
He even took no pride in himself by forgiving his wife for running away with another man. Still, even though he wanted Ruby back, he was not able to stand his ground before his mother, who did not allow him to write Ruby a single letter. Joe is a man who takes comfort in letting someone else conduct his own life, because he is to weak to speak his mind.
But there is one incident which proves that even Joe knows when it is time to do the right thing. One evening when he was at work, he got a call about his wife being terribly sick with pneumonia. In order to be with her, he taught a consumptive boy, who was always hanging around the station, how to operate the telegraph key. Shortly after Joe had left the boy, a freight train ran off the rails 3. Immediately, the boy sent out a message in order to stop the eastern express from leaving the station. Thanks to his rapid response a catastrophe was prevented. But it was only Joe who got all the honors and was even giving a promotion, while the boy died of his consumption without ever being mentioned once. Finally, when offered that promotion, Joe could not longer bear the silence and told his directors what actually had happened. He was suspended after that 4.
Notwithstanding that Joe is a weak character, who has trouble confronting people and seeing his self worth, he still tries to live a life of integrity.